Natural hazards · Selma

Selma, CA natural hazards

Most of the natural-hazard damage FEMA expects in Selma comes from earthquakes, and overall the risk is moderate 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 Selma?

Moderate

vs. U.S. communities

FEMA expects yearly storm and flood damage to homes and buildings in Selma to be higher than in 47% of U.S. communities, mostly from earthquakes and inland flooding.

Earthquakes57%Inland flooding35%Drought5%Everything else3%

By hazard

What Selma faces

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

Earthquakes

57% of expected damage

Well above average · higher than 87% of U.S. places

Inland flooding

35% of expected damage

Below average · higher than 29% of U.S. places

Recorded about 4 times a year in the area

Drought

5% of expected damage

Recorded about 69 times a year in the area

Lower here

TornadoesHailWinter weatherHeat wavesWildfireLandslidesStrong 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 Selma flood?

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

of homes in flood zones
are insured

of all homes
are insured

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

Insurance rates: Fresno County.

Disasters that hit Selma

3 federal disasters brought FEMA money here

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

Brought FEMA money into SelmaDeclared for Fresno County only

2023

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

$22K to the City of Selma for repairs

2022

Severe Winter Storms, Flooding, Landslides, and Mudslides

$11K to the City of Selma for repairs

2020

Wildfires

7 households applied for aid

Fresno County has had 18 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. Selma covers 3 census tracts, combined by population.

Money that reached townFlood claims are matched to Selma’s own flood-insurance community; household aid to the registrant’s city; repair grants to the City of Selma. 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 Selma total about $3.9M 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.