Drought Risk in California
All California counties ranked by FEMA National Risk Index drought score
Drought risk — extended dry periods that stress water supplies and agriculture — is rated for 55 of 58 California counties in FEMA's National Risk Index. Fresno County carries the state's highest drought score at 100.0, with $223M in expected annual drought losses.
32 California counties are rated High or Very High for drought, and expected annual losses from drought total roughly $1B statewide. The full ranking below links to each county's complete 18-hazard risk profile.
County Rankings — Drought
| # | County | Drought Score | Rating | Ann. Freq. | Ann. Loss |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Fresno County | Very High | 88.24 / yr | $223M | |
| 2 | Monterey County | Very High | 94.43 / yr | $81M | |
| 3 | San Joaquin County | Very High | 68.55 / yr | $83M | |
| 4 | Merced County | Very High | 74.16 / yr | $70M | |
| 5 | Madera County | Very High | 84.81 / yr | $63M | |
| 6 | Santa Barbara County | Very High | 83.14 / yr | $65M | |
| 7 | Stanislaus County | Very High | 73.59 / yr | $71M | |
| 8 | Butte County | Very High | 66.57 / yr | $26M | |
| 9 | Kings County | Very High | 76.77 / yr | $34M | |
| 10 | Colusa County | Very High | 84.37 / yr | $29M | |
| 11 | San Luis Obispo County | Very High | 89.59 / yr | $29M | |
| 12 | Yolo County | Very High | 75.35 / yr | $29M | |
| 13 | Sutter County | Very High | 64.85 / yr | $21M | |
| 14 | Napa County | Very High | 60.05 / yr | $21M | |
| 15 | Glenn County | High | 85.27 / yr | $21M | |
| 16 | Sacramento County | High | 62.96 / yr | $14M | |
| 17 | Santa Cruz County | High | 38.24 / yr | $18M | |
| 18 | Sonoma County | High | 33.50 / yr | $14M | |
| 19 | Solano County | High | 67.40 / yr | $12M | |
| 20 | Santa Clara County | High | 63.64 / yr | $11M | |
| 21 | Amador County | High | 60.35 / yr | $8M | |
| 22 | Yuba County | High | 65.49 / yr | $8M | |
| 23 | Siskiyou County | High | 73.65 / yr | $5M | |
| 24 | Tehama County | High | 78.95 / yr | $6M | |
| 25 | Calaveras County | High | 73.08 / yr | $4M | |
| 26 | Mendocino County | High | 41.14 / yr | $3M | |
| 27 | San Benito County | High | 104.22 / yr | $5M | |
| 28 | Modoc County | High | 97.66 / yr | $3M | |
| 29 | Lake County | High | 59.84 / yr | $2M | |
| 30 | Contra Costa County | High | 55.93 / yr | $3M | |
| 31 | Kern County | High | 96.74 / yr | $2M | |
| 32 | San Mateo County | High | 37.99 / yr | $2M | |
| 33 | Tulare County | Medium | 83.25 / yr | $1M | |
| 34 | Placer County | Medium | 62.48 / yr | $2M | |
| 35 | Alameda County | Medium | 58.43 / yr | $1M | |
| 36 | Lassen County | Medium | 83.38 / yr | $924K | |
| 37 | Ventura County | Medium | 93.89 / yr | $994K | |
| 38 | Humboldt County | Medium | 34.37 / yr | $650K | |
| 39 | Mono County | Medium | 116.02 / yr | $940K | |
| 40 | El Dorado County | Medium | 62.56 / yr | $933K | |
| 41 | Shasta County | Medium | 76.70 / yr | $720K | |
| 42 | Mariposa County | Medium | 83.16 / yr | $448K | |
| 43 | Tuolumne County | Medium | 90.68 / yr | $595K | |
| 44 | San Francisco County | Medium | 26.45 / yr | $488K | |
| 45 | Imperial County | Medium | 39.28 / yr | $321K | |
| 46 | San Diego County | Low | 54.09 / yr | $299K | |
| 47 | Plumas County | Low | 63.03 / yr | $162K | |
| 48 | Riverside County | Low | 57.40 / yr | $221K | |
| 49 | Marin County | Low | 28.97 / yr | $183K | |
| 50 | Los Angeles County | Low | 81.77 / yr | $80K | |
| 51 | Del Norte County | Low | 19.62 / yr | $58K | |
| 52 | Sierra County | Low | 70.94 / yr | $37K | |
| 53 | San Bernardino County | Low | 78.40 / yr | $37K | |
| 54 | Orange County | Low | 62.64 / yr | $37K | |
| 55 | Inyo County | Very Low | 152.70 / yr | $6K |
55 California counties with measurable drought risk. See the national drought ranking or all California counties by overall risk.
Frequently Asked Questions
Which California county has the highest drought risk?
Fresno County has the highest FEMA drought risk score in California at 100.0 (Very High), with $223M in expected annual losses and about 88.24 events per year.
How many California counties face significant drought risk?
55 California counties record measurable drought risk in FEMA's National Risk Index; 32 of them are rated High or Very High.