Mendocino County, California: hazard risk
FEMA rates Mendocino County's overall risk Relatively High (score 94.3 of 100, higher than 94% of rated U.S. counties); 5 of its 16 hazards are rated Relatively High or Very High, led by landslide, earthquake, wildfire. Its storm record holds 542 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Landslide | Relatively High | 99.6 | $2.2M |
| Earthquake | Relatively High | 98.3 | $47M |
| Wildfire | Relatively High | 97.8 | $8.2M |
| Drought | Relatively High | 97.4 | $3.0M |
| Riverine Flooding | Relatively High | 95.1 | $56M |
| Coastal Flooding | Relatively Low | 54.4 | $196K |
| Heat Wave | Relatively Low | 52.4 | $312K |
| Lightning | Relatively Low | 29.4 | $79K |
| Volcanic Activity | Very Low | 77.2 | $199 |
| Tsunami | Very Low | 32.3 | $264K |
| Avalanche | Very Low | 31.7 | $90 |
| Winter Weather | Very Low | 22.5 | $15K |
| Tornado | Very Low | 10.5 | $54K |
| Hail | Very Low | 8.0 | $17K |
| Strong Wind | Very Low | 1.1 | $2K |
| 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 | 227 | 0 | $20K | 28th of 57 | 2431st of 3,077 |
| High wind and dust storms | 116 | 2 | $1.6M | 54th of 57 | 2033rd of 3,080 |
| Floods | 103 | 1 | $87M | 41st of 57 | 2495th of 3,080 |
| Heavy rain | 56 | 0 | $40M | 34th of 57 | 951st of 3,080 |
| Extreme cold | 7 | 0 | – | 49th of 57 | 2800th of 3,076 |
| Wildfires | 7 | 8 | $66M | 52nd of 57 | 955th of 2,972 |
| Rip currents and high surf | 5 | 3 | $5.2M | 22nd of 57 | 204th of 2,080 |
| Tornadoes | 4 | 0 | $7K | 41st of 57 | 2900th of 3,080 |
| Hail | 3 | 0 | – | 56th of 57 | 3031st of 3,080 |
| Landslides and avalanches | 3 | 0 | $19M | 50th of 57 | 423rd of 2,278 |
| Heat | 2 | 0 | – | 54th of 57 | 2488th of 3,076 |
| Severe thunderstorm wind | 2 | 0 | – | 54th of 57 | 3036th of 3,080 |
| Hurricanes and tropical storms | 1 | 0 | $15K | 11th of 57 | 1085th of 1,849 |
Source: NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database, 1950 to 2026-06-30; damage in 2025 dollars. Search the record at NCEI.
The full Mendocino County record: every hazard by year and month, the deadliest events and FEMA's declarations.