Shasta County, California: hazard risk
FEMA rates Shasta County's overall risk Relatively Moderate (score 93.4 of 100, higher than 93% of rated U.S. counties); 2 of its 14 hazards are rated Relatively High or Very High, led by wildfire, riverine flooding. Its storm record holds 1,295 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 | Relatively High | 99.5 | $35M |
| Riverine Flooding | Relatively High | 94.8 | $72M |
| Earthquake | Relatively Moderate | 96.5 | $24M |
| Volcanic Activity | Relatively Moderate | 94.8 | $245K |
| Landslide | Relatively Moderate | 92.4 | $78K |
| Heat Wave | Relatively Moderate | 85.7 | $2.1M |
| Drought | Relatively Moderate | 76.1 | $720K |
| Winter Weather | Relatively Moderate | 70.7 | $131K |
| Lightning | Relatively Moderate | 66.8 | $432K |
| Avalanche | Very Low | 40.9 | $273 |
| Hail | Very Low | 17.0 | $58K |
| Tornado | Very Low | 15.4 | $149K |
| Strong Wind | Very Low | 8.0 | $57K |
| Cold Wave | Very Low | 2.7 | $1 |
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. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Winter storms | 577 | 2 | $819K | 18th of 57 | 1928th of 3,077 |
| Drought | 171 | 0 | – | 26th of 57 | 1910th of 3,063 |
| Heat | 115 | 1 | – | 34th of 57 | 1277th of 3,076 |
| High wind and dust storms | 108 | 9 | $9.5M | 53rd of 57 | 1893rd of 3,080 |
| Floods | 90 | 4 | $57M | 47th of 57 | 2714th of 3,080 |
| Wildfires | 81 | 115 | $21.9B | 30th of 57 | 195th of 2,972 |
| Heavy rain | 65 | 3 | $41K | 21st of 57 | 676th of 3,080 |
| Extreme cold | 39 | 4 | $142K | 31st of 57 | 1950th of 3,076 |
| Hail | 26 | 0 | $123K | 27th of 57 | 2909th of 3,080 |
| Severe thunderstorm wind | 6 | 0 | $81K | 47th of 57 | 3023rd of 3,080 |
| Rip currents and high surf | 3 | 1 | – | 33rd of 57 | 238th of 2,080 |
| Landslides and avalanches | 3 | 2 | – | 47th of 57 | 402nd of 2,278 |
| Lightning | 2 | 0 | $16K | 33rd of 57 | 2347th of 3,080 |
Source: NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database, 1950 to 2026-06-30; damage in 2025 dollars. Search the record at NCEI.
The full Shasta County record: every hazard by year and month, the deadliest events and FEMA's declarations.