Madera County, California: hazard risk
FEMA rates Madera County's overall risk Relatively High (score 96.4 of 100, higher than 96% of rated U.S. counties); 4 of its 14 hazards are rated Relatively High or Very High, led by drought, wildfire, heat wave. Its storm record holds 2,487 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 | 99.9 | $63M |
| Wildfire | Relatively High | 99.4 | $23M |
| Heat Wave | Relatively High | 97.8 | $8.9M |
| Riverine Flooding | Relatively High | 94.0 | $45M |
| Landslide | Relatively Moderate | 97.8 | $353K |
| Earthquake | Relatively Moderate | 96.9 | $20M |
| Hail | Relatively Moderate | 76.4 | $512K |
| Lightning | Relatively Moderate | 72.8 | $382K |
| Winter Weather | Relatively Moderate | 68.0 | $85K |
| Strong Wind | Relatively Low | 20.4 | $130K |
| Volcanic Activity | Very Low | 62.9 | $33 |
| Avalanche | Very Low | 34.5 | $107 |
| Tornado | Very Low | 19.3 | $156K |
| 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 | 733 | 4 | $9.6M | 9th of 57 | 822nd of 3,077 |
| High wind and dust storms | 295 | 1 | $237M | 27th of 57 | 611th of 3,080 |
| Drought | 246 | 0 | – | 21st of 57 | 1310th of 3,063 |
| Extreme cold | 242 | 0 | $541M | 4th of 57 | 203rd of 3,076 |
| Heat | 165 | 32 | $329M | 12th of 57 | 659th of 3,076 |
| Wildfires | 115 | 3 | $65M | 6th of 57 | 40th of 2,972 |
| Floods | 89 | 0 | $18M | 28th of 57 | 2224th of 3,080 |
| Heavy rain | 41 | 0 | $78M | 15th of 57 | 509th of 3,080 |
| Hail | 24 | 0 | $6.3M | 13th of 57 | 2844th of 3,080 |
| Landslides and avalanches | 23 | 0 | $82K | 15th of 57 | 93rd of 2,278 |
| Severe thunderstorm wind | 17 | 0 | $13M | 13th of 57 | 2883rd of 3,080 |
| Tornadoes | 11 | 0 | $366K | 15th of 57 | 2620th of 3,080 |
| Lightning | 7 | 0 | $6K | 12th of 57 | 1559th 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 Madera County record: every hazard by year and month, the deadliest events and FEMA's declarations.