Natural hazards · Walnut Grove

Walnut Grove, CA natural hazards

Most of the natural-hazard damage FEMA expects in Walnut Grove comes from drought, and overall the risk is high for a U.S. community. Flood insurance has paid 60 claims here since 1980. 2 federal disasters brought FEMA money into town.

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

Expected damage

How exposed is Walnut Grove?

High

vs. U.S. communities

FEMA expects yearly storm and flood damage to homes and buildings in Walnut Grove to be higher than in 69% of U.S. communities, mostly from drought and earthquakes.

Drought65%Earthquakes25%Inland flooding9%

By hazard

What Walnut Grove faces

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

Drought

65% of expected damage

Recorded about 86 times a year in the area

Earthquakes

25% of expected damage

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

Inland flooding

9% of expected damage

Well below average · higher than 24% of U.S. places

Recorded about 2 times a year in the area

Lower here

TornadoesHailWinter weatherHeat wavesWildfireLandslidesStrong windLightningVolcanic activity

Not a risk here

Coastal floodingHurricanesIce stormsCold wavesAvalanchesTsunamis

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 Walnut Grove flood?

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

60paid claims since 1980

$1.7Mpaid to owners

0homes flooded more than once

19802026

Biggest named events

Pineapple Express - Southern: 4 claims, $58K
California Atmospheric River: 3 claims, $299K

of homes in flood zones
are insured

of all homes
are insured

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

Insurance rates: Sacramento County.

What’s been done with FEMA grants

5homes raised above flood level

Disasters that hit Walnut Grove

2 federal disasters brought FEMA money here

Disasters the President declared that paid out in Walnut Grove itself: aid to households, or repair grants to Walnut Grove.

Brought FEMA money into Walnut GroveDeclared for Sacramento County only

2022

Severe Winter Storms, Flooding, Landslides, and Mudslides

48 households applied for aid $81K aid approved

2005

Severe Storms, Flooding, Mudslides, and Landslides

5 households applied for aid $8K aid approved

Sacramento County has had 19 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. Walnut Grove covers 1 census tract, combined by population.

Money that reached townFlood claims are matched to Walnut Grove’s own flood-insurance community (here, the census tracts inside it); household aid to the registrant’s city; repair grants to Walnut Grove. 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 Walnut Grove total about $6.6M 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.