Orange County, California: hazard risk
FEMA rates Orange County's overall risk Very High (score 99.8 of 100, higher than 99% of rated U.S. counties); 6 of its 16 hazards are rated Relatively High or Very High, led by earthquake, riverine flooding, wildfire. Its storm record holds 1,090 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 | 99.9 | $1.0B |
| Riverine Flooding | Very High | 99.8 | $820M |
| Wildfire | Relatively High | 99.8 | $58M |
| Landslide | Relatively High | 99.7 | $4.2M |
| Heat Wave | Relatively High | 97.2 | $11M |
| Coastal Flooding | Relatively High | 92.0 | $8.4M |
| Tornado | Relatively Moderate | 83.7 | $5.3M |
| Hail | Relatively Moderate | 79.5 | $937K |
| Lightning | Relatively Moderate | 66.9 | $489K |
| Strong Wind | Relatively Moderate | 52.3 | $653K |
| Tsunami | Relatively Low | 56.9 | $2.5M |
| Drought | Relatively Low | 32.7 | $37K |
| Avalanche | Very Low | 13.7 | $16 |
| Winter Weather | Very Low | 1.3 | $133 |
| Cold Wave | No Rating | 0.0 | $0 |
| 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 | 309 | 2 | $16M | 4th of 57 | 76th of 3,080 |
| Floods | 157 | 2 | $170M | 2nd of 57 | 426th of 3,080 |
| Rip currents and high surf | 121 | 22 | $737K | 2nd of 57 | 11th of 2,080 |
| Heat | 69 | 2 | – | 2nd of 57 | 422nd of 3,076 |
| Heavy rain | 58 | 1 | $55M | 2nd of 57 | 151st of 3,080 |
| Drought | 52 | 0 | – | 16th of 57 | 1282nd of 3,063 |
| Wildfires | 46 | 0 | $368M | 2nd of 57 | 18th of 2,972 |
| Severe thunderstorm wind | 38 | 0 | $2.0M | 1st of 57 | 2644th of 3,080 |
| Tornadoes | 31 | 0 | $43M | 1st of 57 | 1343rd of 3,080 |
| Landslides and avalanches | 16 | 1 | $48M | 10th of 57 | 44th of 2,278 |
| Winter storms | 14 | 1 | $626K | 37th of 57 | 2798th of 3,077 |
| Hail | 13 | 1 | $135K | 8th of 57 | 2794th of 3,080 |
| Hurricanes and tropical storms | 9 | 1 | $420K | 2nd of 57 | 518th of 1,849 |
| Extreme cold | 4 | 0 | – | 41st of 57 | 2607th of 3,076 |
| Lightning | 4 | 0 | $106K | 3rd of 57 | 1235th 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 Orange County record: every hazard by year and month, the deadliest events and FEMA's declarations.