Los Angeles County, California
County storm and disaster record · FIPS 06037 · population 10,005,712 · 4,060 sq mi
NOAA's Storm Events Database holds 1,395 records for Los Angeles County, California from 1950 through June 30, 2026, on 668 days; the most frequent are high wind and dust records (600 records). 880 of them are forecast-zone records, which the National Weather Service files once per zone: a county covered by several zones receives each one, so a single storm can add several records on the same day. NOAA records 250 flood or flash floods there since 1998, with 7 deaths; its 9,104 flood insurance claims since 1978 (OpenFEMA) rank 59th of 2,942 U.S. counties. The deadliest day on its record was January 7, 2025: wildfire records filed for Los Angeles County that day count 29 deaths across 4 records. FEMA has issued 88 declarations naming the county since 1969, 86 of them for natural hazards; the latest for a natural hazard was “Canyon Fire” on August 8, 2025.
The record, 1950 to 2026
Storm records filed for the county each year (2026 to June 30, 2026). Before 1996 NOAA recorded only tornadoes (from 1950), thunderstorm wind and hail (from 1955).
- recorded, no damage figure
- under $100,000
- $100,000 or more
- $1 million or more
- $10 million or more, or a death
- $100 million or more, or 10 deaths
- a year's colour: its recorded damage or deaths
- a year with a death
- 1955: wind and hail recorded from 1955
- 1996: all 48 event types from 1996
- Storm records
- 1,395on 668 days, 1950 to June 30, 2026
- Deaths recorded
- 84255 injuries
- Damage, 2025 dollars
- $407Mas filed (scale steps before 1993)
- Tornadoes
- 50strongest F2
- FEMA declarations
- 88latest 2025
Source: NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database, records through June 30, 2026 (file revision 20260918); damage converted to 2025 dollars with the BLS CPI-U. Search the record at NCEI. BLS consumer price index.
What hazards hit Los Angeles County most?
The most frequent records are high wind and dust records: 600 since 1996. 41% of its high wind and dust records since 1996 fell in December and January. The rank column places the county among California's counties by days with a record per 1,000 square miles of land over each hazard's complete period.
| Hazard | Records | Days | First, last | Killed | Injured | Damage | Rank in state |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| High wind and dust storms | 600 | 297 | 1996-2026 | 5 | 12 | $71K | 25 of 57 |
| Floods | 250 | 128 | 1998-2026 | 7 | 5 | $6.3M | 21 of 57 |
| Winter storms | 144 | 105 | 1996-2026 | 3 | 0 | – | 29 of 57 |
| Severe thunderstorm wind | 105 | 55 | 1957-2026 | 0 | 11 | $120K | 6 of 57 |
| Wildfires | 76 | 57 | 1996-2025 | 35 | 84 | $144M | 32 of 57 |
| Tornadoes | 50 | 43 | 1952-2025 | 0 | 46 | $182M | 6 of 57 |
| Rip currents and high surf | 35 | 35 | 1997-2016 | 10 | 9 | $50M | 12 of 57 |
| Hail | 30 | 23 | 1959-2024 | 0 | 0 | $5.6M | 22 of 57 |
| Landslides and avalanches | 28 | 15 | 2004-2026 | 3 | 3 | – | 25 of 57 |
| Heat | 27 | 8 | 1997-2008 | 18 | 0 | – | 48 of 57 |
| Fog, smoke and funnel clouds | 16 | 13 | 1996-2018 | 0 | 41 | – | 44 of 57 |
| Heavy rain | 14 | 10 | 1996-2005 | 0 | 4 | $7.6M | 51 of 57 |
| Lightning | 10 | 9 | 1996-2022 | 3 | 13 | – | 18 of 57 |
| Hurricanes and tropical storms | 6 | 2 | 1997-1997 | 0 | 27 | – | 10 of 57 |
| Extreme cold | 4 | 2 | 1998-2007 | 0 | 0 | $12M | 54 of 57 |
Source: NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database (county and forecast-zone records attributed to the county; a zone record shows its own totals on each county it covers). Days: dates with at least one record of the hazard in the county. Ranks: days with a record per 1,000 square miles of land (Census Bureau 2024 Gazetteer), since 1950 for tornadoes, 1955 for hail and thunderstorm wind, 1996 for the rest.
How many tornadoes has Los Angeles County had?
NOAA records 50 tornadoes in Los Angeles County from 1952 to 2025, the strongest rated F2, with 0 deaths and 46 injuries recorded in the county. That is 6th of 57 California counties by days with tornadoes per 1,000 square miles since 1950. A tornado that crossed a county line is counted in each county it touched, with the length of its path inside the county.
Counted as whole tornadoes rather than county records, the Storm Prediction Center's database holds 49 tornadoes whose track touched Los Angeles County since 1950 (NOAA's county records number 50: they file a crossing tornado once per county segment, and the two databases differ on some tracks); along their whole tracks they killed 0 people.
Map of the strongest tornado tracks in California.
Every tornado record filed for Los Angeles County (50)
| Date | Place | Character | Killed | Injured | Damage |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025-03-13 | Pico, Los Angeles County | EF0 0.97 mi x 80 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2023-05-04 | Compton, Los Angeles County | EF0 0.73 mi x 15 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2023-05-04 | Compton Municipal Airport, Los Angeles County | EF0 0.06 mi x 15 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2023-03-22 | East Los Angeles, Los Angeles County | EF1 0.47 mi x 50 yd | 0 | 1 | – |
| 2023-02-23 | Cerritos, Los Angeles County | EF0 0.07 mi x 15 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2021-09-09 | Llano, Los Angeles County | EF0 1.79 mi x 9 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2014-12-12 | View Park, Los Angeles County | EF0 0.73 mi x 10 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2007-09-01 | Wm Fox Field Lanc, Los Angeles County | EF0 0.05 mi x 10 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2005-08-15 | Palmdale Airport, Los Angeles County | F0 0.1 mi x 33 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2004-12-29 | Whittier, Los Angeles County | F0 0.5 mi x 5 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2004-12-29 | Inglewood, Los Angeles County | F0 0.5 mi x 5 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2004-12-28 | Long Beach, Los Angeles County | F0 1 mi x 5 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2001-12-21 | Walnut, Los Angeles County | F0 0.1 mi x 10 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2000-08-28 | Little Rock, Los Angeles County | F0 0.1 mi x 2 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2000-02-16 | Covina, Los Angeles County | F0 0.5 mi x 10 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 1999-04-01 | Chatsworth, Los Angeles County | F0 0.1 mi x 5 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 1998-01-09 | Long Beach, Los Angeles County | F1 1.5 mi x 10 yd | 0 | 1 | – |
| 1997-07-21 | Palmdale, Los Angeles County | F0 0.1 mi x 5 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 1995-06-16 | Whittier, Los Angeles County | F0 0.1 mi x 10 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 1994-02-07 | Sun Valley, Los Angeles County | F0 0.1 mi x 10 yd | 0 | 0 | $100K |
| 1993-01-17 | Los Angeles County | F0 0.75 mi x 50 yd | 0 | 0 | $102K |
| 1993-01-14 | Los Angeles County | F1 2 mi x 33 yd | 0 | 0 | $1.0M |
| 1992-03-20 | Los Angeles County | F1 0.2 mi x 20 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 1991-03-19 | Los Angeles County | F0 0.5 mi x 50 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 1990-01-16 | Los Angeles County | F0 0.2 mi x 33 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 1987-06-05 | Los Angeles County | F0 0.2 mi x 20 yd | 0 | 0 | $25M step |
| 1984-05-30 | Los Angeles County | F0 0.3 mi x 70 yd | 0 | 0 | $30 step |
| 1983-10-01 | Los Angeles County | F1 0.3 mi x 100 yd | 0 | 3 | $3K step |
| 1983-09-30 | Los Angeles County | F0 0.3 mi x 100 yd | 0 | 0 | $250K step |
| 1983-03-01 | Los Angeles County | F0 0.2 mi x 100 yd | 0 | 0 | $250 step |
| 1983-03-01 | Los Angeles County | F2 3.5 mi x 100 yd | 0 | 30 | $25M step |
| 1982-11-09 | Los Angeles County | F2 10 mi x 1,300 yd | 0 | 0 | $2.5M step |
| 1982-11-09 | Los Angeles County | F0 0.1 mi x 20 yd | 0 | 0 | $3K step |
| 1982-11-09 | Los Angeles County | F2 1 mi x 150 yd | 0 | 0 | $2.5M step |
| 1982-11-09 | Los Angeles County | F1 0.2 mi x 20 yd | 0 | 0 | $25K step |
| 1982-03-29 | Los Angeles County | F1 2 mi x 67 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 1980-01-28 | Los Angeles County | F0 0.4 mi x 10 yd | 0 | 0 | $3K step |
| 1979-01-31 | Los Angeles County | 0 | 0 | $2.5M step | |
| 1978-02-10 | Los Angeles County | 0 | 0 | – | |
| 1978-01-04 | Los Angeles County | 0 | 0 | $30 step | |
| 1977-05-08 | Los Angeles County | 0 | 0 | $2.5M step | |
| 1967-04-18 | Los Angeles County | F0 0.3 mi x 33 yd | 0 | 0 | $3K step |
| 1966-11-07 | Los Angeles County | F2 10.3 mi x 50 yd | 0 | 10 | $250K step |
| 1966-11-07 | Los Angeles County | F2 0.1 mi x 33 yd | 0 | 0 | $3K step |
| 1964-11-09 | Los Angeles County | F1 1 mi x 7 yd | 0 | 0 | $3K step |
| 1962-05-14 | Los Angeles County | F1 | 0 | 0 | $25K step |
| 1962-02-19 | Los Angeles County | F1 0.6 mi x 250 yd | 0 | 0 | $3K step |
| 1956-05-09 | Los Angeles County | F0 0.1 mi x 17 yd | 0 | 1 | $25K step |
| 1955-01-18 | Los Angeles County | 0 | 0 | $3K step | |
| 1952-12-20 | Los Angeles County | 0 | 0 | – |
A damage figure marked "step" is a record from before 1993: NOAA then filed damage by category, and the figure is the category as entered, in the dollars of that year, not an estimate of the loss.
Source: NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database, tornado records by county (path length in the county, maximum width); ratings as published: F scale before February 1, 2007, EF scale after. Whole-track figures: NOAA Storm Prediction Center tornado database (1950-2025). SPC severe weather database.
When was the last damaging storm in Los Angeles County?
The most recent record with damage, injuries or deaths is the October 14, 2025 thunderstorm wind ($1,000 in damage in 2025 dollars).
| Date | Record | Character | Killed | Injured | Damage |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026-05-16 | High WindLos Angeles County · forecast zone Northwestern Los Angeles County Mountains Including The Interstate 5 Corridor | 52 kt wind | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2026-05-16 | High WindLos Angeles County · forecast zone Western Antelope Valley Foothills | 56 kt wind | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2026-04-03 | High WindLos Angeles County · forecast zone Western San Gabriel Mountains Including The Highway 14 Corridor | 61 kt wind | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2026-04-03 | High WindLos Angeles County and Ventura County · forecast zone Santa Susana Mountains | 66 kt wind | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2026-03-05 | High WindLos Angeles County · forecast zone Est Santa Monica Mountains | 57 kt wind | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2026-03-05 | High WindLos Angeles County · forecast zone Western San Gabriel Mountains Including The Highway 14 Corridor | 57 kt wind | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2026-03-05 | High WindLos Angeles County and Ventura County · forecast zone Santa Susana Mountains | 63 kt wind | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2026-03-04 | High WindLos Angeles County · forecast zone Northwestern Los Angeles County Mountains Including The Interstate 5 Corridor | 61 kt wind | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2026-02-18 | Thunderstorm WindSanta Catalina, Los Angeles County | 51 kt wind | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2026-02-18 | Thunderstorm WindSanta Catalina, Los Angeles County | 55 kt wind | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2026-02-18 | Thunderstorm WindAvalon Catalina Airport, Los Angeles County | 55 kt wind | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2026-02-18 | Thunderstorm WindMt Wilson, Los Angeles County | 68 kt wind | 0 | 0 | – |
Source: NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database; every record of 2025-2026 is listed, earlier ones when they caused deaths, injuries or $250,000 of damage (2025 dollars), and every tornado.
The deadliest and costliest records
| Date | Record | Character | Killed | Injured | Damage |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025-01-07 | WildfireLos Angeles County · forecast zone Est San Gabriel Mountains The Eaton Fire burned 14,021 acres across the San Gabriel Valley and the adjacent foothills. he wildfire ignited during an extreme fire weather event with PDS Red Flag Warnings in effect. The combination of wind gusts in excess of 80 MPH and critically dry vegetation allowed the fire to grow explosively. The fire ... | 17 | 9 | – | |
| 2025-01-07 | WildfireLos Angeles County · forecast zone Los Angeles County San Gabriel Valley The Eaton Fire burned 14,021 acres across the San Gabriel Valley and the adjacent foothills. he wildfire ignited during an extreme fire weather event with PDS Red Flag Warnings in effect. The combination of wind gusts in excess of 80 MPH and critically dry vegetation allowed the fire to grow explosively. The fire ... | 17 | 9 | – | |
| 2025-01-07 | WildfireLos Angeles County · forecast zone Malibu Coast The Palisades Fire burned 23,707 acres across the Santa Monica Mountains and the Malibu coastal strip. The wildfire ignited during an extreme fire weather event with PDS Red Flag Warnings in effect. The combination of wind gusts in excess of 80 MPH and critically dry vegetation allowed the fire to grow explosively. ... | 12 | 4 | – | |
| 2025-01-07 | WildfireLos Angeles County · forecast zone Est Santa Monica Mountains The Palisades Fire burned 23,707 acres across the Santa Monica Mountains and the Malibu coastal strip. The wildfire ignited during an extreme fire weather event with PDS Red Flag Warnings in effect. The combination of wind gusts in excess of 80 MPH and critically dry vegetation allowed the fire to grow explosively. ... | 12 | 4 | – | |
| 2007-09-01 | Excessive HeatLos Angeles County · forecast zone Los Angeles County Valleys The combination of above normal temperatures and relative humidity produced excessive heat conditions across the lower valleys of Los Angeles county. Heat index values between 105 and 112 were reported. | 10 | 0 | – | |
| 2007-09-03 | Excessive HeatLos Angeles County · forecast zone Los Angeles County Coasts Including Downtown Los Angeles The combination of above normal temperatures and relative humidity produced excessive heat across the coastal plain of Los Angeles county. Heat index values between 105 and 112 degrees were reported. | 8 | 0 | – | |
| 2008-01-25 | AvalancheLos Angeles County · forecast zone Los Angeles County Mountains Excluding The Santa Monica Range Several avalanches occurred near the Mountain High Ski Resort in the San Gabriel Mountains of Los Angeles county. Three male skiers died as a result of the avalanches. | 3 | 3 | – | |
| 2018-11-08 | WildfireLos Angeles County · forecast zone Los Angeles County Coasts Including Downtown Los Angeles The Woolsey Fire burned 96,949 across in Ventura and Los Angeles county. The fire ignited during a strong Santa Ana wind event. Gusty north to northeast winds (in excess of 60 MPH) and very dry conditions allowed the fire to spread very quickly. In total, the Woolsey Fire destroyed 1,643 structures (including 400 ... | 3 | 0 | – |
| Date | Record | Character | Killed | Injured | Damage |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2007-01-08 | WildfireLos Angeles County · forecast zone Santa Monica Mountains Recreation Area | 0 | 0 | $85M | |
| 2014-08-26 | High SurfLos Angeles County · forecast zone Los Angeles County Coasts Including Downtown Los Angeles | 0 | 1 | $50M | |
| 2002-09-22 | WildfireAzusa, Los Angeles County | 0 | 14 | $25M | |
| 2002-09-01 | WildfireAzusa, Los Angeles County | 0 | 14 | $21M | |
| 2007-01-13 | Frost/FreezeLos Angeles County · forecast zone Los Angeles County Valleys | 0 | 0 | $8.5M | |
| 2003-11-12 | HailCompton, Los Angeles County | 0.50 in hail | 0 | 0 | $5.6M |
| 2008-11-14 | WildfireLos Angeles County · forecast zone Los Angeles County San Fernando Valley | 0 | 0 | $4.8M | |
| 2007-05-10 | WildfireLos Angeles County · forecast zone Catalina Island | 0 | 1 | $4.7M |
Before 1993 NOAA filed damage by category, not amount, so the list above starts in 1993. The highest category filed here before then (entered as $25M, in the dollars of the day) holds: March 1, 1983 (tornado, Los Angeles County); June 5, 1987 (tornado, Los Angeles County).
Source: NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database: deaths and injuries direct and indirect; damage is property plus crops as estimated by the National Weather Service, converted to 2025 dollars.
Is it getting more frequent?
Records per decade for Los Angeles County's most frequent hazards. Counts rose everywhere after 1996, when NOAA began recording every event type, so compare decades within a hazard's complete period only (the shaded cells come before it).
| Hazard | 1950s | 1960s | 1970s | 1980s | 1990s | 2000s | 2010s | 2020-26 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| High wind and dust storms | – | – | – | – | 80 | 122 | 188 | 210 |
| Floods | – | – | – | – | 20 | 69 | 66 | 95 |
| Winter storms | – | – | – | – | 49 | 39 | 30 | 26 |
| Severe thunderstorm wind | 4 | 2 | 3 | 9 | 16 | 16 | 9 | 46 |
| Wildfires | – | – | – | – | 8 | 30 | 22 | 16 |
| Tornadoes | 3 | 6 | 4 | 12 | 10 | 8 | 1 | 6 |
Source: NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database, records per calendar decade; zone records from the CZ_TYPE field (Z).
What time of year?
41% of its high wind and dust records since 1996 fell in December and January. The two busiest months are in violet.
The values, month by month
Jan 243 · Feb 268 · Mar 140 · Apr 74 · May 45 · Jun 26 · Jul 61 · Aug 69 · Sep 59 · Oct 110 · Nov 127 · Dec 173 (records).
Source: NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database, records by the month they began.
Federal disaster declarations for Los Angeles County
FEMA's register lists 88 declarations that include Los Angeles County: 35 major disasters, 9 emergencies and 44 fire management assistance declarations. Most were for fire (61) and flood (10).
| Declared | Number | Type | Title |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2025-08-08 | FM-5605 | Fire | Canyon Fire |
| 2025-01-08 | DR-4856 | Fire | Wildfires and Straight-Line Winds |
| 2025-01-08 | FM-5550 | Fire | Eaton Fire |
| 2025-01-08 | FM-5551 | Fire | Hurst Fire |
| 2025-01-07 | FM-5549 | Fire | Palisades Fire |
| 2024-12-10 | FM-5548 | Fire | Franklin Fire |
| 2024-09-11 | FM-5537 | Fire | Bridge Fire |
| 2024-04-13 | DR-4769 | Severe Storm | Severe Winter Storms, Tornadoes, Flooding, Landslides, and Mudslides |
| 2023-04-03 | DR-4699 | Severe Storm | Severe Winter Storms, Straight-Line Winds, Flooding, Landslides, and Mudslides |
| 2023-03-10 | EM-3592 | Flood | Severe Winter Storms, Flooding, Landslides, and Mudslides |
| 2023-01-14 | DR-4683 | Flood | Severe Winter Storms, Flooding, Landslides, and Mudslides |
| 2023-01-09 | EM-3591 | Flood | Severe Winter Storms, Flooding, and Mudslides |
| 2020-10-16 | DR-4569 | Fire | Wildfires |
| 2020-09-13 | FM-5374 | Fire | Bobcat Fire |
| 2020-03-22 | DR-4482 | Biological | Covid-19 Pandemic |
| 2020-03-13 | EM-3428 | Biological | Covid-19 |
| 2019-10-28 | FM-5297 | Fire | Getty Fire |
| 2019-10-24 | FM-5296 | Fire | Tick Fire |
| 2019-10-11 | FM-5293 | Fire | Saddleridge Fire |
| 2018-11-12 | DR-4407 | Fire | Wildfires |
| 2018-11-09 | EM-3409 | Fire | Wildfires |
| 2018-11-09 | FM-5280 | Fire | Woolsey Fire |
| 2018-01-02 | DR-4353 | Fire | Wildfires, Flooding, Mudflows, and Debris Flows |
| 2017-12-08 | EM-3396 | Fire | Wildfires |
| 2017-12-06 | FM-5227 | Fire | Skirball Fire |
| 2017-12-05 | FM-5225 | Fire | Creek Fire |
| 2017-12-05 | FM-5226 | Fire | Rye Fire |
| 2017-09-02 | FM-5201 | Fire | La Tuna Fire |
| 2017-03-16 | DR-4305 | Flood | Severe Winter Storms, Flooding, and Mudslides |
| 2016-07-23 | FM-5135 | Fire | Sand Fire |
| 2016-07-09 | FM-5132 | Fire | Sage Fire |
| 2016-06-21 | FM-5129 | Fire | Fish Fire |
| 2016-06-05 | FM-5124 | Fire | Old Fire |
| 2014-01-16 | FM-5051 | Fire | Colby Fire |
| 2013-06-02 | FM-5025 | Fire | Powerhouse Fire |
| 2010-07-30 | FM-2851 | Fire | Crown Fire |
| 2010-03-08 | DR-1884 | Severe Storm | Severe Winter Storms, Flooding, and Debris and Mud Flows |
| 2009-08-28 | FM-2828 | Fire | Pv Fire |
| 2009-08-28 | FM-2830 | Fire | Station Fire |
| 2008-11-18 | DR-1810 | Fire | Wildfires |
The 40 most recent of 88 are listed; the CSV has every one.
Source: FEMA OpenFEMA Disaster Declarations Summaries (v2), declarations through October 2, 2026; one declaration is counted once however many areas it names. OpenFEMA dataset page.
How many floods has Los Angeles County had?
NOAA's Storm Events Database holds 250 flood or flash flood records for Los Angeles County from 1998 to 2026, on 128 days, with 7 deaths. By flood insurance claims since 1978 (OpenFEMA, as of September 8, 2026), Los Angeles County ranks 59th of 2,942 U.S. counties. The 100 counties with the most claims
The National Flood Insurance Program has paid $72.4 million on 9,104 claims filed in Los Angeles County; the most in one year was 1,399 in 1998. Claims count insured losses only: uninsured flood damage is not in this file.
The values, year by year
1978: 401 · 1979: 160 · 1980: 1,276 · 1981: 96 · 1982: 135 · 1983: 1,115 · 1984: 37 · 1985: 32 · 1986: 80 · 1987: 49 · 1988: 263 · 1989: 4 · 1990: 11 · 1991: 84 · 1992: 368 · 1993: 353 · 1994: 81 · 1995: 643 · 1996: 43 · 1997: 79 · 1998: 1,399 · 1999: 39 · 2000: 126 · 2001: 198 · 2002: 31 · 2003: 56 · 2004: 98 · 2005: 413 · 2006: 14 · 2007: 6 · 2008: 53 · 2009: 30 · 2010: 200 · 2011: 83 · 2012: 16 · 2013: 10 · 2014: 98 · 2015: 33 · 2016: 63 · 2017: 220 · 2018: 43 · 2019: 86 · 2020: 15 · 2021: 35 · 2022: 24 · 2023: 187 · 2024: 158 · 2025: 46 · 2026: 14.
Source: FEMA OpenFEMA NFIP Redacted Claims, as of September 8, 2026; claims by year of loss, payments in the dollars of the year paid. OpenFEMA dataset page.
FEMA's modeled risk for Los Angeles County
FEMA's National Risk Index rates Los Angeles County Very High overall, with an expected annual loss of $7.6 billion. These are FEMA's model estimates of future loss from 18 hazards, not a count of what happened; they can differ from the record above.
| Hazard | Risk rating | Expected annual loss | Modeled frequency |
|---|---|---|---|
| Earthquake | Very High | $4.6B | once in about 11 years (modeled) |
| Riverine Flooding | Very High | $2.8B | 4 a year (modeled) |
| Wildfire | Very High | $155M | once in about 120 years (modeled) |
| Lightning | Very High | $2.1M | 8.4 a year (modeled) |
| Heat Wave | Relatively High | $37M | 9.5 modeled event-days a year |
| Landslide | Relatively High | $1.5M | 79 a year (modeled) |
| Tornado | Relatively High | $18M | once in about 2 years (modeled) |
| Avalanche | Relatively High | $1.8M | once in about 8 years (modeled) |
Source: FEMA National Risk Index, county table, December 2025 release. FEMA's National Risk Index map.
Counties that share a border with Los Angeles County
Source: U.S. Census Bureau county adjacency file; NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database, records since 1950. The Census Bureau's adjacency file.
Next
- Tornadoes in CaliforniaEvery California tornado since 1950 and the counties with the most per square mile
- High wind and dust storms in CaliforniaThe state's high wind and dust records, by county, year and month
- The California recordEvery hazard in the state, its deadliest events and its federal declarations
- FEMA's risk rating for each hazard in Los Angeles CountyThe hazard risk calculator: 18 hazards beside the county's record
- Download Los Angeles County's FEMA declarations (CSV)88 rows: every declaration that named the county, for your own analysis