Kern County, California: hazard risk
FEMA rates Kern County's overall risk Relatively High (score 98.9 of 100, higher than 98% of rated U.S. counties); 7 of its 14 hazards are rated Relatively High or Very High, led by wildfire, heat wave, earthquake. Its storm record holds 5,583 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Wildfire | Relatively High | 99.7 | $38M |
| Heat Wave | Relatively High | 99.5 | $43M |
| Earthquake | Relatively High | 99.4 | $184M |
| Landslide | Relatively High | 98.5 | $758K |
| Riverine Flooding | Relatively High | 98.5 | $147M |
| Drought | Relatively High | 94.5 | $2.0M |
| Lightning | Relatively High | 85.0 | $761K |
| Winter Weather | Relatively Moderate | 82.2 | $190K |
| Hail | Relatively Low | 67.7 | $414K |
| Strong Wind | Relatively Low | 46.0 | $399K |
| Volcanic Activity | Very Low | 59.6 | $25 |
| Avalanche | Very Low | 46.8 | $336 |
| Tornado | Very Low | 19.8 | $186K |
| Cold Wave | Very Low | 3.9 | $5K |
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 | 2,219 | 9 | $24M | 21st of 57 | 393rd of 3,080 |
| Drought | 544 | 0 | – | 29th of 57 | 2064th of 3,063 |
| Heat | 498 | 20 | $389M | 33rd of 57 | 1263rd of 3,076 |
| Extreme cold | 475 | 1 | $1.3B | 17th of 57 | 956th of 3,076 |
| Floods | 472 | 0 | $56M | 32nd of 57 | 2266th of 3,080 |
| Winter storms | 267 | 3 | $1.1M | 30th of 57 | 2665th of 3,077 |
| Heavy rain | 115 | 1 | $62M | 29th of 57 | 888th of 3,080 |
| Wildfires | 81 | 4 | $51M | 39th of 57 | 299th of 2,972 |
| Severe thunderstorm wind | 58 | 1 | $1.0M | 22nd of 57 | 2936th of 3,080 |
| Landslides and avalanches | 57 | 0 | $263K | 22nd of 57 | 171st of 2,278 |
| Hail | 41 | 0 | $59K | 34th of 57 | 2950th of 3,080 |
| Lightning | 41 | 1 | $596K | 11th of 57 | 1447th of 3,080 |
| Tornadoes | 16 | 0 | $832K | 33rd of 57 | 2821st 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 Kern County record: every hazard by year and month, the deadliest events and FEMA's declarations.