Natural hazards · Ukiah

Ukiah, CA natural hazards

Most of the natural-hazard damage FEMA expects in Ukiah comes from earthquakes, and overall the risk is very high for a U.S. community. Flood insurance has paid 48 claims here since 1980. 7 federal disasters brought FEMA money into town.

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

Expected damage

How exposed is Ukiah?

Very high

vs. U.S. communities

FEMA expects yearly storm and flood damage to homes and buildings in Ukiah to be higher than in 97% of U.S. communities, mostly from earthquakes and inland flooding.

Earthquakes58%Inland flooding41%Everything else1%

By hazard

What Ukiah faces

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

Earthquakes

58% of expected damage

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

Inland flooding

41% of expected damage

Well above average · higher than 95% of U.S. places

Recorded about once a year in the area

Lower here

TornadoesHailWinter weatherHeat wavesWildfireLandslidesStrong windLightningDroughtAvalanchesVolcanic activity

Not a risk here

Coastal floodingHurricanesIce stormsCold wavesTsunamis

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 Ukiah flood?

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

48paid claims since 1980

$1.1Mpaid to owners

0homes flooded more than once

19802026

of homes in flood zones
are insured

of all homes
are insured

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

Insurance rates: Mendocino County.

Disasters that hit Ukiah

7 federal disasters brought FEMA money here

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

Brought FEMA money into UkiahDeclared for Mendocino County only

2023

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

68 households applied for aid $142K aid approved

2022

Severe Winter Storms, Flooding, Landslides, and Mudslides

52 households applied for aid $105K aid approved $122K to the City of Ukiah for repairs

2020

Wildfires

43 households applied for aid

2019

Severe Winter Storms, Flooding, Landslides, and Mudslides

$848K to the City of Ukiah for repairs

2017

Wildfires

102 households applied for aid $4K aid approved $14K to the City of Ukiah for repairs

2017

Severe Winter Storms, Flooding, and Mudslides

$21K to the City of Ukiah for repairs

2005

Severe Storms, Flooding, Mudslides, and Landslides

156 households applied for aid $161K aid approved $1.2M to the City of Ukiah for repairs

Mendocino County has had 26 natural disasters declared since 1953, most often floods and severe storms.

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. Ukiah covers 4 census tracts, combined by population.

Money that reached townFlood claims are matched to Ukiah’s own flood-insurance community; household aid to the registrant’s city; repair grants to the City of Ukiah. 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 Ukiah total about $26.2M 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.