Del Norte County, California: hazard risk
FEMA rates Del Norte County's overall risk Relatively High (score 94.4 of 100, higher than 94% of rated U.S. counties); 2 of its 15 hazards are rated Relatively High or Very High, led by tsunami, landslide. Its storm record holds 351 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Tsunami | Very High | 98.5 | $114M |
| Landslide | Relatively High | 98.6 | $847K |
| Earthquake | Relatively Moderate | 94.2 | $11M |
| Riverine Flooding | Relatively Moderate | 77.8 | $16M |
| Wildfire | Relatively Low | 85.7 | $650K |
| Drought | Relatively Low | 40.0 | $58K |
| Coastal Flooding | Very Low | 42.4 | $25K |
| Avalanche | Very Low | 40.1 | $229 |
| Heat Wave | Very Low | 14.9 | $31K |
| Lightning | Very Low | 12.4 | $38K |
| Winter Weather | Very Low | 9.6 | $6K |
| Hail | Very Low | 4.4 | $9K |
| Strong Wind | Very Low | 3.8 | $20K |
| Tornado | Very Low | 3.3 | $8K |
| 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 | 148 | 1 | $7.8M | 18th of 57 | 335th of 3,080 |
| Winter storms | 93 | 0 | – | 16th of 57 | 1902nd of 3,077 |
| Floods | 33 | 0 | $99M | 26th of 57 | 2151st of 3,080 |
| Rip currents and high surf | 20 | 19 | $29M | 6th of 57 | 74th of 2,080 |
| Heavy rain | 19 | 0 | $8.2M | 16th of 57 | 548th of 3,080 |
| Tornadoes | 6 | 0 | $63K | 16th of 57 | 2630th of 3,080 |
| Extreme cold | 5 | 0 | – | 40th of 57 | 2546th of 3,076 |
| Wildfires | 5 | 0 | $2.2M | 46th of 57 | 516th of 2,972 |
| Hurricanes and tropical storms | 4 | 0 | $2.6M | 4th of 57 | 767th of 1,849 |
| Landslides and avalanches | 4 | 0 | $26M | 30th of 57 | 214th of 2,278 |
| Hail | 3 | 0 | $5K | 40th of 57 | 2965th of 3,080 |
| Severe thunderstorm wind | 3 | 0 | – | 33rd of 57 | 2986th of 3,080 |
| Heat | 1 | 0 | – | 51st of 57 | 2354th of 3,076 |
Source: NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database, 1950 to 2026-06-30; damage in 2025 dollars. Search the record at NCEI.
The full Del Norte County record: every hazard by year and month, the deadliest events and FEMA's declarations.