San Diego County, California: hazard risk
FEMA rates San Diego County's overall risk Very High (score 99.7 of 100, higher than 99% of rated U.S. counties); 5 of its 17 hazards are rated Relatively High or Very High, led by wildfire, riverine flooding, earthquake. Its storm record holds 2,725 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 | $430M |
| Riverine Flooding | Very High | 99.7 | $648M |
| Earthquake | Relatively High | 99.7 | $426M |
| Landslide | Relatively High | 99.5 | $3.1M |
| Heat Wave | Relatively High | 98.7 | $24M |
| Lightning | Relatively Moderate | 80.9 | $829K |
| Hail | Relatively Moderate | 77.0 | $825K |
| Coastal Flooding | Relatively Moderate | 72.8 | $1.5M |
| Strong Wind | Relatively Moderate | 52.0 | $642K |
| Tornado | Relatively Low | 64.4 | $2.3M |
| Drought | Relatively Low | 59.4 | $299K |
| Tsunami | Relatively Low | 52.3 | $1.6M |
| Winter Weather | Relatively Low | 48.3 | $67K |
| Volcanic Activity | Very Low | 33.9 | $3 |
| Avalanche | Very Low | 32.2 | $137 |
| Hurricane | Very Low | 8.3 | $1K |
| Cold Wave | Very Low | 3.1 | $521 |
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 | 663 | 7 | $96M | 17th of 57 | 334th of 3,080 |
| Floods | 529 | 12 | $119M | 10th of 57 | 1313th of 3,080 |
| Wildfires | 209 | 31 | $3.1B | 7th of 57 | 43rd of 2,972 |
| Heat | 189 | 17 | $577K | 21st of 57 | 847th of 3,076 |
| Rip currents and high surf | 150 | 23 | $3.0M | 5th of 57 | 58th of 2,080 |
| Heavy rain | 140 | 4 | $70M | 12th of 57 | 465th of 3,080 |
| Drought | 131 | 0 | – | 31st of 57 | 2143rd of 3,063 |
| Severe thunderstorm wind | 118 | 5 | $11M | 3rd of 57 | 2764th of 3,080 |
| Winter storms | 91 | 28 | $1.3M | 35th of 57 | 2718th of 3,077 |
| Hail | 53 | 0 | $648K | 10th of 57 | 2813th of 3,080 |
| Lightning | 43 | 1 | $254K | 1st of 57 | 796th of 3,080 |
| Landslides and avalanches | 41 | 1 | $73M | 18th of 57 | 112th of 2,278 |
| Extreme cold | 31 | 4 | $169M | 38th of 57 | 2343rd of 3,076 |
| Tornadoes | 27 | 0 | $2.9M | 12th of 57 | 2581st of 3,080 |
| Hurricanes and tropical storms | 14 | 0 | $1.5M | 6th of 57 | 908th 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 San Diego County record: every hazard by year and month, the deadliest events and FEMA's declarations.