San Francisco County, California: hazard risk
FEMA rates San Francisco County's overall risk Very High (score 99.5 of 100, higher than 99% of rated U.S. counties); 3 of its 15 hazards are rated Relatively High or Very High, led by earthquake, riverine flooding, landslide. Its storm record holds 307 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 | 99.8 | $662M |
| Riverine Flooding | Relatively High | 98.6 | $178M |
| Landslide | Relatively High | 98.4 | $829K |
| Heat Wave | Relatively Moderate | 93.9 | $4.7M |
| Tsunami | Relatively Moderate | 72.3 | $6.0M |
| Drought | Relatively Moderate | 69.3 | $488K |
| Coastal Flooding | Relatively Moderate | 62.0 | $638K |
| Tornado | Relatively Low | 34.9 | $652K |
| Lightning | Relatively Low | 29.9 | $104K |
| Wildfire | Very Low | 28.7 | $13K |
| Volcanic Activity | Very Low | 28.3 | $1 |
| Hail | Very Low | 18.1 | $62K |
| Strong Wind | Very Low | 10.3 | $74K |
| Winter Weather | Very Low | 1.2 | $0 |
| 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. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Floods | 113 | 0 | $13M | ||
| High wind and dust storms | 95 | 2 | $4.1M | ||
| Rip currents and high surf | 33 | 11 | $25M | ||
| Heavy rain | 15 | 0 | $13K | ||
| Hail | 10 | 0 | $82 | ||
| Winter storms | 9 | 0 | – | ||
| Heat | 8 | 4 | – | ||
| Lightning | 7 | 0 | $165K | ||
| Severe thunderstorm wind | 6 | 1 | $19 | ||
| Extreme cold | 2 | 0 | $89K | ||
| Hurricanes and tropical storms | 1 | 1 | – | ||
| Landslides and avalanches | 1 | 1 | – | ||
| Wildfires | 1 | 0 | – |
Source: NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database, 1950 to 2026-06-30; damage in 2025 dollars. Search the record at NCEI.
The full San Francisco County record: every hazard by year and month, the deadliest events and FEMA's declarations.