Natural hazards · Shasta Lake

Shasta Lake, CA natural hazards

Most of the natural-hazard damage FEMA expects in Shasta Lake comes from inland flooding, and overall the risk is very high for a U.S. community. Flood insurance has paid 11 claims here since 2005. 5 federal disasters brought FEMA money into town.

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

Expected damage

How exposed is Shasta Lake?

Very high

vs. U.S. communities

FEMA expects yearly storm and flood damage to homes and buildings in Shasta Lake to be higher than in 82% of U.S. communities, mostly from inland flooding and earthquakes.

Inland flooding67%Earthquakes17%Wildfire12%Everything else4%

By hazard

What Shasta Lake faces

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

Inland flooding

67% of expected damage

Well above average · higher than 90% of U.S. places

Recorded about once a year in the area

Earthquakes

17% of expected damage

Well above average · higher than 83% of U.S. places

Wildfire

12% of expected damage

Well above average · higher than 97% of U.S. places

Lower here

TornadoesHailWinter weatherHeat wavesLandslidesStrong windLightningVolcanic activity

Not a risk here

Coastal floodingHurricanesIce stormsCold wavesDroughtAvalanchesTsunamis

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 Shasta Lake flood?

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

11paid claims since 2005

$452Kpaid to owners

0homes flooded more than once

20052026

of homes in flood zones
are insured

of all homes
are insured

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

Insurance rates: Shasta County.

Disasters that hit Shasta Lake

5 federal disasters brought FEMA money here

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

Brought FEMA money into Shasta LakeDeclared for Shasta County only

2023

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

$34K to the City of Shasta Lake for repairs

2020

Wildfires

9 households applied for aid

2019

Severe Winter Storms, Flooding, Landslides, and Mudslides

$173K to the City of Shasta Lake for repairs

2018

Wildfires and High Winds

178 households applied for aid $291K to the City of Shasta Lake for repairs

2005

Severe Storms, Flooding, Mudslides, and Landslides

2 households applied for aid $2K aid approved

Shasta County has had 35 natural disasters declared since 1953, most often fires and floods.

Around Shasta Lake

Shasta Lake and the towns around it

Very lowLowModerateHighVery high

Shasta Lakemostly inland floodingVery high

Reddingmostly 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. Shasta Lake covers 3 census tracts, combined by population.

Money that reached townFlood claims are matched to Shasta Lake’s own flood-insurance community; household aid to the registrant’s city; repair grants to the City of Shasta Lake. 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 Shasta Lake total about $3.5M 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.