Natural hazards · Wrightwood

Wrightwood, CA natural hazards

Most of the natural-hazard damage FEMA expects in Wrightwood comes from inland flooding, and overall the risk is very high for a U.S. community. Flood insurance has paid 16 claims here since 2001. 4 federal disasters brought FEMA money into town.

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

Expected damage

How exposed is Wrightwood?

Very high

vs. U.S. communities

FEMA expects yearly storm and flood damage to homes and buildings in Wrightwood to be higher than in 100% of U.S. communities, mostly from inland flooding and earthquakes.

Inland flooding46%Earthquakes29%Wildfire22%Everything else3%

By hazard

What Wrightwood faces

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

Inland flooding

46% of expected damage

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

Recorded about 13 times a year in the area

Earthquakes

29% of expected damage

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

Wildfire

22% of expected damage

Well above average · among the top 1% of U.S. places

Lower here

TornadoesHailWinter weatherCold wavesHeat wavesLandslidesStrong windLightningAvalanches

Not a risk here

Coastal floodingHurricanesIce stormsDroughtTsunamisVolcanic 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 Wrightwood flood?

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

16paid claims since 2001

$329Kpaid to owners

0homes flooded more than once

20012026

Biggest named events

Tropical Storm Hilary: 1 claim, $16K
California Atmospheric River: 1 claim, $417

of homes in flood zones
are insured

of all homes
are insured

No community discount. Wrightwood 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 Bernardino County.

Disasters that hit Wrightwood

4 federal disasters brought FEMA money here

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

Brought FEMA money into WrightwoodDeclared for San Bernardino County only

2023

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

65 households applied for aid $37K aid approved

2020

Wildfires

4 households applied for aid

2004

Severe Storms, Flooding, Debris Flows, and Mudslides

2 households applied for aid $3K aid approved

2003

Wildfires, Flooding, Mudflow and Debris Flow Directly Related T

1 household applied for aid

San Bernardino County has had 56 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. Wrightwood covers 1 census tract, combined by population.

Money that reached townFlood claims are matched to Wrightwood’s own flood-insurance community (here, the census tracts inside it); household aid to the registrant’s city; repair grants to Wrightwood. 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 Wrightwood total about $7.8M 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.