Sonoma County, California: hazard risk
FEMA rates Sonoma County's overall risk Relatively High (score 99.1 of 100, higher than 99% of rated U.S. counties); 5 of its 16 hazards are rated Relatively High or Very High, led by landslide, earthquake, drought. Its storm record holds 1,017 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 | Relatively High | 99.8 | $5.0M |
| Earthquake | Relatively High | 99.5 | $284M |
| Drought | Relatively High | 99.3 | $14M |
| Riverine Flooding | Relatively High | 99.2 | $280M |
| Wildfire | Relatively High | 98.2 | $17M |
| Heat Wave | Relatively Moderate | 88.8 | $3.0M |
| Coastal Flooding | Relatively Moderate | 68.6 | $1.1M |
| Lightning | Relatively Moderate | 58.7 | $341K |
| Volcanic Activity | Relatively Low | 85.0 | $3K |
| Tsunami | Very Low | 26.2 | $244K |
| Hail | Very Low | 16.1 | $60K |
| Tornado | Very Low | 15.4 | $163K |
| Strong Wind | Very Low | 13.6 | $119K |
| Avalanche | Very Low | 10.8 | $10 |
| Winter Weather | Very Low | 8.1 | $6K |
| 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 | 406 | 16 | $21M | 14th of 57 | 284th of 3,080 |
| Floods | 339 | 7 | $334M | 7th of 57 | 1043rd of 3,080 |
| Landslides and avalanches | 68 | 1 | $69M | 9th of 57 | 43rd of 2,278 |
| Heat | 33 | 11 | $19 | 29th of 57 | 1103rd of 3,076 |
| Rip currents and high surf | 27 | 25 | $101K | 9th of 57 | 82nd of 2,080 |
| Wildfires | 27 | 3 | $646K | 27th of 57 | 185th of 2,972 |
| Heavy rain | 24 | 4 | $27M | 24th of 57 | 717th of 3,080 |
| Hail | 21 | 0 | – | 16th of 57 | 2854th of 3,080 |
| Extreme cold | 17 | 1 | $4.3M | 32nd of 57 | 2012th of 3,076 |
| Tornadoes | 13 | 0 | $3.1M | 11th of 57 | 2543rd of 3,080 |
| Hurricanes and tropical storms | 5 | 0 | $1.2M | 5th of 57 | 821st of 1,849 |
| Winter storms | 5 | 2 | $82K | 51st of 57 | 3026th of 3,077 |
| Lightning | 3 | 0 | $1.7M | 20th of 57 | 1935th of 3,080 |
| Severe thunderstorm wind | 1 | 0 | – | 53rd of 57 | 3033rd 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 Sonoma County record: every hazard by year and month, the deadliest events and FEMA's declarations.