Natural hazards · Woodside

Woodside, CA natural hazards

Most of the natural-hazard damage FEMA expects in Woodside comes from earthquakes, and overall the risk is very high for a U.S. community. Flood insurance has paid 10 claims here since 1978. 5 federal disasters brought FEMA money into town.

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

Expected damage

How exposed is Woodside?

Very high

vs. U.S. communities

FEMA expects yearly storm and flood damage to homes and buildings in Woodside to be higher than in 90% of U.S. communities, mostly from earthquakes and inland flooding.

Earthquakes72%Inland flooding23%Everything else5%

By hazard

What Woodside faces

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

Earthquakes

72% of expected damage

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

Inland flooding

23% of expected damage

Above average · higher than 69% of U.S. places

Recorded about once a year in the area

Lower here

TornadoesHailWinter weatherHeat wavesWildfireLandslidesStrong windLightning

Not a risk here

Coastal floodingHurricanesIce stormsCold 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 Woodside flood?

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

10paid claims since 1978

$679Kpaid to owners

0homes flooded more than once

19782026

Biggest named events

Pineapple Express - Southern: 4 claims, $341K
California Atmospheric River: 3 claims, $308K

of homes in flood zones
are insured

of all homes
are insured

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

Insurance rates: San Mateo County.

Disasters that hit Woodside

5 federal disasters brought FEMA money here

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

Brought FEMA money into WoodsideDeclared for San Mateo County only

2022

Severe Winter Storms, Flooding, Landslides, and Mudslides

35 households applied for aid $296K aid approved $291K to the Town of Woodside for repairs

2020

Wildfires

2 households applied for aid

2017

Severe Winter Storms, Flooding, and Mudslides

$176K to the Town of Woodside for repairs

2006

Severe Storms, Flooding, Landslides, and Mudslides

$4K to the Town of Woodside for repairs

2005

Severe Storms, Flooding, Mudslides, and Landslides

$20K to the Town of Woodside for repairs

San Mateo County has had 21 natural disasters declared since 1953, most often floods and severe storms.

Around Woodside

Woodside and the towns around it

Very lowLowModerateHighVery high

Portola Valleymostly earthquakesVery high

Redwood Citymostly earthquakesVery high

Athertonmostly earthquakesVery high

Woodsidemostly earthquakesVery high

Menlo Parkmostly 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. Woodside covers 2 census tracts, combined by population.

Money that reached townFlood claims are matched to Woodside’s own flood-insurance community; household aid to the registrant’s city; repair grants to the Town of Woodside. 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 Woodside total about $12.8M 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.