Natural hazards · California

California, IN natural hazards

Most of the natural-hazard damage FEMA expects in California comes from inland flooding, and overall the risk is very low for a U.S. community.

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

Expected damage

How exposed is California?

Very low

vs. U.S. communities

FEMA expects yearly storm and flood damage to homes and buildings in California to be higher than in 12% of U.S. communities, mostly from inland flooding and cold waves.

Inland flooding35%Cold waves26%Tornadoes22%Strong wind9%Everything else8%

By hazard

What California faces

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

Inland flooding

35% of expected damage

Well below average · higher than 19% of U.S. places

Recorded about once every 9 years in the area

Cold waves

26% of expected damage

Above average · higher than 57% of U.S. places

Recorded about 4 times a year in the area

Tornadoes

22% of expected damage

Well above average · higher than 84% of U.S. places

Recorded about once every 51 years in the area

Strong wind

9% of expected damage

Well above average · higher than 82% of U.S. places

Recorded about 5 times a year in the area

Lower here

HurricanesHailIce stormsWinter weatherHeat wavesWildfireEarthquakesLandslidesLightning

Not a risk here

Coastal floodingDroughtAvalanchesTsunamisVolcanic 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 California flood?

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

of homes in flood zones
are insured

of all homes
are insured

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

Insurance rates: Starke County.

Disasters that hit California

Federal disasters declared here

None of the disasters declared for Starke County shows FEMA aid or repair money reaching California itself in FEMA’s records.

Brought FEMA money into CaliforniaDeclared for Starke County only

Starke County has had 15 natural disasters declared since 1953, most often winter storms and floods.

Around California

California and the towns around it

Very lowLowModerateHighVery high

North Bendmostly inland floodingLow

Centermostly inland floodingLow

Franklinmostly inland floodingVery low

Rich Grovemostly inland floodingVery low

Waynemostly inland floodingVery low

Californiamostly inland floodingVery low

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. California covers 1 census tract, combined by population.

Money that reached townFlood claims are matched to California’s own flood-insurance community; household aid to the registrant’s city; repair grants to the Township of California. 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 California total about $772K 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.