Natural hazards · Seaside

Seaside, CA natural hazards

Most of the natural-hazard damage FEMA expects in Seaside comes from earthquakes, and overall the risk is very high for a U.S. community. Flood insurance has paid 2 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 Seaside?

Very high

vs. U.S. communities

FEMA expects yearly storm and flood damage to homes and buildings in Seaside to be higher than in 86% of U.S. communities, mostly from earthquakes and inland flooding.

Earthquakes68%Inland flooding30%Everything else2%

By hazard

What Seaside faces

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

Earthquakes

68% of expected damage

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

Inland flooding

30% of expected damage

Well above average · higher than 81% of U.S. places

Recorded about 2 times a year in the area

Lower here

Coastal floodingTornadoesHailWinter weatherHeat wavesWildfireLandslidesStrong windLightningDrought

Not a risk here

HurricanesIce 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 Seaside flood?

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

2paid claims since 1982

$125Kpaid to owners

0homes flooded more than once

19822026

of homes in flood zones
are insured

of all homes
are insured

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

Insurance rates: Monterey County.

Disasters that hit Seaside

4 federal disasters brought FEMA money here

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

Brought FEMA money into SeasideDeclared for Monterey County only

2023

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

325 households applied for aid $849K aid approved

2022

Severe Winter Storms, Flooding, Landslides, and Mudslides

28 households applied for aid $42K aid approved $231K to the City of Seaside for repairs

2020

Wildfires

34 households applied for aid $10K aid approved

2017

Severe Winter Storms, Flooding, and Mudslides

$52K to the City of Seaside for repairs

Monterey County has had 30 natural disasters declared since 1953, most often floods and severe storms.

Around Seaside

Seaside and the towns around it

Very lowLowModerateHighVery high

Del Rey Oaksmostly inland floodingVery high

Seasidemostly earthquakesVery high

Marinamostly earthquakesVery high

Sand Citymostly earthquakesVery high

Montereymostly earthquakesHigh

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. Seaside covers 6 census tracts, combined by population.

Money that reached townFlood claims are matched to Seaside’s own flood-insurance community; household aid to the registrant’s city; repair grants to the City of Seaside. 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 Seaside total about $11.2M 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.