Natural hazards · Santa Barbara

Santa Barbara, CA natural hazards

Most of the natural-hazard damage FEMA expects in Santa Barbara comes from earthquakes, and overall the risk is very high for a U.S. community. Flood insurance has paid 276 claims here since 1978. 8 federal disasters brought FEMA money into town.

FEMA National Risk Index, December 2025 · OpenFEMA claims, aid & declarations

Expected damage

How exposed is Santa Barbara?

Very high

vs. U.S. communities

FEMA expects yearly storm and flood damage to homes and buildings in Santa Barbara to be higher than in 97% of U.S. communities, mostly from earthquakes and inland flooding.

Earthquakes61%Inland flooding38%Everything else1%

By hazard

What Santa Barbara faces

Each hazard’s share of the damage FEMA expects here, and how that compares with the rest of the country.

Earthquakes

61% of expected damage

Well above average · higher than 98% of U.S. places

Inland flooding

38% of expected damage

Well above average · higher than 97% of U.S. places

Recorded about 2 times a year in the area

Lower here

Coastal floodingTornadoesHailHeat wavesWildfireLandslidesStrong windLightningTsunamis

Not a risk here

HurricanesIce stormsWinter weatherCold wavesDroughtAvalanchesVolcanic activity

Flood risk changes street by street. Check a specific address on FEMA’s flood map, and ask about flood insurance before you buy.

Flood insurance claims

Does Santa Barbara flood?

Every paid claim on a federal flood insurance policy in Santa Barbara, from FEMA’s records.

276paid claims since 1978

$5.0Mpaid to owners

34homes flooded more than once

19782026

Biggest named events

California Atmospheric River: 41 claims, $1.5M
Pineapple Express - Southern: 25 claims, $247K
December California Flooding: 11 claims, $243K

Homes that flooded again and again

■ FEMA “severe repetitive loss” (2) ■ flooded 2+ times

of homes in flood zones
are insured

of all homes
are insured

No community discount. Santa Barbara isn’t in FEMA’s Community Rating System, which cuts flood insurance up to 45% in towns that do extra flood-proofing.

Insurance rates: Santa Barbara County.

What’s been done with FEMA grants

8flood-prone properties bought out and cleared

3buildings floodproofed

Disasters that hit Santa Barbara

8 federal disasters brought FEMA money here

Disasters the President declared that paid out in Santa Barbara itself: aid to households, or repair grants to the City of Santa Barbara.

Brought FEMA money into Santa BarbaraDeclared for Santa Barbara County only

2024

Severe Winter Storms, Tornadoes, Flooding, Landslides, and Mudslides

$232K to the City of Santa Barbara for repairs

2023

Severe Winter Storms, Straight-Line Winds, Flooding, Landslides, and Mudslides

$713K to the City of Santa Barbara for repairs

2022

Severe Winter Storms, Flooding, Landslides, and Mudslides

774 households applied for aid $2.2M aid approved $3.5M to the City of Santa Barbara for repairs

2017

Wildfires, Flooding, Mudflows, and Debris Flows

1,099 households applied for aid $1.9M aid approved $2.4M to the City of Santa Barbara for repairs

2017

Severe Winter Storms, Flooding, and Mudslides

$614K to the City of Santa Barbara for repairs

2008

Wildfires

388 households applied for aid $1.0M aid approved $936K to the City of Santa Barbara for repairs

2007

Wildfires, Flooding, Mud Flows, and Debris Flows

2 households applied for aid

2004

Severe Storms, Flooding, Debris Flows, and Mudslides

157 households applied for aid $381K aid approved $1.1M to the City of Santa Barbara for repairs

Santa Barbara County has had 35 natural disasters declared since 1953, most often floods and fires.

Around Santa Barbara

Santa Barbara and the towns around it

Very lowLowModerateHighVery high

Eastern Goleta Valleymostly inland floodingVery high

Mission Canyonmostly inland floodingVery high

Santa Barbaramostly earthquakesVery high

Montecitomostly inland floodingVery high

Goletamostly earthquakesVery high

University of California-Santa Barbaramostly earthquakesVery high

About these numbers

How to read this page

An average, not a forecastFEMA’s National Risk Index estimates the damage 18 kinds of natural hazards cause in a typical year, from decades of records and models. A quiet decade can follow a bad year.

Compared by rate“Higher than N%” compares yearly damage as a share of what’s here, so a big city isn’t rated riskier just for having more buildings. Santa Barbara covers 22 census tracts, combined by population.

Money that reached townFlood claims are matched to Santa Barbara’s own flood-insurance community; household aid to the registrant’s city; repair grants to the City of Santa Barbara. FEMA’s model follows property values, so a place that recently lost many homes can rate lower than it feels.

FEMA’s expected losses across Santa Barbara total about $102M a year, counting buildings, people and crops.

Sources: FEMA National Risk Index (December 2025); OpenFEMA: NFIP redacted claims, multiple-loss properties, community status book and residential penetration rates, housing assistance (owners and renters), public assistance funded projects, hazard mitigation properties and disaster declarations. Census tracts: U.S. Census Bureau.