Natural hazards · Scotts Valley

Scotts Valley, CA natural hazards

Most of the natural-hazard damage FEMA expects in Scotts Valley comes from earthquakes, and overall the risk is very high for a U.S. community. Flood insurance has paid 11 claims here since 1982. 4 federal disasters brought FEMA money into town.

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

Expected damage

How exposed is Scotts Valley?

Very high

vs. U.S. communities

FEMA expects yearly storm and flood damage to homes and buildings in Scotts Valley to be higher than in 95% of U.S. communities, mostly from earthquakes and inland flooding.

Earthquakes55%Inland flooding43%Everything else2%

By hazard

What Scotts Valley faces

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

Earthquakes

55% of expected damage

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

Inland flooding

43% of expected damage

Well above average · higher than 94% of U.S. places

Recorded about 2 times a year in the area

Lower here

TornadoesHailWinter weatherHeat wavesWildfireLandslidesStrong windLightning

Not a risk here

Coastal floodingHurricanesIce stormsCold wavesDroughtAvalanchesTsunamisVolcanic 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 Scotts Valley flood?

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

11paid claims since 1982

$83Kpaid to owners

1homes flooded more than once

19822026

Biggest named events

California Atmospheric River: 1 claim, $4K

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. Scotts Valley 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 Cruz County.

Disasters that hit Scotts Valley

4 federal disasters brought FEMA money here

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

Brought FEMA money into Scotts ValleyDeclared for Santa Cruz County only

2023

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

29 households applied for aid $96K aid approved $39K to the City of Scotts Valley for repairs

2022

Severe Winter Storms, Flooding, Landslides, and Mudslides

105 households applied for aid $696K aid approved $104K to the City of Scotts Valley for repairs

2020

Wildfires

210 households applied for aid $32K aid approved

2017

Severe Winter Storms, Flooding, and Mudslides

$55K to the City of Scotts Valley for repairs

Santa Cruz County has had 29 natural disasters declared since 1953, most often floods and severe storms.

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. Scotts Valley covers 1 census tract, combined by population.

Money that reached townFlood claims are matched to Scotts Valley’s own flood-insurance community; household aid to the registrant’s city; repair grants to the City of Scotts Valley. 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 Scotts Valley total about $7.5M 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.