Lightning Risk in California
All California counties ranked by FEMA National Risk Index lightning score
Lightning risk — electrical discharges from storms that ignite fires and cause casualties — is rated for 58 of 58 California counties in FEMA's National Risk Index. Los Angeles County carries the state's highest lightning score at 96.9, with $2M in expected annual lightning losses.
10 California counties are rated High or Very High for lightning, and expected annual losses from lightning total roughly $26M statewide. The full ranking below links to each county's complete 18-hazard risk profile.
County Rankings — Lightning
| # | County | Lightning Score | Rating | Ann. Freq. | Ann. Loss |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Los Angeles County | Very High | 8.36 / yr | $2M | |
| 2 | San Bernardino County | High | 16.79 / yr | $2M | |
| 3 | Tulare County | High | 15.72 / yr | $2M | |
| 4 | San Joaquin County | High | 7.70 / yr | $2M | |
| 5 | Stanislaus County | High | 6.95 / yr | $1M | |
| 6 | Contra Costa County | High | 4.45 / yr | $1M | |
| 7 | Kern County | High | 8.04 / yr | $761K | |
| 8 | Fresno County | High | 12.75 / yr | $761K | |
| 9 | Merced County | High | 6.60 / yr | $739K | |
| 10 | Placer County | High | 14.21 / yr | $983K | |
| 11 | Riverside County | Medium | 13.81 / yr | $797K | |
| 12 | San Diego County | Medium | 11.11 / yr | $829K | |
| 13 | Plumas County | Medium | 14.47 / yr | $494K | |
| 14 | Sierra County | Medium | 15.88 / yr | $538K | |
| 15 | Tuolumne County | Medium | 20.27 / yr | $501K | |
| 16 | Madera County | Medium | 15.59 / yr | $382K | |
| 17 | Nevada County | Medium | 14.29 / yr | $492K | |
| 18 | Ventura County | Medium | 6.17 / yr | $536K | |
| 19 | Mariposa County | Medium | 17.91 / yr | $302K | |
| 20 | El Dorado County | Medium | 14.39 / yr | $577K | |
| 21 | San Mateo County | Medium | 4.62 / yr | $549K | |
| 22 | Butte County | Medium | 11.89 / yr | $400K | |
| 23 | Orange County | Medium | 7.43 / yr | $489K | |
| 24 | Shasta County | Medium | 14.19 / yr | $432K | |
| 25 | Monterey County | Medium | 2.67 / yr | $341K | |
| 26 | Sacramento County | Medium | 8.11 / yr | $385K | |
| 27 | Solano County | Medium | 5.22 / yr | $380K | |
| 28 | Santa Cruz County | Medium | 4.17 / yr | $353K | |
| 29 | Sonoma County | Medium | 3.73 / yr | $341K | |
| 30 | Calaveras County | Low | 14.17 / yr | $251K | |
| 31 | Santa Barbara County | Low | 4.34 / yr | $243K | |
| 32 | Amador County | Low | 13.76 / yr | $247K | |
| 33 | Sutter County | Low | 8.43 / yr | $199K | |
| 34 | Kings County | Low | 5.78 / yr | $172K | |
| 35 | Alameda County | Low | 4.50 / yr | $235K | |
| 36 | Santa Clara County | Low | 3.84 / yr | $254K | |
| 37 | Yolo County | Low | 5.84 / yr | $216K | |
| 38 | Yuba County | Low | 10.96 / yr | $169K | |
| 39 | Tehama County | Low | 12.79 / yr | $141K | |
| 40 | Siskiyou County | Low | 11.70 / yr | $98K | |
| 41 | Marin County | Low | 3.29 / yr | $146K | |
| 42 | Inyo County | Low | 15.90 / yr | $88K | |
| 43 | Lassen County | Low | 15.51 / yr | $101K | |
| 44 | Humboldt County | Low | 5.24 / yr | $93K | |
| 45 | Napa County | Low | 4.22 / yr | $110K | |
| 46 | San Francisco County | Low | 3.80 / yr | $104K | |
| 47 | Mendocino County | Low | 5.32 / yr | $79K | |
| 48 | Mono County | Low | 22.67 / yr | $111K | |
| 49 | San Luis Obispo County | Low | 3.22 / yr | $96K | |
| 50 | Lake County | Very Low | 5.39 / yr | $59K | |
| 51 | Glenn County | Very Low | 7.90 / yr | $84K | |
| 52 | Colusa County | Very Low | 6.06 / yr | $50K | |
| 53 | Imperial County | Very Low | 11.27 / yr | $35K | |
| 54 | San Benito County | Very Low | 3.22 / yr | $61K | |
| 55 | Del Norte County | Very Low | 6.99 / yr | $38K | |
| 56 | Trinity County | Very Low | 9.65 / yr | $27K | |
| 57 | Modoc County | Very Low | 14.49 / yr | $26K | |
| 58 | Alpine County | Very Low | 21.03 / yr | $10K |
58 California counties with measurable lightning risk. See the national lightning ranking or all California counties by overall risk.
Frequently Asked Questions
Which California county has the highest lightning risk?
Los Angeles County has the highest FEMA lightning risk score in California at 96.9 (Very High), with $2M in expected annual losses and about 8.36 events per year.
How many California counties face significant lightning risk?
58 California counties record measurable lightning risk in FEMA's National Risk Index; 10 of them are rated High or Very High.