Natural hazards · Westminster

Westminster, CA natural hazards

Most of the natural-hazard damage FEMA expects in Westminster comes from earthquakes, and overall the risk is very high for a U.S. community. Flood insurance has paid 82 claims here since 1978. 3 federal disasters brought FEMA money into town.

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

Expected damage

How exposed is Westminster?

Very high

vs. U.S. communities

FEMA expects yearly storm and flood damage to homes and buildings in Westminster to be higher than in 82% of U.S. communities, mostly from earthquakes and inland flooding.

Earthquakes68%Inland flooding30%Everything else1%

By hazard

What Westminster faces

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

Earthquakes

68% of expected damage

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

Inland flooding

30% of expected damage

Above average · higher than 67% of U.S. places

Recorded about 3 times a year in the area

Lower here

TornadoesHailHeat wavesWildfireLandslidesStrong windLightning

Not a risk here

Coastal floodingHurricanesIce 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 Westminster flood?

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

82paid claims since 1978

$445Kpaid to owners

3homes flooded more than once

19782026

Biggest named events

Pineapple Express - Southern: 10 claims, $25K
Winter storm: 1 claim, $7K

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. Westminster isn’t in FEMA’s Community Rating System, which cuts flood insurance up to 45% in towns that do extra flood-proofing.

Insurance rates: Orange County.

Disasters that hit Westminster

3 federal disasters brought FEMA money here

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

Brought FEMA money into WestminsterDeclared for Orange County only

2017

Wildfires

29 households applied for aid

2017

Severe Winter Storms, Flooding, and Mudslides

$9K to the City of Westminster for repairs

2004

Severe Storms, Flooding, Debris Flows, and Mudslides

4 households applied for aid $446 aid approved

Orange County has had 36 natural disasters declared since 1953, most often fires and floods.

Around Westminster

Westminster and the towns around it

Very lowLowModerateHighVery high

Seal Beachmostly inland floodingVery high

Garden Grovemostly earthquakesVery high

Westminstermostly earthquakesVery high

Midway Citymostly earthquakesVery high

Fountain Valleymostly earthquakesVery high

Huntington Beachmostly earthquakesVery 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. Westminster covers 16 census tracts, combined by population.

Money that reached townFlood claims are matched to Westminster’s own flood-insurance community; household aid to the registrant’s city; repair grants to the City of Westminster. 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 Westminster total about $33.4M 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.