Natural hazards · California

California, KY natural hazards

Most of the natural-hazard damage FEMA expects in California comes from inland flooding, and overall the risk is high for a U.S. community. Flood insurance has paid 18 claims here since 1979. 1 federal disaster brought FEMA money into town.

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

Expected damage

How exposed is California?

High

vs. U.S. communities

FEMA expects yearly storm and flood damage to homes and buildings in California to be higher than in 75% of U.S. communities, mostly from inland flooding.

Inland flooding66%Tornadoes13%Cold waves9%Everything else11%

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

66% of expected damage

Well above average · higher than 89% of U.S. places

Recorded about 2 times a year in the area

Tornadoes

13% of expected damage

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

Recorded about once every 46 years in the area

Cold waves

9% of expected damage

Above average · higher than 62% of U.S. places

Recorded about 2 times a year in the area

Lower here

HurricanesHailIce stormsWinter weatherHeat wavesWildfireEarthquakesLandslidesStrong windLightningDrought

Not a risk here

Coastal floodingAvalanchesTsunamisVolcanic 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?

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

18paid claims since 1979

$301Kpaid to owners

1homes flooded more than once

19792026

Biggest named events

Central U.S. April Flooding: 2 claims, $15K

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. 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: Campbell County.

Disasters that hit California

1 federal disaster brought FEMA money here

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

Brought FEMA money into CaliforniaDeclared for Campbell County only

2012

Severe Storms, Tornadoes, Straight-Line Winds and Flooding

137 households applied for aid $255K aid approved

Campbell County has had 14 natural disasters declared since 1953, most often severe storms and winter storms.

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 is smaller than a census tract, so it shares the figures of the tract around its center.

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 City of California. FEMA’s model follows property values, so a place that recently lost many homes can rate lower than it feels.

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.