Fresno County, California: hazard risk
FEMA rates Fresno County's overall risk Relatively High (score 99.3 of 100, higher than 99% of rated U.S. counties); 8 of its 14 hazards are rated Relatively High or Very High, led by drought, earthquake, riverine flooding. Its storm record holds 4,725 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Drought | Very High | 100.0 | $223M |
| Earthquake | Relatively High | 99.2 | $136M |
| Riverine Flooding | Relatively High | 98.7 | $166M |
| Wildfire | Relatively High | 98.4 | $14M |
| Landslide | Relatively High | 98.1 | $519K |
| Heat Wave | Relatively High | 97.9 | $12M |
| Hail | Relatively High | 95.5 | $2.7M |
| Lightning | Relatively High | 84.7 | $761K |
| Tornado | Relatively Low | 57.1 | $1.3M |
| Avalanche | Very Low | 54.5 | $690 |
| Volcanic Activity | Very Low | 54.1 | $14 |
| Winter Weather | Very Low | 17.7 | $13K |
| Strong Wind | Very Low | 15.6 | $110K |
| 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. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Winter storms | 838 | 5 | $13M | 19th of 57 | 2063rd of 3,077 |
| Extreme cold | 533 | 0 | $582M | 10th of 57 | 771st of 3,076 |
| High wind and dust storms | 486 | 1 | $242M | 38th of 57 | 1259th of 3,080 |
| Drought | 445 | 0 | – | 27th of 57 | 1945th of 3,063 |
| Heat | 419 | 35 | $336M | 32nd of 57 | 1194th of 3,076 |
| Floods | 358 | 2 | $9.6M | 33rd of 57 | 2268th of 3,080 |
| Wildfires | 139 | 4 | $77M | 23rd of 57 | 163rd of 2,972 |
| Heavy rain | 111 | 2 | $108M | 22nd of 57 | 682nd of 3,080 |
| Hail | 85 | 0 | $265M | 15th of 57 | 2853rd of 3,080 |
| Severe thunderstorm wind | 82 | 1 | $89M | 18th of 57 | 2902nd of 3,080 |
| Landslides and avalanches | 57 | 0 | $77K | 21st of 57 | 139th of 2,278 |
| Lightning | 37 | 1 | $4.6M | 4th of 57 | 1237th of 3,080 |
| Tornadoes | 31 | 0 | $11M | 19th of 57 | 2646th 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 Fresno County record: every hazard by year and month, the deadliest events and FEMA's declarations.