Los Angeles County, California: hazard risk
FEMA rates Los Angeles County's overall risk Very High (score 100.0 of 100, higher than 99% of rated U.S. counties); 9 of its 16 hazards are rated Relatively High or Very High, led by earthquake, riverine flooding, wildfire. Its storm record holds 1,395 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 | $4.6B |
| Riverine Flooding | Very High | 100.0 | $2.8B |
| Wildfire | Very High | 99.9 | $155M |
| Lightning | Very High | 96.9 | $2.1M |
| Heat Wave | Relatively High | 99.3 | $37M |
| Landslide | Relatively High | 99.3 | $1.5M |
| Tornado | Relatively High | 97.7 | $18M |
| Avalanche | Relatively High | 92.4 | $1.8M |
| Coastal Flooding | Relatively High | 90.0 | $5.2M |
| Hail | Relatively Moderate | 93.0 | $2.0M |
| Strong Wind | Relatively Moderate | 75.2 | $971K |
| Winter Weather | Relatively Moderate | 74.8 | $142K |
| Tsunami | Relatively Low | 64.6 | $3.3M |
| Drought | Relatively Low | 43.5 | $80K |
| Cold Wave | Very Low | 5.8 | $24K |
| Hurricane | 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 | 600 | 5 | $71K | 25th of 57 | 546th of 3,080 |
| Floods | 250 | 7 | $6.3M | 21st of 57 | 1974th of 3,080 |
| Winter storms | 144 | 3 | – | 29th of 57 | 2593rd of 3,077 |
| Severe thunderstorm wind | 105 | 0 | $120K | 6th of 57 | 2816th of 3,080 |
| Wildfires | 76 | 35 | $144M | 32nd of 57 | 209th of 2,972 |
| Tornadoes | 50 | 0 | $182M | 6th of 57 | 2395th of 3,080 |
| Rip currents and high surf | 35 | 10 | $50M | 12th of 57 | 114th of 2,080 |
| Hail | 30 | 0 | $5.6M | 22nd of 57 | 2886th of 3,080 |
| Landslides and avalanches | 28 | 3 | – | 25th of 57 | 187th of 2,278 |
| Heat | 27 | 18 | – | 48th of 57 | 2201st of 3,076 |
| Heavy rain | 14 | 0 | $7.6M | 51st of 57 | 1773rd of 3,080 |
| Lightning | 10 | 3 | – | 18th of 57 | 1848th of 3,080 |
| Hurricanes and tropical storms | 6 | 0 | – | 10th of 57 | 1075th of 1,849 |
| Extreme cold | 4 | 0 | $12M | 54th of 57 | 2849th 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 Los Angeles County record: every hazard by year and month, the deadliest events and FEMA's declarations.