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Natural hazard risk in Sacramento County, California

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

FEMA overall Risk Index rating: Relatively High (score 98.1 of 100)[5]

Expected annual loss (FEMA)
$352.4 million[1]
Federal disaster declarations since 1964
21[2]
NFIP flood claims paid, 1978 to 2026
$38.7 million[3]
Tornadoes recorded, 1950 to 2024
16[4]

FEMA's National Risk Index rates overall natural hazard risk in Sacramento County as Relatively High, with a score of 98.1 out of 100 compared with other US counties[5]. The hazards with the highest FEMA scores in the county are drought, inland flooding and earthquake[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 estimates Expected Annual Loss from all 18 natural hazards at $352.4 million a year in Sacramento County[1]. FEMA's sorted values show inland flooding at $215.7 million a year, earthquake at $107.6 million a year and drought at $13.8 million a year[7]. Expected Annual Loss is FEMA's estimate of average yearly loss, and the index is not meant to predict damage in the next year[8]. FEMA rates Social Vulnerability Relatively Low, which describes how susceptible social groups are to harm from natural hazards[9]. FEMA rates Community Resilience Relatively Moderate, which describes a community's 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
DroughtRelatively High$13.8 million[11]
Inland FloodingRelatively High$215.7 million[12]
EarthquakeRelatively High$107.6 million[13]
Heat WaveRelatively Moderate$7.6 million[14]
WildfireRelatively Moderate$4.8 million[15]
LandslideRelatively Low$15,000[16]
Volcanic ActivityVery Low$377[17]
TornadoRelatively Moderate$2.1 million[18]
LightningRelatively Moderate$385,000[19]
HailRelatively Low$314,000[20]
Strong WindVery Low$56,000[21]
Winter WeatherVery Low$4,766[22]

Rated Not Applicable by FEMA for this county: avalanche, 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 Low37.4[9]
Community resilienceRelatively Moderate56.9[10]

Flooding and flood insurance

FEMA rates inland flooding risk Relatively High in Sacramento County, with a score of 98.9 out of 100 compared with other US counties[12]. OpenFEMA lists 42,334 residential flood insurance contracts in force out of 443,240 residential structures, as of 2026-08-03[24]. Inside the mapped Special Flood Hazard Area, 81.1% of homes are insured[24]. OpenFEMA NFIP claims records show 3,864 claims for losses from 1978 to 2026, and NFIP paid $38.7 million in total[3]. FEMA's Flood Map Service Center is the place to look up the flood zone of a specific address[25].

Measure Value
Inland Flooding, FEMA risk rating[12] Relatively High, $215.7 million expected loss a year
NFIP residential flood policies in force (2026)[24] 42,334 of 443,240 homes
Homes in FEMA's mapped high-risk flood area (SFHA)[24] 35,666, of which 28,937 insured
NFIP flood claims, 1978 to 2026[3] 3,864 filed, $38.7 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 21 federal disaster declarations for natural hazards that include Sacramento County since 1964[2]. By incident type, flood accounts for 9 and severe storm for 7[2]. The most recent declaration listed is DR-4699-CA, declared 2023-04-03[26]. NOAA's tornado database records 16 tornadoes touching the county from 1950 to 2024, and the strongest were rated F2[4].

Federal disaster declarations for natural hazards that include Sacramento County, since 1964
Incident type Declarations
Flood[2] 9
Severe Storm[2] 7
Coastal Storm[2] 2
Earthquake[2] 1
Hurricane[2] 1
Drought[2] 1
Most recent declarations
Declaration Incident Declared
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
DR-4683-CA[26] Severe Winter Storms, Flooding, Landslides, And Mudslides 2023-01-14
EM-3591-CA[26] Severe Winter Storms, Flooding, And Mudslides 2023-01-09
DR-4308-CA[26] Severe Winter Storms, Flooding, And Mudslides 2017-04-01

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.

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

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

Extreme heat

Before

  • Learn the signs of heat illness and how to respond.
  • Do not rely on a fan as your main way to stay cool. Fans do not lower body temperature.
  • Find cool public places, such as libraries or malls, or ask your local health department.
  • Keep heat out with window shades, weather stripping and insulation.
  • If you cannot afford cooling costs, contact LIHEAP for help.

During

  • Never leave a person or an animal in a parked car in warm weather.
  • If your home has no air conditioning, go to a cooling center.
  • Wear light, loose clothing, drink plenty of fluids and avoid hard outdoor work in the middle of the day.

Source: Ready.gov, extreme heat

Questions people ask

Is Sacramento County at risk of flooding?
FEMA rates inland flooding risk Relatively High in Sacramento County compared with other US counties, with a score of 98.9[12]. FEMA estimates inland flooding Expected Annual Loss at $215.7 million a year[7].
Does Sacramento County get tornadoes?
NOAA's tornado database records 16 tornadoes touching the county from 1950 to 2024, and the strongest were rated F2[4]. FEMA rates tornado risk Relatively Moderate compared with other US counties[18].
Is Sacramento County at risk of earthquakes?
FEMA rates earthquake risk Relatively High in Sacramento County compared with other US counties, with a score of 98.8[13]. FEMA estimates earthquake Expected Annual Loss at $107.6 million a year[13].
How many disasters have been declared in Sacramento County?
OpenFEMA lists 21 federal disaster declarations for natural hazards that include the county since 1964[2]. The most recent listed was declared 2023-04-03[26].
How do I check the flood zone of an address in Sacramento County?
Look up the address in FEMA's Flood Map Service Center or ask the local floodplain manager[25]. County-level ratings do not tell you the flood zone of a single address[25].

Facts and sources

  1. FEMA National Risk Index (version 1.20, December 2025): Expected Annual Loss from all 18 natural hazards in Sacramento County is $352.4 million a year (Expected Annual Loss rating Relatively High, score 98.2). Of this, buildings account for $302.5 million, injuries and deaths (converted to dollars by FEMA) for... FEMA National Risk Index
  2. OpenFEMA Disaster Declarations Summaries list 21 federal disaster declarations for natural hazards that include Sacramento County since 1964 (16 major disaster, 5 emergency or fire management). By incident type: flood 9, severe storm 7, coastal storm 2, earthquake 1, hurricane 1, drought 1. Biological (such as... OpenFEMA Disaster Declarations
  3. HazardFacts tally of OpenFEMA NFIP Redacted Claims (losses from 1978 to 2026): 3,864 National Flood Insurance Program claims were filed for losses in Sacramento County, 2,375 of them with a payment, and NFIP paid $38.7 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): 16 recorded tornadoes touched Sacramento County. The strongest were rated F2 (most recent of them on 1978-02-07). 0 were rated F3/EF3 or stronger. The most recent recorded tornado was on 2023-01-14. 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 Sacramento County is Relatively High, with a Risk Index score of 98.1 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 Sacramento County are drought (99.3, Relatively High), inland flooding (98.9, Relatively High), earthquake (98.8, Relatively High). HazardFacts sorted FEMA's published... FEMA National Risk Index
  7. HazardFacts sorted FEMA's hazard-type Expected Annual Loss values for Sacramento County (National Risk Index v1.20): the largest are inland flooding ($215.7 million a year), earthquake ($107.6 million a year), drought ($13.8 million a year), out of $352.4 million a year from all 18 hazards. FEMA National Risk Index
  8. FEMA's National Risk Index FAQ (December 2025): Expected Annual Loss is FEMA's estimate of the average economic loss in dollars from natural hazards each year. The index is not meant to predict how much damage a community will have in the next year, and a hazard can still cause damage where a rating is low. Scores... FEMA National Risk Index documentation
  9. FEMA National Risk Index (version 1.20, December 2025): Social Vulnerability rating for Sacramento County is Relatively Low (score 37.4). 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 Sacramento County is Relatively Moderate (score 56.9). 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), drought in Sacramento County: Risk Index rating Relatively High (score 99.3 of 100). Expected Annual Loss $13.8 million a year (rating Relatively High). Annualized frequency 62.96 event-days per year, from recorded occurrences over a period of record of 22 years. FEMA National Risk Index
  12. FEMA National Risk Index (version 1.20, December 2025), inland flooding in Sacramento County: Risk Index rating Relatively High (score 98.9 of 100). Expected Annual Loss $215.7 million a year (rating Relatively High). Annualized frequency 1.93 event-days per year, from recorded occurrences over a period of record... FEMA National Risk Index
  13. FEMA National Risk Index (version 1.20, December 2025), earthquake in Sacramento County: Risk Index rating Relatively High (score 98.8 of 100). Expected Annual Loss $107.6 million a year (rating Relatively High). FEMA's modeled annual frequency is 0.1246 events per year. FEMA National Risk Index
  14. FEMA National Risk Index (version 1.20, December 2025), heat wave in Sacramento County: Risk Index rating Relatively Moderate (score 96.1 of 100). Expected Annual Loss $7.6 million a year (rating Relatively Moderate). Annualized frequency 6.97 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), wildfire in Sacramento County: Risk Index rating Relatively Moderate (score 95.9 of 100). Expected Annual Loss $4.8 million a year (rating Relatively Moderate). FEMA's modeled annual frequency is 0.0034 events per year. FEMA National Risk Index
  16. FEMA National Risk Index (version 1.20, December 2025), landslide in Sacramento County: Risk Index rating Relatively Low (score 79.3 of 100). Expected Annual Loss $15,000 a year (rating Relatively Low). FEMA National Risk Index
  17. FEMA National Risk Index (version 1.20, December 2025), volcanic activity in Sacramento County: Risk Index rating Very Low (score 79.1 of 100). Expected Annual Loss $377 a year (rating Very Low). FEMA National Risk Index
  18. FEMA National Risk Index (version 1.20, December 2025), tornado in Sacramento County: Risk Index rating Relatively Moderate (score 65.0 of 100). Expected Annual Loss $2.1 million a year (rating Relatively Moderate). Annualized frequency 0.12 events per year, from recorded occurrences over a period of record of 38... FEMA National Risk Index
  19. FEMA National Risk Index (version 1.20, December 2025), lightning in Sacramento County: Risk Index rating Relatively Moderate (score 63.2 of 100). Expected Annual Loss $385,000 a year (rating Relatively Moderate). Annualized frequency 8.11 events per year, from recorded occurrences over a period of record of 24 years. FEMA National Risk Index
  20. FEMA National Risk Index (version 1.20, December 2025), hail in Sacramento County: Risk Index rating Relatively Low (score 53.9 of 100). Expected Annual Loss $314,000 a year (rating Relatively Low). Annualized frequency 0.07 events per year, from recorded occurrences over a period of record of 37 years. FEMA National Risk Index
  21. FEMA National Risk Index (version 1.20, December 2025), strong wind in Sacramento County: Risk Index rating Very Low (score 7.6 of 100). Expected Annual Loss $56,000 a year (rating Very Low). Annualized frequency 0.03 events per year, from recorded occurrences over a period of record of 38 years. FEMA National Risk Index
  22. FEMA National Risk Index (version 1.20, December 2025), winter weather in Sacramento County: Risk Index rating Very Low (score 6.5 of 100). Expected Annual Loss $4,766 a year (rating Very Low). Annualized frequency 0.06 events per year, from recorded occurrences over a period of record of 18 years. FEMA National Risk Index
  23. FEMA National Risk Index (version 1.20, December 2025) rates these hazards Not Applicable for Sacramento County: avalanche, 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): 42,334 residential flood insurance contracts were in force in Sacramento County, out of 443,240 residential structures, a penetration rate of 9.6%. Inside FEMA's mapped Special Flood Hazard Area there were 35,666 residential structures and 28,937... 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.