Nevada County, California: hazard risk
FEMA rates Nevada County's overall risk Relatively Moderate (score 89.9 of 100, higher than 89% of rated U.S. counties); 2 of its 14 hazards are rated Relatively High or Very High, led by wildfire, avalanche. Its storm record holds 1,948 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 | 99.4 | $32M |
| Avalanche | Relatively High | 89.5 | $1.6M |
| Landslide | Relatively Moderate | 95.5 | $148K |
| Earthquake | Relatively Moderate | 92.1 | $7.3M |
| Riverine Flooding | Relatively Moderate | 89.9 | $37M |
| Lightning | Relatively Moderate | 70.5 | $492K |
| Winter Weather | Relatively Moderate | 69.6 | $124K |
| Heat Wave | Relatively Low | 57.8 | $517K |
| Hail | Relatively Low | 49.3 | $246K |
| Volcanic Activity | Very Low | 58.0 | $23 |
| Tornado | Very Low | 17.9 | $194K |
| Strong Wind | Very Low | 13.7 | $108K |
| Cold Wave | No Rating | 0.0 | $0 |
| Drought | 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 | 1,332 | 19 | $3.4M | 2nd of 57 | 56th of 3,077 |
| High wind and dust storms | 291 | 4 | $11M | 6th of 57 | 111th of 3,080 |
| Drought | 64 | 0 | – | 7th of 57 | 986th of 3,063 |
| Heavy rain | 63 | 0 | – | 1st of 57 | 145th of 3,080 |
| Wildfires | 46 | 3 | $742M | 5th of 57 | 36th of 2,972 |
| Floods | 40 | 2 | $6.1M | 22nd of 57 | 1983rd of 3,080 |
| Landslides and avalanches | 32 | 19 | $2.6M | 5th of 57 | 29th of 2,278 |
| Heat | 24 | 1 | – | 28th of 57 | 1097th of 3,076 |
| Extreme cold | 18 | 18 | – | 20th of 57 | 1227th of 3,076 |
| Hail | 18 | 0 | $969 | 5th of 57 | 2755th of 3,080 |
| Severe thunderstorm wind | 4 | 0 | $10K | 27th of 57 | 2955th of 3,080 |
| Lightning | 3 | 1 | $27K | 13th of 57 | 1586th of 3,080 |
| Rip currents and high surf | 2 | 0 | – | 27th of 57 | 222nd of 2,080 |
| Tornadoes | 1 | 0 | – | 42nd of 57 | 2906th 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 Nevada County record: every hazard by year and month, the deadliest events and FEMA's declarations.