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Natural hazards · Torrance

Torrance, CA natural hazards

Most of the natural-hazard damage FEMA expects in Torrance comes from earthquakes, and overall the risk is very high for a U.S. community. Flood insurance has paid 4 claims here since 1995. 11 federal disasters brought FEMA money into town.

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

How exposed is Torrance?

91
Very high
vs. U.S. communities

FEMA expects yearly storm and flood damage to homes and buildings in Torrance to be higher than in 91% of U.S. communities, mostly from earthquakes and inland flooding.

Earthquakes56%Inland flooding43%
By hazard

What Torrance faces

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

Earthquakes

56% of expected damage
Well above average · higher than 94% of U.S. places

Inland flooding

43% of expected damage
Well above average · higher than 93% of U.S. places
Recorded about 4 times a year in the area

Lower here

Coastal floodingTornadoesHailHeat wavesWildfireLandslidesStrong windLightning

Not a risk here

HurricanesIce stormsWinter weatherCold 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 Torrance flood?

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

4paid claims since 1995
$10Kpaid to owners
0homes flooded more than once
19952026

Biggest named events

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

11 federal disasters brought FEMA money here

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

Brought FEMA money into TorranceDeclared for Los Angeles County only
2025

Wildfires and Straight-Line Winds

361 households applied for aid $173K aid approved
2024

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

$269K to the City of Torrance for repairs
2023

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

1 household applied for aid
2020

Wildfires

34 households applied for aid
2018

Wildfires

1 household applied for aid
2017

Wildfires, Flooding, Mudflows, and Debris Flows

1 household applied for aid
2017

Severe Winter Storms, Flooding, and Mudslides

$518K to the City of Torrance for repairs
2008

Wildfires

2 households applied for aid
2007

Wildfires, Flooding, Mud Flows, and Debris Flows

10 households applied for aid
2004

Severe Storms, Flooding, Debris Flows, and Mudslides

72 households applied for aid $25K aid approved
2003

Wildfires, Flooding, Mudflow and Debris Flow Directly Related T

83 households applied for aid $50K aid approved
Los Angeles County has had 74 natural disasters declared since 1953, most often fires and floods.
Around Torrance

Torrance and the towns around it

Redondo Beach: Very high, mostly inland floodingRolling Hills Estates: High, mostly earthquakesLomita: Very high, mostly earthquakesLawndale: Very high, mostly inland floodingLos Angeles: Very high, mostly earthquakesGardena: Very high, mostly inland floodingPalos Verdes Estates: High, mostly earthquakesHermosa Beach: Very high, mostly earthquakesManhattan Beach: Very high, mostly earthquakesRancho Palos Verdes: High, mostly earthquakesRolling Hills: High, mostly earthquakesHawthorne: Very high, mostly inland floodingAlondra Park: Very high, mostly earthquakesSanta Monica: Very high, mostly earthquakesGlendale: Very high, mostly earthquakesPasadena: Very high, mostly earthquakesBurbank: Very high, mostly earthquakesInglewood: Very high, mostly earthquakesCarson: Very high, mostly earthquakesWest Rancho Dominguez: Very high, mostly earthquakesVernon: Very high, mostly earthquakesEast Los Angeles: Very high, mostly earthquakesWest Carson: Very high, mostly earthquakesTorrance: Very high, mostly earthquakes TorranceRedondo BeachRolling Hills EstatesLomitaLawndaleLos AngelesGardenaPalos Verdes Estates
Very lowLowModerateHighVery high
Lawndalemostly inland floodingVery high
Gardenamostly inland floodingVery high
Los Angelesmostly earthquakesVery high
Torrancemostly earthquakesVery high
Redondo Beachmostly inland floodingVery high
Lomitamostly earthquakesVery high
Palos Verdes Estatesmostly earthquakesHigh
Rolling Hills Estatesmostly 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. Torrance covers 34 census tracts, combined by population.
Money that reached townFlood claims are matched to Torrance’s own flood-insurance community; household aid to the registrant’s city; repair grants to the City of Torrance. 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 Torrance total about $120M 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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