California Natural Disaster Risk by County
FEMA National Risk Index rankings for all 58 counties
California spans 58 counties with an average FEMA National Risk Index score of 88.7 (high risk) and roughly $30.21B in combined expected annual loss statewide. 31 counties are rated High or Very High risk.
The highest-risk county is Los Angeles County (score 100.0, very high), while Alpine County (score 10.6) carries the lowest. Use the table below to compare every county by score, top hazard, and expected annual loss.
County Rankings
| # | County | Risk Score | Risk Rating | Top Hazard | Ann. Loss |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Los Angeles County | Very High | Earthquake | $7.60B | |
| 2 | Riverside County | Very High | Wildfire | $2.27B | |
| 3 | Alameda County | Very High | Earthquake | $1.88B | |
| 4 | Orange County | Very High | Earthquake | $1.93B | |
| 5 | San Bernardino County | Very High | Landslide | $2.08B | |
| 6 | San Diego County | Very High | Wildfire | $1.54B | |
| 7 | Santa Clara County | Very High | Earthquake | $1.97B | |
| 8 | Contra Costa County | Very High | Earthquake | $971M | |
| 9 | San Francisco County | Very High | Earthquake | $853M | |
| 10 | Ventura County | High | Wildfire | $762M | |
| 11 | Fresno County | High | Drought | $557M | |
| 12 | San Mateo County | High | Earthquake | $740M | |
| 13 | Sonoma County | High | Landslide | $605M | |
| 14 | Santa Barbara County | High | Landslide | $477M | |
| 15 | Kern County | High | Wildfire | $417M | |
| 16 | Monterey County | High | Drought | $402M | |
| 17 | San Joaquin County | High | Drought | $422M | |
| 18 | Sacramento County | High | Drought | $352M | |
| 19 | Santa Cruz County | High | Drought | $335M | |
| 20 | Solano County | High | Drought | $292M | |
| 21 | Tulare County | High | Heat Wave | $214M | |
| 22 | Merced County | High | Drought | $205M | |
| 23 | Stanislaus County | High | Drought | $265M | |
| 24 | Humboldt County | High | Landslide | $189M | |
| 25 | Imperial County | High | Earthquake | $148M | |
| 26 | Madera County | High | Drought | $162M | |
| 27 | Marin County | High | Landslide | $259M | |
| 28 | San Luis Obispo County | High | Drought | $214M | |
| 29 | Napa County | High | Drought | $186M | |
| 30 | Del Norte County | High | Landslide | $142M | |
| 31 | Mendocino County | High | Landslide | $117M | |
| 32 | Butte County | Medium | Drought | $127M | |
| 33 | Shasta County | Medium | Wildfire | $135M | |
| 34 | Placer County | Medium | Wildfire | $163M | |
| 35 | Lake County | Medium | Wildfire | $101M | |
| 36 | Kings County | Medium | Drought | $96M | |
| 37 | El Dorado County | Medium | Wildfire | $124M | |
| 38 | Yolo County | Medium | Drought | $116M | |
| 39 | Nevada County | Medium | Wildfire | $81M | |
| 40 | Siskiyou County | Medium | Drought | $57M | |
| 41 | Tehama County | Medium | Drought | $69M | |
| 42 | Calaveras County | Medium | Wildfire | $53M | |
| 43 | Mariposa County | Medium | Landslide | $38M | |
| 44 | Plumas County | Medium | Wildfire | $41M | |
| 45 | San Benito County | Medium | Landslide | $80M | |
| 46 | Tuolumne County | Medium | Wildfire | $51M | |
| 47 | Sutter County | Medium | Drought | $45M | |
| 48 | Colusa County | Medium | Drought | $41M | |
| 49 | Yuba County | Low | Drought | $46M | |
| 50 | Trinity County | Low | Landslide | $29M | |
| 51 | Inyo County | Low | Heat Wave | $28M | |
| 52 | Amador County | Low | Drought | $39M | |
| 53 | Glenn County | Low | Drought | $41M | |
| 54 | Lassen County | Low | Wildfire | $25M | |
| 55 | Mono County | Low | Wildfire | $17M | |
| 56 | Modoc County | Very Low | Drought | $10M | |
| 57 | Sierra County | Very Low | Wildfire | $8M | |
| 58 | Alpine County | Very Low | Avalanche | $5M |
All 58 California counties, ranked by FEMA National Risk Index score.
Frequently Asked Questions
Which California county has the highest natural disaster risk?
Los Angeles County has the highest FEMA National Risk Index score in California at 100.0 (Very High), driven largely by earthquake.
What is the average natural disaster risk in California?
California counties average a National Risk Index score of 88.7 across 58 counties, with 31 rated High or Very High risk.
How much are expected annual losses across California?
FEMA estimates roughly $30.21B in combined expected annual loss from natural hazards across all California counties.