Natural hazards · Wasco

Wasco, CA natural hazards

Most of the natural-hazard damage FEMA expects in Wasco comes from earthquakes, and overall the risk is moderate for a U.S. community. 2 federal disasters brought FEMA money into town.

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

Expected damage

How exposed is Wasco?

Moderate

vs. U.S. communities

FEMA expects yearly storm and flood damage to homes and buildings in Wasco to be higher than in 46% of U.S. communities, mostly from earthquakes and inland flooding.

Earthquakes55%Inland flooding25%Heat waves20%

By hazard

What Wasco faces

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

Earthquakes

55% of expected damage

Well above average · higher than 88% of U.S. places

Inland flooding

25% of expected damage

Well below average · higher than 18% of U.S. places

Recorded about 6 times a year in the area

Heat waves

20% of expected damage

Well above average · higher than 90% of U.S. places

Recorded about 11 times a year in the area

Lower here

TornadoesHailWildfireStrong windLightningDrought

Not a risk here

Coastal floodingHurricanesIce stormsWinter weatherCold wavesLandslidesAvalanchesTsunamisVolcanic 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 Wasco flood?

FEMA's records show no paid flood insurance claims in Wasco.

of homes in flood zones
are insured

of all homes
are insured

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

Insurance rates: Kern County.

Disasters that hit Wasco

2 federal disasters brought FEMA money here

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

Brought FEMA money into WascoDeclared for Kern County only

2023

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

28 households applied for aid $102K aid approved

2010

Severe Winter Storms, Flooding, and Debris and Mud Flows

$98K to the City of Wasco for repairs

Kern County has had 37 natural disasters declared since 1953, most often fires and floods.

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. Wasco covers 6 census tracts, combined by population.

Money that reached townFlood claims are matched to Wasco’s own flood-insurance community; household aid to the registrant’s city; repair grants to the City of Wasco. 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 Wasco total about $5.3M 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.