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Natural hazard risk in Butte County, California

Updated October 30, 2026. Based on FEMA, NOAA and OpenFEMA data. Published by Humblebee.

FEMA overall Risk Index rating: Relatively Moderate (score 93.9 of 100)[5]

Expected annual loss (FEMA)
$127.2 million[1]
Federal disaster declarations since 1964
36[2]
NFIP flood claims paid, 1978 to 2026
$7.2 million[3]
Tornadoes recorded, 1950 to 2024
18[4]

FEMA's National Risk Index rates the overall natural hazard risk for Butte County as Relatively Moderate compared with other US counties[5]. The hazards with the highest FEMA scores within the county are drought, wildfire and landslide[6].

FEMA risk ratings for each hazard

Ratings and expected losses from the FEMA National Risk Index. Each rating compares this county with all US counties for that hazard, from Very Low to Very High. They are planning estimates, not predictions, and they do not describe any single property.

FEMA's National Risk Index (version 1.20, December 2025) gives Butte County an overall Risk Index score of 93.9 out of 100[5]. FEMA estimates Expected Annual Loss from all 18 natural hazards at $127.2 million a year[1]. This is an estimate of average yearly loss, not money anyone paid. The largest parts of that loss come from inland flooding, earthquake and drought, in that order[7]. FEMA rates Social Vulnerability as Relatively Moderate, which describes how susceptible social groups are to harm from natural hazards[8]. FEMA rates Community Resilience as Relatively High, which describes a community's ability to prepare for, withstand and recover from hazards[9].

Hazards sorted by FEMA hazard-type Risk Index score, highest first
HazardFEMA risk ratingExpected annual loss
DroughtVery High$26.5 million[10]
WildfireRelatively High$16.1 million[11]
LandslideRelatively Moderate$388,000[12]
EarthquakeRelatively Moderate$33.5 million[13]
Inland FloodingRelatively Moderate$48.2 million[14]
Heat WaveRelatively Moderate$1.4 million[15]
Volcanic ActivityVery Low$392[16]
LightningRelatively Moderate$400,000[17]
HailRelatively Low$121,000[18]
TornadoRelatively Low$389,000[19]
AvalancheVery Low$76[20]
Winter WeatherRelatively Low$21,000[21]
Strong WindVery Low$81,000[22]

Rated Not Applicable by FEMA for this county: coastal flooding, hurricane, ice storm, tsunami[23].

Social vulnerability and community resilience

FEMA uses these two ratings to scale expected losses into the Risk Index.

FEMA measureRatingScore
Social vulnerabilityRelatively Moderate59.0[8]
Community resilienceRelatively High60.4[9]

Flooding and flood insurance

FEMA rates inland flooding risk in Butte County as Relatively Moderate compared with other US counties, with Expected Annual Loss of $48.2 million a year[14]. OpenFEMA lists 1,384 residential flood insurance contracts in force, a penetration rate of 1.9% of residential structures, as of 2026-08-03[24]. Inside FEMA's mapped Special Flood Hazard Area, 22.3% of homes are insured[24]. A HazardFacts tally of OpenFEMA data shows 335 NFIP claims for losses from 1978 to 2026, and NFIP paid $7.2 million in total[3]. To learn about one address, use FEMA's Flood Map Service Center[25].

Measure Value
Inland Flooding, FEMA risk rating[14] Relatively Moderate, $48.2 million expected loss a year
NFIP residential flood policies in force (2026)[24] 1,384 of 71,778 homes
Homes in FEMA's mapped high-risk flood area (SFHA)[24] 4,026, of which 898 insured
NFIP flood claims, 1978 to 2026[3] 335 filed, $7.2 million paid

Is a specific address in a flood zone? Only FEMA's flood maps answer that, property by property[25]. This page describes the whole county.

Search an address on the FEMA Flood Map Service Center

Disaster declarations and tornado records

OpenFEMA lists 36 federal disaster declarations for natural hazards that include Butte County since 1964, including 17 for fire and 9 for severe storm[2]. The most recent listed is FM-5519-CA, Park Fire, declared 2024-07-25[26]. NOAA's tornado database records 18 tornadoes touching the county from 1950 to 2024, and the strongest were rated EF2[4].

Federal disaster declarations for natural hazards that include Butte County, since 1964
Incident type Declarations
Fire[2] 17
Severe Storm[2] 9
Flood[2] 6
Drought[2] 1
Coastal Storm[2] 1
Hurricane[2] 1
Freezing[2] 1
Most recent declarations
Declaration Incident Declared
FM-5519-CA[26] Park Fire 2024-07-25
FM-5502-CA[26] Thompson Fire 2024-07-02
DR-4769-CA[26] Severe Winter Storms, Tornadoes, Flooding, Landslides, And Mudslides 2024-04-13
DR-4699-CA[26] Severe Winter Storms, Straight-Line Winds, Flooding, Landslides, And Mudslides 2023-04-03
EM-3592-CA[26] Severe Winter Storms, Flooding, Landslides, And Mudslides 2023-03-10

How to prepare

Steps from Ready.gov, FEMA's preparedness site, for the hazards with the highest FEMA ratings here. Follow instructions from local officials and the National Weather Service when a warning is issued.

Wildfires

Before

  • Sign up for community alerts and watch for air quality alerts.
  • Make sure everyone knows the evacuation plan, including for school, work and other places you go often.
  • Keep a fire-resistant zone of at least 30 feet around your home, clear of leaves and debris.
  • Use fire-resistant building materials and keep a hose long enough to reach every part of your property.
  • Pick a room you can seal off from outside air and keep a portable air cleaner ready.

During

  • Leave right away when authorities tell you to evacuate.
  • If you are trapped, call 9-1-1 with your location and turn on lights to help rescuers find you.
  • If you are not ordered to leave but there is smoke, stay in a safe indoor place or go to a community building with less smoke.

Source: Ready.gov, wildfires

Earthquakes

Before

  • Practice Drop, Cover, and Hold On with your family and coworkers.
  • Sign up for earthquake alerts that can warn you before shaking starts.
  • Make a plan with an out-of-state contact and a place to meet if you get separated.
  • Anchor heavy items such as bookcases, refrigerators and water heaters, and keep heavy things on low shelves.
  • Consider earthquake insurance. Standard homeowners policies do not cover earthquake damage.

During

  • Drop to your hands and knees, cover your head and neck, and hold on until the shaking stops.
  • Indoors, stay where you are and avoid doorways. Outdoors, move to an open area away from buildings and power lines.
  • If you are driving, pull over, stop and set the parking brake.

Source: Ready.gov, earthquakes

Floods

Before

  • Check your flood risk with FEMA's Flood Map Service Center, and remember that floods do not follow map lines.
  • Sign up for your community's warning system. NOAA Weather Radio also broadcasts alerts.
  • Buy flood insurance through the NFIP well before a disaster. Homeowners policies do not cover flooding, and a new policy typically takes up to 30 days to go into effect.
  • Make a household plan with evacuation routes, shelter locations and what to do in a flash flood.
  • Keep important documents in a waterproof container and make password-protected digital copies.

During

  • If you are told to evacuate, leave right away and never drive around barricades.
  • Do not walk, swim or drive through floodwater. Six inches of moving water can knock you down.
  • If you are trapped in a building, go to the highest level, but do not climb into a closed attic.

Source: Ready.gov, floods

Questions people ask

Is Butte County at risk of flooding?
FEMA rates inland flooding risk in Butte County as Relatively Moderate compared with other US counties[14]. OpenFEMA lists 6 flood declarations that include the county since 1964[2].
Is Butte County at risk of wildfire?
FEMA rates wildfire risk in Butte County as Relatively High compared with other US counties, with Expected Annual Loss of $16.1 million a year[11]. OpenFEMA lists 17 fire declarations that include the county[2].
Does Butte County get tornadoes?
NOAA's tornado database records 18 tornadoes touching Butte County from 1950 to 2024, and the strongest were rated EF2[4]. FEMA rates tornado risk as Relatively Low compared with other US counties[19].
Is Butte County at risk of earthquakes?
FEMA rates earthquake risk in Butte County as Relatively Moderate compared with other US counties, with Expected Annual Loss of $33.5 million a year[13].
How do I check my flood zone in Butte County?
Flood zones apply to specific properties, so look up an address in FEMA's Flood Map Service Center or ask the local floodplain manager[25].

Facts and sources

  1. FEMA National Risk Index (version 1.20, December 2025): Expected Annual Loss from all 18 natural hazards in Butte County is $127.2 million a year (Expected Annual Loss rating Relatively Moderate, score 92.7). Of this, buildings account for $89.0 million, injuries and deaths (converted to dollars by FEMA) for $11.6... FEMA National Risk Index
  2. OpenFEMA Disaster Declarations Summaries list 36 federal disaster declarations for natural hazards that include Butte County since 1964 (19 major disaster, 17 emergency or fire management). By incident type: fire 17, severe storm 9, flood 6, drought 1, coastal storm 1, hurricane 1, freezing 1. Biological (such as... OpenFEMA Disaster Declarations
  3. HazardFacts tally of OpenFEMA NFIP Redacted Claims (losses from 1978 to 2026): 335 National Flood Insurance Program claims were filed for losses in Butte County, 263 of them with a payment, and NFIP paid $7.2 million in total (building, contents and increased cost of compliance, in dollars of the year paid). Years... OpenFEMA NFIP claims
  4. NOAA Storm Prediction Center tornado database (1950 to 2024): 18 recorded tornadoes touched Butte County. The strongest were rated EF2 (most recent of them on 2011-05-25). 0 were rated F3/EF3 or stronger. The most recent recorded tornado was on 2023-12-19. Ratings used the Fujita scale until early 2007 and the... NOAA Storm Prediction Center
  5. FEMA National Risk Index (version 1.20, December 2025): the overall natural hazard Risk Index rating for Butte County is Relatively Moderate, with a Risk Index score of 93.9 out of 100. The score is the county's percentile rank among all US counties. FEMA National Risk Index
  6. Among the 18 hazards in the FEMA National Risk Index (version 1.20, December 2025), the hazards with the highest hazard-type Risk Index scores for Butte County are drought (99.6, Very High), wildfire (98.5, Relatively High), landslide (97.6, Relatively Moderate). HazardFacts sorted FEMA's published scores; FEMA's... FEMA National Risk Index
  7. HazardFacts sorted FEMA's hazard-type Expected Annual Loss values for Butte County (National Risk Index v1.20): the largest are inland flooding ($48.2 million a year), earthquake ($33.5 million a year), drought ($26.5 million a year), out of $127.2 million a year from all 18 hazards. FEMA National Risk Index
  8. FEMA National Risk Index (version 1.20, December 2025): Social Vulnerability rating for Butte County is Relatively Moderate (score 59.0). FEMA describes social vulnerability as how susceptible social groups are to the harm natural hazards cause. FEMA National Risk Index
  9. FEMA National Risk Index (version 1.20, December 2025): Community Resilience rating for Butte County is Relatively High (score 60.4). FEMA describes community resilience as a community's ability to prepare for, withstand and recover from hazards. FEMA National Risk Index
  10. FEMA National Risk Index (version 1.20, December 2025), drought in Butte County: Risk Index rating Very High (score 99.6 of 100). Expected Annual Loss $26.5 million a year (rating Very High). Annualized frequency 66.57 event-days per year, from recorded occurrences over a period of record of 22 years. FEMA National Risk Index
  11. FEMA National Risk Index (version 1.20, December 2025), wildfire in Butte County: Risk Index rating Relatively High (score 98.5 of 100). Expected Annual Loss $16.1 million a year (rating Relatively High). FEMA's modeled annual frequency is 0.005 events per year. FEMA National Risk Index
  12. FEMA National Risk Index (version 1.20, December 2025), landslide in Butte County: Risk Index rating Relatively Moderate (score 97.6 of 100). Expected Annual Loss $388,000 a year (rating Relatively Moderate). FEMA National Risk Index
  13. FEMA National Risk Index (version 1.20, December 2025), earthquake in Butte County: Risk Index rating Relatively Moderate (score 97.4 of 100). Expected Annual Loss $33.5 million a year (rating Relatively High). FEMA's modeled annual frequency is 0.0407 events per year. FEMA National Risk Index
  14. FEMA National Risk Index (version 1.20, December 2025), inland flooding in Butte County: Risk Index rating Relatively Moderate (score 93.2 of 100). Expected Annual Loss $48.2 million a year (rating Relatively Moderate). Annualized frequency 1.36 event-days per year, from recorded occurrences over a period of record... FEMA National Risk Index
  15. FEMA National Risk Index (version 1.20, December 2025), heat wave in Butte County: Risk Index rating Relatively Moderate (score 81.9 of 100). Expected Annual Loss $1.4 million a year (rating Relatively Low). Annualized frequency 6.93 event-days per year, from recorded occurrences over a period of record of 18 years. FEMA National Risk Index
  16. FEMA National Risk Index (version 1.20, December 2025), volcanic activity in Butte County: Risk Index rating Very Low (score 79.4 of 100). Expected Annual Loss $392 a year (rating Very Low). FEMA National Risk Index
  17. FEMA National Risk Index (version 1.20, December 2025), lightning in Butte County: Risk Index rating Relatively Moderate (score 68.1 of 100). Expected Annual Loss $400,000 a year (rating Relatively Moderate). Annualized frequency 11.89 events per year, from recorded occurrences over a period of record of 24 years. FEMA National Risk Index
  18. FEMA National Risk Index (version 1.20, December 2025), hail in Butte County: Risk Index rating Relatively Low (score 33.9 of 100). Expected Annual Loss $121,000 a year (rating Very Low). Annualized frequency 0.11 events per year, from recorded occurrences over a period of record of 37 years. FEMA National Risk Index
  19. FEMA National Risk Index (version 1.20, December 2025), tornado in Butte County: Risk Index rating Relatively Low (score 28.1 of 100). Expected Annual Loss $389,000 a year (rating Relatively Low). Annualized frequency 0.15 events per year, from recorded occurrences over a period of record of 38 years. FEMA National Risk Index
  20. FEMA National Risk Index (version 1.20, December 2025), avalanche in Butte County: Risk Index rating Very Low (score 27.7 of 100). Expected Annual Loss $76 a year (rating Very Low). Annualized frequency 0.01 events per year, from recorded occurrences over a period of record of 28 years. FEMA National Risk Index
  21. FEMA National Risk Index (version 1.20, December 2025), winter weather in Butte County: Risk Index rating Relatively Low (score 25.8 of 100). Expected Annual Loss $21,000 a year (rating Relatively Low). Annualized frequency 10.95 events per year, from recorded occurrences over a period of record of 18 years. FEMA National Risk Index
  22. FEMA National Risk Index (version 1.20, December 2025), strong wind in Butte County: Risk Index rating Very Low (score 12.0 of 100). Expected Annual Loss $81,000 a year (rating Very Low). Annualized frequency 0.02 events per year, from recorded occurrences over a period of record of 38 years. FEMA National Risk Index
  23. FEMA National Risk Index (version 1.20, December 2025) rates these hazards Not Applicable for Butte County: coastal flooding, hurricane, ice storm, tsunami. FEMA uses Not Applicable when its source data has no historical record of the hazard in the community and the hazard is not considered geographically possible... FEMA National Risk Index documentation
  24. NFIP Residential Penetration Rates (OpenFEMA, as of 2026-08-03): 1,384 residential flood insurance contracts were in force in Butte County, out of 71,778 residential structures, a penetration rate of 1.9%. Inside FEMA's mapped Special Flood Hazard Area there were 4,026 residential structures and 898 contracts, a... OpenFEMA NFIP penetration rates
  25. FEMA's Flood Map Service Center is the official public source for flood maps (Flood Insurance Rate Maps) produced under the National Flood Insurance Program. Flood zones apply to specific properties: look up an address there or ask the local floodplain manager. County-level ratings do not tell you the flood zone of... FEMA Flood Map Service Center
  26. Most recent federal disaster declarations for natural hazards (table on this page). OpenFEMA Disaster Declarations

FEMA's National Risk Index compares each county with all other US counties. Ratings are relative (Very Low to Very High), not a measure of safety. Never call a place safe, unsafe, good or bad to live in. Risk Index and Expected Annual Loss values are FEMA estimates for planning. They do not predict next year's losses and do not apply to a single property. Flood zones are set by FEMA flood maps for specific properties. County ratings and flood insurance counts do not tell anyone whether an address is in a flood zone. Disaster declaration, NFIP and tornado counts are records of the past for this county only. Do not compare with other counties unless a fact does.

Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), National Risk Index Dataset: National Risk Index Counties, v1.20 (December 2025). Retrieved from fema.maps.arcgis.com on October 30, 2026. This product uses the Federal Emergency Management Agency's National Risk Index dataset API or downloadable datasets but is not endorsed by FEMA. The Federal Government or FEMA cannot vouch for the data or analyses derived from these data after the data have been retrieved from the Agency's website(s). This product uses the FEMA OpenFEMA API, but is not endorsed by FEMA.