Placer County, California: hazard risk
FEMA rates Placer County's overall risk Relatively Moderate (score 93.1 of 100, higher than 93% of rated U.S. counties); 4 of its 14 hazards are rated Relatively High or Very High, led by avalanche, wildfire, riverine flooding. Its storm record holds 2,214 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Avalanche | Very High | 97.8 | $6.7M |
| Wildfire | Relatively High | 98.7 | $25M |
| Riverine Flooding | Relatively High | 95.8 | $107M |
| Lightning | Relatively High | 81.9 | $983K |
| Earthquake | Relatively Moderate | 95.2 | $19M |
| Drought | Relatively Moderate | 87.3 | $1.7M |
| Landslide | Relatively Low | 85.5 | $40K |
| Heat Wave | Relatively Low | 68.8 | $1.1M |
| Winter Weather | Relatively Low | 47.7 | $73K |
| Strong Wind | Relatively Low | 21.8 | $245K |
| Volcanic Activity | Very Low | 67.4 | $95 |
| Hail | Very Low | 25.8 | $118K |
| Tornado | Very Low | 23.3 | $387K |
| 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 | 1,334 | 19 | $3.4M | 4th of 57 | 145th of 3,077 |
| High wind and dust storms | 361 | 10 | $27M | 9th of 57 | 170th of 3,080 |
| Drought | 111 | 0 | – | 12th of 57 | 1140th of 3,063 |
| Floods | 88 | 5 | $33M | 19th of 57 | 1961st of 3,080 |
| Heavy rain | 74 | 3 | $17K | 5th of 57 | 243rd of 3,080 |
| Heat | 73 | 16 | – | 14th of 57 | 683rd of 3,076 |
| Wildfires | 49 | 5 | $738M | 11th of 57 | 70th of 2,972 |
| Extreme cold | 45 | 25 | $7.4M | 14th of 57 | 835th of 3,076 |
| Landslides and avalanches | 30 | 19 | $10K | 11th of 57 | 47th of 2,278 |
| Hail | 12 | 0 | $21K | 12th of 57 | 2841st of 3,080 |
| Tornadoes | 6 | 0 | $746K | 22nd of 57 | 2672nd of 3,080 |
| Severe thunderstorm wind | 5 | 0 | $26K | 29th of 57 | 2971st of 3,080 |
| Rip currents and high surf | 3 | 0 | – | 23rd of 57 | 205th of 2,080 |
| Lightning | 1 | 0 | $85K | 31st of 57 | 2312th 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 Placer County record: every hazard by year and month, the deadliest events and FEMA's declarations.