Alpine County, California: hazard risk
FEMA rates Alpine County's overall risk Very Low (score 10.6 of 100, higher than 10% of rated U.S. counties); 1 of its 14 hazards are rated Relatively High or Very High, led by avalanche. Its storm record holds 1,669 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Avalanche | Relatively High | 91.1 | $1.8M |
| Wildfire | Relatively Moderate | 89.1 | $1.2M |
| Landslide | Relatively Low | 66.5 | $4K |
| Winter Weather | Relatively Low | 49.9 | $61K |
| Earthquake | Very Low | 53.0 | $309K |
| Volcanic Activity | Very Low | 15.3 | $0 |
| Riverine Flooding | Very Low | 11.2 | $1.4M |
| Heat Wave | Very Low | 4.6 | $5K |
| Strong Wind | Very Low | 3.6 | $20K |
| Lightning | Very Low | 3.1 | $10K |
| Hail | Very Low | 1.3 | $1K |
| Tornado | Very Low | 1.1 | $197 |
| Cold Wave | No Rating | 0.0 | $0 |
| Drought | 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. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Winter storms | 1,274 | 18 | $1.9M | 1st of 57 | 27th of 3,077 |
| High wind and dust storms | 247 | 2 | $6.4M | 5th of 57 | 94th of 3,080 |
| Landslides and avalanches | 35 | 19 | $3K | 4th of 57 | 19th of 2,278 |
| Drought | 31 | 0 | – | 10th of 57 | 1100th of 3,063 |
| Heavy rain | 26 | 0 | $798K | 10th of 57 | 363rd of 3,080 |
| Wildfires | 25 | 2 | $712M | 10th of 57 | 59th of 2,972 |
| Heat | 6 | 0 | – | 38th of 57 | 1609th of 3,076 |
| Extreme cold | 5 | 7 | – | 33rd of 57 | 2102nd of 3,076 |
| Hail | 5 | 0 | $6K | 24th of 57 | 2892nd of 3,080 |
| Floods | 4 | 0 | $1.5M | 54th of 57 | 2951st of 3,080 |
| Rip currents and high surf | 2 | 0 | – | 24th of 57 | 211th of 2,080 |
| Severe thunderstorm wind | 1 | 0 | – | 46th of 57 | 3022nd 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 Alpine County record: every hazard by year and month, the deadliest events and FEMA's declarations.