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Natural hazard risk in Los Angeles County, California

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

FEMA overall Risk Index rating: Very High (score 100.0 of 100)[5]

Expected annual loss (FEMA)
$7.60 billion[1]
Federal disaster declarations since 1969
86[2]
NFIP flood claims paid, 1978 to 2026
$72.4 million[3]
Tornadoes recorded, 1950 to 2024
48[4]

FEMA's National Risk Index (December 2025) rates overall natural hazard risk in Los Angeles County Very High, a rating that compares each county with all US counties[5]. Within the county, the hazards with the highest FEMA scores are earthquake, inland flooding and wildfire, each rated Very High[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 rates Expected Annual Loss from all 18 hazards in Los Angeles County Very High[1]. Expected Annual Loss is a FEMA estimate of average yearly loss, not money anyone paid. Earthquake and inland flooding each carry a Very High Expected Annual Loss rating[7][8], and FEMA's estimate for buildings is the largest part of the county total[1]. FEMA rates social vulnerability Relatively Moderate, a measure of how susceptible social groups are to harm from hazards[9]. FEMA rates community resilience Very Low, a measure of the ability to prepare for, withstand and recover from hazards[10].

Hazards sorted by FEMA hazard-type Risk Index score, highest first
HazardFEMA risk ratingExpected annual loss
EarthquakeVery High$4.57 billion[7]
Inland FloodingVery High$2.81 billion[8]
WildfireVery High$155.2 million[11]
Heat WaveRelatively High$36.8 million[12]
LandslideRelatively High$1.5 million[13]
TornadoRelatively High$18.3 million[14]
LightningVery High$2.1 million[15]
HailRelatively Moderate$2.0 million[16]
AvalancheRelatively High$1.8 million[17]
Coastal FloodingRelatively High$5.2 million[18]
Strong WindRelatively Moderate$971,000[19]
Winter WeatherRelatively Moderate$142,000[20]
TsunamiRelatively Low$3.3 million[21]
DroughtRelatively Low$80,000[22]
Cold WaveVery Low$24,000[23]

Rated Not Applicable by FEMA for this county: ice storm, volcanic activity[24].

Social vulnerability and community resilience

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

FEMA measureRatingScore
Social vulnerabilityRelatively Moderate55.3[9]
Community resilienceVery Low13.5[10]

Flooding and flood insurance

FEMA rates inland flooding risk Very High and coastal flooding risk Relatively High for Los Angeles County[8][18]. OpenFEMA data as of 2026-08-03 shows 10,584 residential flood insurance contracts in force out of 2,284,783 residential structures[25]. A HazardFacts tally of OpenFEMA NFIP claims for losses from 1978 to 2026 counts 9,104 claims, 4,884 of them with a payment[3]. To check the flood zone for an address, use FEMA's Flood Map Service Center[26].

Measure Value
Inland Flooding, FEMA risk rating[8] Very High, $2.81 billion expected loss a year
Coastal Flooding, FEMA risk rating[18] Relatively High, $5.2 million expected loss a year
NFIP residential flood policies in force (2026)[25] 10,584 of 2,284,783 homes
Homes in FEMA's mapped high-risk flood area (SFHA)[25] 11,989, of which 3,925 insured
NFIP flood claims, 1978 to 2026[3] 9,104 filed, $72.4 million paid

Is a specific address in a flood zone? Only FEMA's flood maps answer that, property by property[26]. This page describes the whole county.

Search an address on the FEMA Flood Map Service Center

Disaster declarations and tornado records

OpenFEMA lists 86 federal disaster declarations for natural hazards that include Los Angeles County since 1969, including 61 for fire and 10 for flood[2]. The most recent is FM-5605-CA, the Canyon Fire, declared 2025-08-08[27]. NOAA's Storm Prediction Center tornado database records 48 tornadoes in the county from 1950 to 2024, and the strongest were rated F2[4].

Federal disaster declarations for natural hazards that include Los Angeles County, since 1969
Incident type Declarations
Fire[2] 61
Flood[2] 10
Severe Storm[2] 8
Earthquake[2] 3
Freezing[2] 2
Hurricane[2] 1
Coastal Storm[2] 1
Most recent declarations
Declaration Incident Declared
FM-5605-CA[27] Canyon Fire 2025-08-08
FM-5550-CA[27] Eaton Fire 2025-01-08
DR-4856-CA[27] Wildfires And Straight-Line Winds 2025-01-08
FM-5551-CA[27] Hurst Fire 2025-01-08
FM-5549-CA[27] Palisades Fire 2025-01-07

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.

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

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

Questions people ask

Is Los Angeles County at risk of earthquakes?
FEMA's National Risk Index rates earthquake risk in Los Angeles County Very High relative to all US counties[7]. OpenFEMA lists 3 earthquake disaster declarations that include the county since 1969[2].
Is Los Angeles County at risk of wildfire?
FEMA rates wildfire risk Very High relative to all US counties[11]. OpenFEMA lists 61 fire declarations that include the county since 1969[2], including the Eaton Fire and Palisades Fire declarations in January 2025[27].
Does Los Angeles County get tornadoes?
NOAA's tornado database records 48 tornadoes in Los Angeles County from 1950 to 2024, with the most recent on 2023-05-04[4]. FEMA rates tornado risk Relatively High relative to all US counties[14].
How many federal disasters have been declared in Los Angeles County?
OpenFEMA lists 86 federal disaster declarations for natural hazards that include Los Angeles County since 1969, of which 34 were major disasters[2].
How do I check if a home in Los Angeles County is in a flood zone?
Flood zones apply to specific properties, and county ratings do not tell you the zone of an address[26]. Look up the address on FEMA's Flood Map Service Center or ask the local floodplain manager[26].

Facts and sources

  1. FEMA National Risk Index (version 1.20, December 2025): Expected Annual Loss from all 18 natural hazards in Los Angeles County is $7.60 billion a year (Expected Annual Loss rating Very High, score 100.0). Of this, buildings account for $5.95 billion, injuries and deaths (converted to dollars by FEMA) for $1.66... FEMA National Risk Index
  2. OpenFEMA Disaster Declarations Summaries list 86 federal disaster declarations for natural hazards that include Los Angeles County since 1969 (34 major disaster, 52 emergency or fire management). By incident type: fire 61, flood 10, severe storm 8, earthquake 3, freezing 2, hurricane 1, coastal storm 1. Biological... OpenFEMA Disaster Declarations
  3. HazardFacts tally of OpenFEMA NFIP Redacted Claims (losses from 1978 to 2026): 9,104 National Flood Insurance Program claims were filed for losses in Los Angeles County, 4,884 of them with a payment, and NFIP paid $72.4 million in total (building, contents and increased cost of compliance, in dollars of the year... OpenFEMA NFIP claims
  4. NOAA Storm Prediction Center tornado database (1950 to 2024): 48 recorded tornadoes touched Los Angeles County. The strongest were rated F2 (most recent of them on 1983-03-01). 0 were rated F3/EF3 or stronger. The most recent recorded tornado was on 2023-05-04. 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 Los Angeles County is Very High, with a Risk Index score of 100.0 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 Los Angeles County are earthquake (100.0, Very High), inland flooding (100.0, Very High), wildfire (99.9, Very High). HazardFacts sorted FEMA's published scores; FEMA's... FEMA National Risk Index
  7. FEMA National Risk Index (version 1.20, December 2025), earthquake in Los Angeles County: Risk Index rating Very High (score 100.0 of 100). Expected Annual Loss $4.57 billion a year (rating Very High). FEMA's modeled annual frequency is 0.0936 events per year. FEMA National Risk Index
  8. FEMA National Risk Index (version 1.20, December 2025), inland flooding in Los Angeles County: Risk Index rating Very High (score 100.0 of 100). Expected Annual Loss $2.81 billion a year (rating Very High). Annualized frequency 3.96 event-days per year, from recorded occurrences over a period of record of 26 years. FEMA National Risk Index
  9. FEMA National Risk Index (version 1.20, December 2025): Social Vulnerability rating for Los Angeles County is Relatively Moderate (score 55.3). FEMA describes social vulnerability as how susceptible social groups are to the harm natural hazards cause. FEMA National Risk Index
  10. FEMA National Risk Index (version 1.20, December 2025): Community Resilience rating for Los Angeles County is Very Low (score 13.5). FEMA describes community resilience as a community's ability to prepare for, withstand and recover from hazards. FEMA National Risk Index
  11. FEMA National Risk Index (version 1.20, December 2025), wildfire in Los Angeles County: Risk Index rating Very High (score 99.9 of 100). Expected Annual Loss $155.2 million a year (rating Very High). FEMA's modeled annual frequency is 0.0083 events per year. FEMA National Risk Index
  12. FEMA National Risk Index (version 1.20, December 2025), heat wave in Los Angeles County: Risk Index rating Relatively High (score 99.3 of 100). Expected Annual Loss $36.8 million a year (rating Relatively High). Annualized frequency 9.45 event-days per year, from recorded occurrences over a period of record of 18... FEMA National Risk Index
  13. FEMA National Risk Index (version 1.20, December 2025), landslide in Los Angeles County: Risk Index rating Relatively High (score 99.2 of 100). Expected Annual Loss $1.5 million a year (rating Relatively High). FEMA National Risk Index
  14. FEMA National Risk Index (version 1.20, December 2025), tornado in Los Angeles County: Risk Index rating Relatively High (score 97.6 of 100). Expected Annual Loss $18.3 million a year (rating Relatively High). Annualized frequency 0.49 events per year, from recorded occurrences over a period of record of 38 years. FEMA National Risk Index
  15. FEMA National Risk Index (version 1.20, December 2025), lightning in Los Angeles County: Risk Index rating Very High (score 96.9 of 100). Expected Annual Loss $2.1 million a year (rating Relatively High). Annualized frequency 8.36 events per year, from recorded occurrences over a period of record of 24 years. FEMA National Risk Index
  16. FEMA National Risk Index (version 1.20, December 2025), hail in Los Angeles County: Risk Index rating Relatively Moderate (score 93.0 of 100). Expected Annual Loss $2.0 million a year (rating Relatively Moderate). Annualized frequency 0.1 events per year, from recorded occurrences over a period of record of 37 years. FEMA National Risk Index
  17. FEMA National Risk Index (version 1.20, December 2025), avalanche in Los Angeles County: Risk Index rating Relatively High (score 92.3 of 100). Expected Annual Loss $1.8 million a year (rating Relatively Moderate). Annualized frequency 0.13 events per year, from recorded occurrences over a period of record of 28... FEMA National Risk Index
  18. FEMA National Risk Index (version 1.20, December 2025), coastal flooding in Los Angeles County: Risk Index rating Relatively High (score 90.0 of 100). Expected Annual Loss $5.2 million a year (rating Relatively High). FEMA's modeled annual frequency is 2.1694 events per year. FEMA National Risk Index
  19. FEMA National Risk Index (version 1.20, December 2025), strong wind in Los Angeles County: Risk Index rating Relatively Moderate (score 75.1 of 100). Expected Annual Loss $971,000 a year (rating Relatively Moderate). Annualized frequency 0.15 events per year, from recorded occurrences over a period of record of 38... FEMA National Risk Index
  20. FEMA National Risk Index (version 1.20, December 2025), winter weather in Los Angeles County: Risk Index rating Relatively Moderate (score 74.7 of 100). Expected Annual Loss $142,000 a year (rating Relatively Moderate). Annualized frequency 6.59 events per year, from recorded occurrences over a period of record of... FEMA National Risk Index
  21. FEMA National Risk Index (version 1.20, December 2025), tsunami in Los Angeles County: Risk Index rating Relatively Low (score 64.6 of 100). Expected Annual Loss $3.3 million a year (rating Relatively Low). FEMA National Risk Index
  22. FEMA National Risk Index (version 1.20, December 2025), drought in Los Angeles County: Risk Index rating Relatively Low (score 43.5 of 100). Expected Annual Loss $80,000 a year (rating Relatively Low). Annualized frequency 81.77 event-days per year, from recorded occurrences over a period of record of 22 years. FEMA National Risk Index
  23. FEMA National Risk Index (version 1.20, December 2025), cold wave in Los Angeles County: Risk Index rating Very Low (score 5.8 of 100). Expected Annual Loss $24,000 a year (rating Very Low). Annualized frequency 0.03 event-days per year, from recorded occurrences over a period of record of 18 years. FEMA National Risk Index
  24. FEMA National Risk Index (version 1.20, December 2025) rates these hazards Not Applicable for Los Angeles County: ice storm, volcanic activity. 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 there. FEMA National Risk Index documentation
  25. NFIP Residential Penetration Rates (OpenFEMA, as of 2026-08-03): 10,584 residential flood insurance contracts were in force in Los Angeles County, out of 2,284,783 residential structures, a penetration rate of 0.5%. Inside FEMA's mapped Special Flood Hazard Area there were 11,989 residential structures and 3,925... OpenFEMA NFIP penetration rates
  26. 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
  27. 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.