Tulare County, California: hazard risk
FEMA rates Tulare County's overall risk Relatively High (score 97.0 of 100, higher than 97% of rated U.S. counties); 6 of its 14 hazards are rated Relatively High or Very High, led by heat wave, riverine flooding, wildfire. Its storm record holds 3,121 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Heat Wave | Relatively High | 99.2 | $30M |
| Riverine Flooding | Relatively High | 98.1 | $130M |
| Wildfire | Relatively High | 98.0 | $10M |
| Landslide | Relatively High | 97.9 | $433K |
| Lightning | Relatively High | 94.9 | $1.5M |
| Avalanche | Relatively High | 89.9 | $1.4M |
| Earthquake | Relatively Moderate | 97.9 | $36M |
| Hail | Relatively Moderate | 92.5 | $1.8M |
| Drought | Relatively Moderate | 88.6 | $1.2M |
| Tornado | Relatively Low | 30.3 | $427K |
| Strong Wind | Relatively Low | 26.9 | $209K |
| Volcanic Activity | Very Low | 73.3 | $108 |
| Winter Weather | Very Low | 24.1 | $18K |
| 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. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Winter storms | 548 | 0 | $1.4M | 21st of 57 | 2086th of 3,077 |
| High wind and dust storms | 438 | 0 | $5.0M | 32nd of 57 | 831st of 3,080 |
| Drought | 349 | 0 | – | 25th of 57 | 1855th of 3,063 |
| Extreme cold | 294 | 1 | $1.2B | 7th of 57 | 694th of 3,076 |
| Heat | 291 | 20 | $236M | 26th of 57 | 1043rd of 3,076 |
| Floods | 244 | 5 | $26M | 34th of 57 | 2293rd of 3,080 |
| Wildfires | 83 | 1 | $109M | 28th of 57 | 186th of 2,972 |
| Heavy rain | 47 | 0 | $82M | 36th of 57 | 1006th of 3,080 |
| Severe thunderstorm wind | 41 | 0 | $38M | 19th of 57 | 2928th of 3,080 |
| Hail | 29 | 0 | $60M | 28th of 57 | 2911th of 3,080 |
| Lightning | 25 | 2 | $132K | 7th of 57 | 1382nd of 3,080 |
| Landslides and avalanches | 17 | 0 | $80K | 26th of 57 | 200th of 2,278 |
| Tornadoes | 14 | 0 | $2.9M | 30th of 57 | 2751st 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 Tulare County record: every hazard by year and month, the deadliest events and FEMA's declarations.