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Natural hazards · South Gate

South Gate, CA natural hazards

Most of the natural-hazard damage FEMA expects in South Gate comes from earthquakes, and overall the risk is very high for a U.S. community. Flood insurance has paid 2 claims here since 1995. 7 federal disasters brought FEMA money into town.

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

How exposed is South Gate?

84
Very high
vs. U.S. communities

FEMA expects yearly storm and flood damage to homes and buildings in South Gate to be higher than in 84% of U.S. communities, mostly from earthquakes.

Earthquakes85%Inland flooding14%
By hazard

What South Gate faces

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

Earthquakes

85% of expected damage
Well above average · higher than 98% of U.S. places

Inland flooding

14% of expected damage
Below average · higher than 27% of U.S. places
Recorded about 4 times a year in the area

Lower here

TornadoesHailHeat wavesLandslidesStrong windLightning

Not a risk here

Coastal floodingHurricanesIce stormsWinter weatherCold wavesWildfireDroughtAvalanchesTsunamisVolcanic 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 Gate flood?

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

2paid claims since 1995
$5Kpaid to owners
0homes flooded more than once
19952026

Biggest named events

  • Pineapple Express - Southern: 1 claim, $4K
of homes in flood zones
are insured
of all homes
are insured
No community discount. South Gate 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 Gate

7 federal disasters brought FEMA money here

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

Brought FEMA money into South GateDeclared for Los Angeles County only
2025

Wildfires and Straight-Line Winds

177 households applied for aid $2K aid approved
2020

Wildfires

15 households applied for aid
2017

Wildfires, Flooding, Mudflows, and Debris Flows

1 household applied for aid
2008

Wildfires

1 household applied for aid
2005

Severe Storms, Flooding, Landslides, and Mud and Debris Flows

$53K to the City of South Gate for repairs
2004

Severe Storms, Flooding, Debris Flows, and Mudslides

27 households applied for aid $15K aid approved $24K to the City of South Gate for repairs
2003

Wildfires, Flooding, Mudflow and Debris Flow Directly Related T

14 households applied for aid
Los Angeles County has had 74 natural disasters declared since 1953, most often fires and floods.
Around South Gate

South Gate and the towns around it

Lynwood: Very high, mostly earthquakesParamount: Very high, mostly earthquakesDowney: Very high, mostly earthquakesWalnut Park: Very high, mostly earthquakesCudahy: High, mostly earthquakesFlorence-Graham: Very high, mostly earthquakesCompton: Very high, mostly earthquakesEast Rancho Dominguez: Very high, mostly earthquakesWillowbrook: Very high, mostly inland floodingLos Angeles: Very high, mostly earthquakesLong Beach: Very high, mostly earthquakesBellflower: Very high, mostly earthquakesNorwalk: Very high, mostly earthquakesSanta Fe Springs: Very high, mostly earthquakesBell Gardens: Very high, mostly earthquakesPico Rivera: Very high, mostly earthquakesCommerce: Very high, mostly earthquakesHuntington Park: Very high, mostly earthquakesBell: Very high, mostly earthquakesSouth Gate: Very high, mostly earthquakes South GateLynwoodParamountDowneyWalnut ParkCudahyFlorence-Graham
Very lowLowModerateHighVery high
Florence-Grahammostly earthquakesVery high
Paramountmostly earthquakesVery high
South Gatemostly earthquakesVery high
Lynwoodmostly earthquakesVery high
Downeymostly earthquakesVery high
Walnut Parkmostly earthquakesVery high
Cudahymostly 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. South Gate covers 21 census tracts, combined by population.
Money that reached townFlood claims are matched to South Gate’s own flood-insurance community; household aid to the registrant’s city; repair grants to the City of South Gate. 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 Gate total about $41.0M 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.

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Boundary source: https://tigerweb.geo.census.gov/arcgis/rest/services/TIGERweb/Places_CouSub_ConCity_SubMCD/MapServer/18 · 2025-01-01
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