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Flood risk in California

FEMA NFIP historical claims and active policies aggregated by county. Pick a county to see total paid, average claim amount, and active policy count.

Counties with claims
54
of 58 reporting
Total NFIP claims
4,954
Total claims paid
$125,745,920
Active policies
27,621

Highest flood risk counties

Claims per 1,000 housing units. Higher means a larger share of homes have a documented claim on file.

  1. 1.Lake County4.08 / 1k
  2. 2.Sierra County3.52 / 1k
  3. 3.Sonoma County2.77 / 1k
  4. 4.Santa Cruz County2.57 / 1k
  5. 5.Tehama County2.56 / 1k
  6. 6.San Benito County2.32 / 1k
  7. 7.Alpine County2.30 / 1k
  8. 8.Colusa County2.15 / 1k
  9. 9.Marin County1.91 / 1k
  10. 10.Santa Barbara County1.56 / 1k

Lowest flood risk counties

Claims per 1,000 housing units, restricted to counties of at least 25,000 residents.

  1. 1.Siskiyou County0.00 / 1k
  2. 2.Imperial County0.02 / 1k
  3. 3.San Francisco County0.02 / 1k
  4. 4.Fresno County0.06 / 1k
  5. 5.Stanislaus County0.08 / 1k
  6. 6.Kings County0.11 / 1k
  7. 7.Alameda County0.12 / 1k
  8. 8.San Bernardino County0.16 / 1k
  9. 9.Kern County0.16 / 1k
  10. 10.Los Angeles County0.20 / 1k

Counties by historical claims

Sorted by total claims, highest first. Historical totals do not capture uninsured properties or future climate shifts.

How to read this

Historical claims show where NFIP-insured properties have actually filed. They under-count uninsured properties and don't forecast future risk from climate, upstream development, or new mitigation projects. For parcel-specific flood-zone designations, use FEMA's Map Service Center.

Open FEMA Map Service CenterCalifornia cost overview

Data sources

Disclaimer. HomeRule is not a real estate agent, lender, appraiser, or financial advisor. This content is for educational and informational purposes only. Actual costs vary significantly by property, location, and individual circumstances. Consult qualified professionals for personalized advice.