Natural hazards · Seal Beach

Seal Beach, CA natural hazards

Most of the natural-hazard damage FEMA expects in Seal Beach comes from inland flooding, and overall the risk is very high for a U.S. community. Flood insurance has paid 107 claims here since 1983. 4 federal disasters brought FEMA money into town.

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

Expected damage

How exposed is Seal Beach?

Very high

vs. U.S. communities

FEMA expects yearly storm and flood damage to homes and buildings in Seal Beach to be higher than in 94% of U.S. communities, mostly from inland flooding and earthquakes.

Inland flooding55%Earthquakes42%Everything else3%

By hazard

What Seal Beach faces

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

Inland flooding

55% of expected damage

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

Recorded about 3 times a year in the area

Earthquakes

42% of expected damage

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

Lower here

Coastal floodingTornadoesHailHeat wavesWildfireLandslidesStrong windLightningDroughtTsunamis

Not a risk here

HurricanesIce stormsWinter weatherCold wavesAvalanchesVolcanic 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 Seal Beach flood?

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

107paid claims since 1983

$1.8Mpaid to owners

13homes flooded more than once

19832026

Biggest named events

Pineapple Express - Southern: 11 claims, $90K
February California Atmospheric River: 3 claims, $398K
California Atmospheric River: 2 claims, $137K

Homes that flooded again and again

■ FEMA “severe repetitive loss” (1) ■ flooded 2+ times

of homes in flood zones
are insured

of all homes
are insured

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

Insurance rates: Orange County.

Disasters that hit Seal Beach

4 federal disasters brought FEMA money here

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

Brought FEMA money into Seal BeachDeclared for Orange County only

2017

Wildfires

13 households applied for aid

2017

Severe Winter Storms, Flooding, and Mudslides

$28K to the City of Seal Beach for repairs

2010

Severe Winter Storms, Flooding, and Debris and Mud Flows

$13K to the City of Seal Beach for repairs

2004

Severe Storms, Flooding, Debris Flows, and Mudslides

$35K to the City of Seal Beach for repairs

Orange County has had 36 natural disasters declared since 1953, most often fires and floods.

Around Seal Beach

Seal Beach and the towns around it

Very lowLowModerateHighVery high

Seal Beachmostly inland floodingVery high

Rossmoormostly inland floodingVery high

Long Beachmostly earthquakesVery high

Los Alamitosmostly earthquakesVery high

Garden Grovemostly earthquakesVery high

Westminstermostly earthquakesVery high

Huntington Beachmostly 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. Seal Beach covers 7 census tracts, combined by population.

Money that reached townFlood claims are matched to Seal Beach’s own flood-insurance community; household aid to the registrant’s city; repair grants to the City of Seal Beach. 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 Seal Beach total about $29.1M 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.