Natural hazards · Santa Ynez

Santa Ynez, CA natural hazards

Most of the natural-hazard damage FEMA expects in Santa Ynez comes from inland flooding, and overall the risk is very high for a U.S. community. 3 federal disasters brought FEMA money into town.

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

Expected damage

How exposed is Santa Ynez?

Very high

vs. U.S. communities

FEMA expects yearly storm and flood damage to homes and buildings in Santa Ynez to be higher than in 91% of U.S. communities, mostly from inland flooding and earthquakes.

Inland flooding46%Earthquakes26%Drought15%Wildfire13%

By hazard

What Santa Ynez faces

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

Inland flooding

46% of expected damage

Well above average · higher than 93% of U.S. places

Recorded about 2 times a year in the area

Earthquakes

26% of expected damage

Well above average · higher than 90% of U.S. places

Drought

15% of expected damage

Recorded about 80 times a year in the area

Wildfire

13% of expected damage

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

Lower here

TornadoesHailWinter weatherHeat wavesLandslidesStrong windLightning

Not a risk here

Coastal floodingHurricanesIce stormsCold wavesAvalanchesTsunamisVolcanic 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 Ynez flood?

FEMA's records show no paid flood insurance claims in Santa Ynez.

of homes in flood zones
are insured

of all homes
are insured

No community discount. Santa Ynez 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.

Disasters that hit Santa Ynez

3 federal disasters brought FEMA money here

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

Brought FEMA money into Santa YnezDeclared for Santa Barbara County only

2022

Severe Winter Storms, Flooding, Landslides, and Mudslides

16 households applied for aid $17K aid approved

2017

Wildfires, Flooding, Mudflows, and Debris Flows

2 households applied for aid

2004

Severe Storms, Flooding, Debris Flows, and Mudslides

4 households applied for aid $967 aid approved

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

Around Santa Ynez

Santa Ynez and the towns around it

Very lowLowModerateHighVery high

Ballardmostly landslidesVery high

Solvangmostly inland floodingVery high

Santa Ynezmostly inland floodingVery 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 Ynez is smaller than a census tract, so it shares the figures of the tract around its center.

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

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.