Alameda County, California: hazard risk
FEMA rates Alameda County's overall risk Very High (score 99.8 of 100, higher than 99% of rated U.S. counties); 6 of its 16 hazards are rated Relatively High or Very High, led by earthquake, riverine flooding, landslide. Its storm record holds 746 events since 1950.
FEMA's rating for each hazard
These are FEMA's county-wide model ratings and this county's storm record. They are not an assessment of any property, address or building, and not insurance advice: a property's risk depends on its own elevation, construction and location.
FEMA gives each hazard its own rating, and a rating does not follow the score from one hazard to the next: a hazard with a higher score can carry a lower rating than another. The table sorts by FEMA's rating, then by score (0 to 100, the county against every other county for that hazard).
| Hazard | Risk rating | Score | Expected annual loss |
|---|---|---|---|
| Earthquake | Very High | 100.0 | $1.4B |
| Riverine Flooding | Very High | 99.7 | $491M |
| Landslide | Relatively High | 99.8 | $5.7M |
| Wildfire | Relatively High | 97.7 | $12M |
| Heat Wave | Relatively High | 97.6 | $13M |
| Coastal Flooding | Relatively High | 86.0 | $4.6M |
| Drought | Relatively Moderate | 85.9 | $1.4M |
| Tornado | Relatively Moderate | 65.8 | $2.4M |
| Tsunami | Relatively Low | 60.0 | $3.1M |
| Lightning | Relatively Low | 47.5 | $235K |
| Hail | Relatively Low | 35.8 | $167K |
| Volcanic Activity | Very Low | 78.8 | $348 |
| Strong Wind | Very Low | 11.3 | $94K |
| Avalanche | Very Low | 6.6 | $4 |
| Winter Weather | Very Low | 4.3 | $3K |
| Cold Wave | No Rating | 0.0 | $0 |
Source: FEMA National Risk Index, December 2025 release. A model of future loss, not a count of past events. FEMA's National Risk Index map.
What the record holds
| Hazard | Records | Deaths | Damage | Rank in state | Rank in U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| High wind and dust storms | 394 | 9 | $9.2M | 7th of 57 | 127th of 3,080 |
| Floods | 185 | 1 | $28M | 5th of 57 | 535th of 3,080 |
| Heat | 37 | 2 | $41K | 16th of 57 | 730th of 3,076 |
| Landslides and avalanches | 22 | 0 | $19M | 7th of 57 | 37th of 2,278 |
| Hail | 20 | 0 | $6.0M | 4th of 57 | 2742nd of 3,080 |
| Wildfires | 19 | 0 | $12K | 21st of 57 | 146th of 2,972 |
| Heavy rain | 15 | 2 | $3.9M | 17th of 57 | 568th of 3,080 |
| Severe thunderstorm wind | 7 | 0 | $12K | 11th of 57 | 2855th of 3,080 |
| Winter storms | 7 | 0 | – | 43rd of 57 | 2935th of 3,077 |
| Extreme cold | 6 | 2 | $597K | 35th of 57 | 2232nd of 3,076 |
| Tornadoes | 3 | 0 | $177K | 23rd of 57 | 2681st of 3,080 |
| Rip currents and high surf | 2 | 0 | $66K | 17th of 57 | 163rd of 2,080 |
| Lightning | 2 | 0 | $4K | 15th of 57 | 1681st of 3,080 |
Source: NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database, 1950 to 2026-06-30; damage in 2025 dollars. Search the record at NCEI.
The full Alameda County record: every hazard by year and month, the deadliest events and FEMA's declarations.