Natural hazards · South El Monte

South El Monte, CA natural hazards

Most of the natural-hazard damage FEMA expects in South El Monte comes from earthquakes, and overall the risk is very high for a U.S. community. 4 federal disasters brought FEMA money into town.

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

Expected damage

How exposed is South El Monte?

Very high

vs. U.S. communities

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

Earthquakes62%Inland flooding38%

By hazard

What South El Monte faces

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

Earthquakes

62% of expected damage

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

Inland flooding

38% of expected damage

Well above average · higher than 92% of U.S. places

Recorded about 4 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 South El Monte flood?

FEMA's records show no paid flood insurance claims in South El Monte.

of homes in flood zones
are insured

of all homes
are insured

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

Insurance rates: Los Angeles County.

Disasters that hit South El Monte

4 federal disasters brought FEMA money here

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

Brought FEMA money into South El MonteDeclared for Los Angeles County only

2025

Wildfires and Straight-Line Winds

49 households applied for aid $770 aid approved

2024

Severe Winter Storms, Tornadoes, Flooding, Landslides, and Mudslides

$8K to the City of South El Monte for repairs

2020

Wildfires

1 household applied for aid

2004

Severe Storms, Flooding, Debris Flows, and Mudslides

2 households applied for aid

Los Angeles County has had 74 natural disasters declared since 1953, most often fires and floods.

Around South El Monte

South El Monte and the towns around it

Very lowLowModerateHighVery high

Rosemeadmostly earthquakesVery high

South El Montemostly earthquakesVery high

El Montemostly 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. South El Monte covers 5 census tracts, combined by population.

Money that reached townFlood claims are matched to South El Monte’s own flood-insurance community; household aid to the registrant’s city; repair grants to the City of South El Monte. 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 South El Monte total about $25.3M 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.