California hurricane risk
Imperial County has the highest hurricane risk in California, scoring 22.3 out of 100 — rated "Very Low" by FEMA's National Risk Index.
| # | County | NRI score | Rating |
NOAA events 2016–2026 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Imperial County | 22.3 | Very Low | 0 |
| 2 | Riverside County | 12 | Very Low | 0 |
| 3 | San Diego County | 8.3 | Very Low | 0 |
| 4 | Los Angeles County | 0 | No Rating | 0 |
| 5 | Orange County | 0 | No Rating | 0 |
| 6 | San Bernardino County | 0 | No Rating | 0 |
| 7 | Santa Barbara County | 0 | No Rating | 0 |
| 8 | Ventura County | 0 | No Rating | 0 |
Source: FEMA National Risk Index v1.20.0, December 2025. Scores are 0–100 percentile rankings among all US counties. See the methodology page for definitions. Download the full CSV for all counties.
Hurricane risk nationally:
Other hazard risks in California:
Frequently asked questions
What is the highest hurricane risk county in California?
Imperial County, CA has the highest hurricane risk in California, with a FEMA National Risk Index score of 22.3 out of 100 (rated "Very Low").
What causes hurricane risk in California?
Hurricane risk covers expected annual losses from tropical cyclone winds — storm surge is captured separately under coastal flooding. High scores concentrate along the Gulf Coast and Atlantic Seaboard from Texas through New England, with Florida's peninsula and barrier islands typically leading national rankings. The NRI score also accounts for population exposure and community resilience.