Natural hazards · Thousand Oaks

Thousand Oaks, CA natural hazards

Most of the natural-hazard damage FEMA expects in Thousand Oaks comes from inland flooding, and overall the risk is very high for a U.S. community. Flood insurance has paid 40 claims here since 1978. 6 federal disasters brought FEMA money into town.

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

Expected damage

How exposed is Thousand Oaks?

Very high

vs. U.S. communities

FEMA expects yearly storm and flood damage to homes and buildings in Thousand Oaks to be higher than in 90% of U.S. communities, mostly from inland flooding and earthquakes.

Inland flooding58%Earthquakes37%Everything else5%

By hazard

What Thousand Oaks faces

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

Inland flooding

58% of expected damage

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

Recorded about 2 times a year in the area

Earthquakes

37% of expected damage

Well above average · higher than 91% of U.S. places

Lower here

TornadoesHailWinter weatherHeat wavesWildfireLandslidesStrong windLightningDrought

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 Thousand Oaks flood?

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

40paid claims since 1978

$350Kpaid to owners

5homes flooded more than once

19782026

Biggest named events

Pineapple Express - Southern: 10 claims, $38K

Homes that flooded again and again

■ FEMA “severe repetitive loss” (0) ■ flooded 2+ times

of homes in flood zones
are insured

of all homes
are insured

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

Insurance rates: Ventura County.

What’s been done with FEMA grants

1buildings floodproofed

Disasters that hit Thousand Oaks

6 federal disasters brought FEMA money here

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

Brought FEMA money into Thousand OaksDeclared for Ventura County only

2022

Severe Winter Storms, Flooding, Landslides, and Mudslides

42 households applied for aid $72K aid approved $45K to the City of Thousand Oaks for repairs

2018

Wildfires

142 households applied for aid $69K aid approved $979K to the City of Thousand Oaks for repairs

2017

Wildfires, Flooding, Mudflows, and Debris Flows

3 households applied for aid

2007

Wildfires, Flooding, Mud Flows, and Debris Flows

3 households applied for aid

2004

Severe Storms, Flooding, Debris Flows, and Mudslides

36 households applied for aid $20K aid approved $169K to the City of Thousand Oaks for repairs

2003

Wildfires, Flooding, Mudflow and Debris Flow Directly Related T

7 households applied for aid $1K aid approved

Ventura County has had 44 natural disasters declared since 1953, most often fires and floods.

Around Thousand Oaks

Thousand Oaks and the towns around it

Very lowLowModerateHighVery high

Simi Valleymostly inland floodingVery high

Santa Rosa Valleymostly inland floodingVery high

Lake Sherwoodmostly inland floodingVery high

Westlake Villagemostly inland floodingVery high

Camarillomostly inland floodingVery high

Thousand Oaksmostly inland floodingVery high

Oak Parkmostly 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. Thousand Oaks covers 27 census tracts, combined by population.

Money that reached townFlood claims are matched to Thousand Oaks’s own flood-insurance community; household aid to the registrant’s city; repair grants to the City of Thousand Oaks. 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 Thousand Oaks total about $103M 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.