Natural hazards · Sausalito

Sausalito, CA natural hazards

Most of the natural-hazard damage FEMA expects in Sausalito comes from earthquakes, and overall the risk is very high for a U.S. community. Flood insurance has paid 33 claims here since 1978. 5 federal disasters brought FEMA money into town.

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

Expected damage

How exposed is Sausalito?

Very high

vs. U.S. communities

FEMA expects yearly storm and flood damage to homes and buildings in Sausalito to be higher than in 84% of U.S. communities, mostly from earthquakes and inland flooding.

Earthquakes43%Inland flooding28%Tsunamis19%Coastal flooding9%

By hazard

What Sausalito faces

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

Earthquakes

43% of expected damage

Well above average · higher than 91% of U.S. places

Inland flooding

28% of expected damage

Above average · higher than 59% of U.S. places

Recorded about 2 times a year in the area

Tsunamis

19% of expected damage

Well above average · among the top 1% of U.S. places

Coastal flooding

9% of expected damage

Well above average · among the top 1% of U.S. places

Lower here

TornadoesHailWinter weatherHeat wavesWildfireLandslidesStrong windLightningVolcanic activity

Not a risk here

HurricanesIce stormsCold wavesDroughtAvalanches

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 Sausalito flood?

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

33paid claims since 1978

$949Kpaid to owners

6homes flooded more than once

19782026

Biggest named events

Pineapple Express - Southern: 4 claims, $43K
California Atmospheric River: 1 claim, $31K

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

🏷️ 05% off flood insurance. Sausalito is in FEMA’s Community Rating System (class 9) for its flood-proofing work.

Insurance rates: Marin County.

Disasters that hit Sausalito

5 federal disasters brought FEMA money here

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

Brought FEMA money into SausalitoDeclared for Marin County only

2023

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

$22K to the City of Sausalito for repairs

2022

Severe Winter Storms, Flooding, Landslides, and Mudslides

$18K to the City of Sausalito for repairs

2019

Severe Winter Storms, Flooding, Landslides, and Mudslides

$628K to the City of Sausalito for repairs

2017

Severe Winter Storms, Flooding, and Mudslides

$47K to the City of Sausalito for repairs

2005

Severe Storms, Flooding, Mudslides, and Landslides

7 households applied for aid $15K aid approved $15K to the City of Sausalito for repairs

Marin County has had 22 natural disasters declared since 1953, most often floods and severe storms.

Around Sausalito

Sausalito and the towns around it

Very lowLowModerateHighVery high

Sausalitomostly earthquakesVery high

Tamalpais-Homestead Valleymostly 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. Sausalito covers 3 census tracts, combined by population.

Money that reached townFlood claims are matched to Sausalito’s own flood-insurance community; household aid to the registrant’s city; repair grants to the City of Sausalito. 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 Sausalito total about $7.6M 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.