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Natural hazards · Santa Monica

Santa Monica, CA natural hazards

Most of the natural-hazard damage FEMA expects in Santa Monica comes from earthquakes, and overall the risk is very high for a U.S. community. Flood insurance has paid 21 claims here since 1980. 8 federal disasters brought FEMA money into town.

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

How exposed is Santa Monica?

87
Very high
vs. U.S. communities

FEMA expects yearly storm and flood damage to homes and buildings in Santa Monica to be higher than in 87% of U.S. communities, mostly from earthquakes and inland flooding.

Earthquakes72%Inland flooding28%
By hazard

What Santa Monica faces

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

Earthquakes

72% of expected damage
Well above average · higher than 96% of U.S. places

Inland flooding

28% of expected damage
Well above average · higher than 76% of U.S. places
Recorded about 4 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 Monica flood?

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

21paid claims since 1980
$147Kpaid to owners
1homes flooded more than once
19802026

Biggest named events

  • Pineapple Express - Southern: 5 claims, $27K
  • February California Atmospheric River: 3 claims, $21K
  • Mid-Winter California Flooding: 1 claim, $40K

Homes that flooded again and again

■ FEMA “severe repetitive loss” (0) ■ flooded 2+ times

of homes in flood zones
are insured
of all homes
are insured
No community discount. Santa Monica isn’t in FEMA’s Community Rating System, which cuts flood insurance up to 45% in towns that do extra flood-proofing.
Insurance rates: Los Angeles County.
Disasters that hit Santa Monica

8 federal disasters brought FEMA money here

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

Brought FEMA money into Santa MonicaDeclared for Los Angeles County only
2025

Wildfires and Straight-Line Winds

3,068 households applied for aid $1.0M aid approved $208K to the City of Santa Monica for repairs
2020

Wildfires

37 households applied for aid $3K aid approved
2018

Wildfires

6 households applied for aid
2017

Wildfires, Flooding, Mudflows, and Debris Flows

1 household applied for aid
2008

Wildfires

1 household applied for aid
2007

Wildfires, Flooding, Mud Flows, and Debris Flows

1 household applied for aid
2004

Severe Storms, Flooding, Debris Flows, and Mudslides

35 households applied for aid $22K aid approved $17K to the City of Santa Monica for repairs
2003

Wildfires, Flooding, Mudflow and Debris Flow Directly Related T

12 households applied for aid $2K aid approved
Los Angeles County has had 74 natural disasters declared since 1953, most often fires and floods.
Around Santa Monica

Santa Monica and the towns around it

Los Angeles: Very high, mostly earthquakesGlendale: Very high, mostly earthquakesPasadena: Very high, mostly earthquakesRancho Palos Verdes: High, mostly earthquakesBurbank: Very high, mostly earthquakesInglewood: Very high, mostly earthquakesCarson: Very high, mostly earthquakesWest Rancho Dominguez: Very high, mostly earthquakesVernon: Very high, mostly earthquakesEast Los Angeles: Very high, mostly earthquakesGardena: Very high, mostly inland floodingWest Carson: Very high, mostly earthquakesSanta Monica: Very high, mostly earthquakes Santa MonicaLos Angeles
Very lowLowModerateHighVery high
Los Angelesmostly earthquakesVery high
Santa Monicamostly 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 Monica covers 19 census tracts, combined by population.
Money that reached townFlood claims are matched to Santa Monica’s own flood-insurance community; household aid to the registrant’s city; repair grants to the City of Santa Monica. 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 Monica total about $87.5M 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.

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Boundary source: https://tigerweb.geo.census.gov/arcgis/rest/services/TIGERweb/Places_CouSub_ConCity_SubMCD/MapServer/18 · 2025-01-01
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