Santa Barbara County, California: hazard risk
FEMA rates Santa Barbara County's overall risk Relatively High (score 99.0 of 100, higher than 98% of rated U.S. counties); 5 of its 16 hazards are rated Relatively High or Very High, led by landslide, drought, earthquake. Its storm record holds 532 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Landslide | Very High | 100.0 | $51M |
| Drought | Very High | 99.8 | $65M |
| Earthquake | Relatively High | 99.4 | $168M |
| Wildfire | Relatively High | 99.2 | $24M |
| Riverine Flooding | Relatively High | 98.6 | $167M |
| Heat Wave | Relatively Low | 75.4 | $1.0M |
| Lightning | Relatively Low | 55.4 | $243K |
| Coastal Flooding | Relatively Low | 51.4 | $129K |
| Tsunami | Very Low | 38.5 | $343K |
| Avalanche | Very Low | 30.7 | $98 |
| Hail | Very Low | 22.1 | $69K |
| Strong Wind | Very Low | 13.0 | $89K |
| Tornado | Very Low | 5.4 | $20K |
| Cold Wave | Very Low | 2.2 | $0 |
| Winter Weather | Very Low | 1.4 | $185 |
| Hurricane | 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 | 188 | 0 | $22M | 35th of 57 | 1168th of 3,080 |
| Floods | 95 | 6 | $3.0M | 35th of 57 | 2346th of 3,080 |
| Winter storms | 68 | 0 | – | 36th of 57 | 2797th of 3,077 |
| Rip currents and high surf | 62 | 2 | – | 8th of 57 | 80th of 2,080 |
| Wildfires | 34 | 2 | $25M | 37th of 57 | 288th of 2,972 |
| Severe thunderstorm wind | 31 | 0 | $21K | 17th of 57 | 2897th of 3,080 |
| Heavy rain | 13 | 0 | $15M | 49th of 57 | 1591st of 3,080 |
| Landslides and avalanches | 9 | 31 | $725M | 35th of 57 | 257th of 2,278 |
| Heat | 8 | 0 | – | 49th of 57 | 2257th of 3,076 |
| Hail | 6 | 0 | – | 50th of 57 | 2996th of 3,080 |
| Tornadoes | 6 | 0 | $122K | 31st of 57 | 2803rd of 3,080 |
| Extreme cold | 3 | 0 | $35M | 46th of 57 | 2761st of 3,076 |
Source: NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database, 1950 to 2026-06-30; damage in 2025 dollars. Search the record at NCEI.
The full Santa Barbara County record: every hazard by year and month, the deadliest events and FEMA's declarations.