San Luis Obispo County, California: hazard risk
FEMA rates San Luis Obispo County's overall risk Relatively High (score 95.9 of 100, higher than 95% of rated U.S. counties); 4 of its 15 hazards are rated Relatively High or Very High, led by drought, landslide, wildfire. Its storm record holds 243 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Drought | Very High | 99.6 | $29M |
| Landslide | Relatively High | 99.4 | $2.4M |
| Wildfire | Relatively High | 98.3 | $17M |
| Riverine Flooding | Relatively High | 96.7 | $110M |
| Earthquake | Relatively Moderate | 97.9 | $50M |
| Heat Wave | Relatively Low | 78.7 | $1.5M |
| Tsunami | Relatively Low | 63.1 | $3.5M |
| Coastal Flooding | Relatively Low | 50.0 | $136K |
| Lightning | Relatively Low | 25.4 | $96K |
| Hail | Very Low | 14.0 | $48K |
| Tornado | Very Low | 6.1 | $29K |
| Avalanche | Very Low | 5.4 | $2 |
| Strong Wind | Very Low | 4.8 | $36K |
| Winter Weather | Very Low | 2.6 | $2K |
| 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. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| High wind and dust storms | 77 | 0 | $5.9M | 57th of 57 | 2272nd of 3,080 |
| Floods | 45 | 2 | – | 50th of 57 | 2844th of 3,080 |
| Rip currents and high surf | 39 | 3 | – | 11th of 57 | 98th of 2,080 |
| Severe thunderstorm wind | 16 | 0 | $106K | 32nd of 57 | 2985th of 3,080 |
| Winter storms | 16 | 1 | – | 52nd of 57 | 3029th of 3,077 |
| Wildfires | 12 | 0 | $476K | 49th of 57 | 794th of 2,972 |
| Heavy rain | 11 | 1 | $7.6M | 50th of 57 | 1712th of 3,080 |
| Heat | 7 | 0 | – | 52nd of 57 | 2374th of 3,076 |
| Hail | 5 | 0 | – | 53rd of 57 | 3011th of 3,080 |
| Tornadoes | 4 | 0 | – | 43rd of 57 | 2917th of 3,080 |
| Extreme cold | 3 | 0 | $45M | 53rd of 57 | 2829th of 3,076 |
| Landslides and avalanches | 3 | 0 | – | 49th of 57 | 422nd of 2,278 |
Source: NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database, 1950 to 2026-06-30; damage in 2025 dollars. Search the record at NCEI.
The full San Luis Obispo County record: every hazard by year and month, the deadliest events and FEMA's declarations.