Monterey County, California: hazard risk
FEMA rates Monterey County's overall risk Relatively High (score 98.7 of 100, higher than 98% of rated U.S. counties); 5 of its 15 hazards are rated Relatively High or Very High, led by drought, landslide, earthquake. Its storm record holds 625 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 | $81M |
| Landslide | Relatively High | 99.9 | $4.7M |
| Earthquake | Relatively High | 99.4 | $182M |
| Wildfire | Relatively High | 98.7 | $17M |
| Riverine Flooding | Relatively High | 97.3 | $109M |
| Heat Wave | Relatively Moderate | 95.8 | $6.3M |
| Lightning | Relatively Moderate | 63.7 | $341K |
| Coastal Flooding | Relatively Low | 59.8 | $422K |
| Tornado | Relatively Low | 28.7 | $404K |
| Tsunami | Very Low | 46.2 | $712K |
| Hail | Very Low | 33.5 | $120K |
| Avalanche | Very Low | 30.8 | $101 |
| Strong Wind | Very Low | 11.4 | $75K |
| Winter Weather | Very Low | 5.8 | $4K |
| 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. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| High wind and dust storms | 217 | 6 | $2.2M | 46th of 57 | 1606th of 3,080 |
| Floods | 160 | 1 | $24M | 31st of 57 | 2260th of 3,080 |
| Rip currents and high surf | 42 | 28 | $2.4M | 10th of 57 | 96th of 2,080 |
| Landslides and avalanches | 40 | 0 | $17M | 19th of 57 | 113th of 2,278 |
| Extreme cold | 34 | 0 | $30M | 39th of 57 | 2488th of 3,076 |
| Heat | 27 | 1 | – | 43rd of 57 | 1953rd of 3,076 |
| Wildfires | 24 | 0 | $162M | 43rd of 57 | 399th of 2,972 |
| Hail | 21 | 0 | $142 | 31st of 57 | 2933rd of 3,080 |
| Heavy rain | 18 | 0 | $6K | 48th of 57 | 1582nd of 3,080 |
| Winter storms | 11 | 0 | – | 49th of 57 | 3016th of 3,077 |
| Severe thunderstorm wind | 7 | 0 | $10 | 42nd of 57 | 3008th of 3,080 |
| Tornadoes | 5 | 0 | $1.2M | 40th of 57 | 2892nd of 3,080 |
| Lightning | 3 | 0 | $2K | 28th of 57 | 2271st of 3,080 |
| Hurricanes and tropical storms | 2 | 0 | $167K | 8th of 57 | 1064th 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 Monterey County record: every hazard by year and month, the deadliest events and FEMA's declarations.