Riverside County, California: hazard risk
FEMA rates Riverside County's overall risk Very High (score 99.9 of 100, higher than 99% of rated U.S. counties); 5 of its 15 hazards are rated Relatively High or Very High, led by wildfire, riverine flooding, earthquake. Its storm record holds 2,854 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 | Very High | 100.0 | $347M |
| Riverine Flooding | Very High | 99.9 | $1.1B |
| Earthquake | Very High | 99.8 | $764M |
| Landslide | Relatively High | 98.7 | $1.1M |
| Heat Wave | Relatively High | 98.5 | $18M |
| Tornado | Relatively Moderate | 86.7 | $5.9M |
| Lightning | Relatively Moderate | 81.5 | $797K |
| Hail | Relatively Moderate | 81.4 | $990K |
| Winter Weather | Relatively Moderate | 66.8 | $119K |
| Strong Wind | Relatively Moderate | 52.7 | $614K |
| Drought | Relatively Low | 55.7 | $221K |
| Volcanic Activity | Very Low | 66.8 | $72 |
| Avalanche | Very Low | 51.6 | $652 |
| Cold Wave | Very Low | 13.9 | $139K |
| Hurricane | Very Low | 12.0 | $3K |
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 | 955 | 16 | $77M | 28th of 57 | 615th of 3,080 |
| Floods | 430 | 6 | $252M | 23rd of 57 | 2009th of 3,080 |
| Heat | 421 | 32 | $1.2M | 25th of 57 | 1030th of 3,076 |
| Wildfires | 256 | 11 | $246M | 12th of 57 | 72nd of 2,972 |
| Winter storms | 203 | 3 | $4.0M | 34th of 57 | 2702nd of 3,077 |
| Severe thunderstorm wind | 169 | 0 | $17M | 4th of 57 | 2773rd of 3,080 |
| Drought | 104 | 0 | $2.8M | 32nd of 57 | 2282nd of 3,063 |
| Heavy rain | 92 | 0 | $61M | 31st of 57 | 915th of 3,080 |
| Landslides and avalanches | 39 | 1 | $951K | 23rd of 57 | 181st of 2,278 |
| Lightning | 35 | 1 | $380K | 9th of 57 | 1409th of 3,080 |
| Hail | 31 | 0 | $76K | 32nd of 57 | 2948th of 3,080 |
| Extreme cold | 27 | 1 | $142M | 42nd of 57 | 2619th of 3,076 |
| Tornadoes | 27 | 0 | $27M | 28th of 57 | 2723rd of 3,080 |
| Hurricanes and tropical storms | 6 | 0 | – | 13th of 57 | 1095th of 1,849 |
| Rip currents and high surf | 4 | 0 | – | 36th of 57 | 252nd of 2,080 |
Source: NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database, 1950 to 2026-06-30; damage in 2025 dollars. Search the record at NCEI.
The full Riverside County record: every hazard by year and month, the deadliest events and FEMA's declarations.