Santa Clara County, California: hazard risk
FEMA rates Santa Clara County's overall risk Very High (score 99.7 of 100, higher than 99% of rated U.S. counties); 6 of its 16 hazards are rated Relatively High or Very High, led by earthquake, riverine flooding, landslide. Its storm record holds 910 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 | 99.9 | $1.2B |
| Riverine Flooding | Very High | 99.8 | $720M |
| Landslide | Relatively High | 99.7 | $4.9M |
| Drought | Relatively High | 99.2 | $11M |
| Heat Wave | Relatively High | 98.6 | $23M |
| Coastal Flooding | Relatively High | 88.8 | $6.7M |
| Wildfire | Relatively Moderate | 97.4 | $10M |
| Tornado | Relatively Low | 55.8 | $1.8M |
| Lightning | Relatively Low | 46.9 | $254K |
| Hail | Relatively Low | 37.5 | $197K |
| Tsunami | Very Low | 18.5 | $142K |
| Volcanic Activity | Very Low | 15.0 | $0 |
| Avalanche | Very Low | 13.0 | $17 |
| Strong Wind | Very Low | 9.4 | $81K |
| Winter Weather | Very Low | 3.1 | $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 | 517 | 11 | $12M | 11th of 57 | 228th of 3,080 |
| Floods | 173 | 3 | $4.0M | 11th of 57 | 1338th of 3,080 |
| Heat | 41 | 24 | $14K | 24th of 57 | 1021st of 3,076 |
| Hail | 35 | 0 | $12M | 7th of 57 | 2792nd of 3,080 |
| Landslides and avalanches | 34 | 0 | $19M | 13th of 57 | 50th of 2,278 |
| Winter storms | 21 | 0 | $19 | 42nd of 57 | 2932nd of 3,077 |
| Wildfires | 16 | 1 | $6K | 38th of 57 | 296th of 2,972 |
| Extreme cold | 15 | 17 | $695K | 26th of 57 | 1841st of 3,076 |
| Heavy rain | 13 | 0 | $31K | 37th of 57 | 1043rd of 3,080 |
| Severe thunderstorm wind | 8 | 0 | $10K | 24th of 57 | 2945th of 3,080 |
| Tornadoes | 6 | 0 | $36M | 25th of 57 | 2693rd of 3,080 |
| Lightning | 5 | 0 | – | 17th of 57 | 1800th of 3,080 |
| Rip currents and high surf | 2 | 0 | $66K | 20th of 57 | 197th 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 Santa Clara County record: every hazard by year and month, the deadliest events and FEMA's declarations.