California landslide risk

58 counties scored 2 rated Very High

Santa Barbara County has the highest landslide risk in California, scoring 100 out of 100 — rated "Very High" by FEMA's National Risk Index. Recorded landslide events across California have decreased 42% over the past five years compared to the prior five-year period.

#	County	NRI score	Rating	NOAA events 2016–2026
1	Santa Barbara County	100	Very High	8
2	Monterey County	99.9	Relatively High	29
3	San Bernardino County	99.9	Very High	42
4	Alameda County	99.8	Relatively High	14
5	Sonoma County	99.8	Relatively High	58
6	Orange County	99.7	Relatively High	8
7	San Mateo County	99.7	Relatively High	18
8	Santa Clara County	99.7	Relatively High	24
9	Humboldt County	99.6	Relatively High	1
10	Mendocino County	99.6	Relatively High	0
11	Mariposa County	99.5	Relatively High	30
12	San Diego County	99.5	Relatively High	21
13	San Luis Obispo County	99.4	Relatively High	3
14	Contra Costa County	99.3	Relatively High	9
15	Los Angeles County	99.3	Relatively High	24
16	Santa Cruz County	99.3	Relatively High	47
17	Marin County	99.2	Relatively High	21
18	Lake County	98.8	Relatively High	0
19	Napa County	98.7	Relatively High	19
20	Riverside County	98.7	Relatively High	25
21	Trinity County	98.7	Relatively High	0
22	Del Norte County	98.6	Relatively High	1
23	Kern County	98.5	Relatively High	51
24	San Francisco County	98.4	Relatively High	1
25	Solano County	98.4	Relatively High	0
26	Tehama County	98.3	Relatively High	1
27	Fresno County	98.1	Relatively High	40
28	Ventura County	98	Relatively High	6
29	Tulare County	97.9	Relatively High	12
30	Madera County	97.8	Relatively Moderate	8
31	San Benito County	97.7	Relatively Moderate	3
32	Butte County	97.6	Relatively Moderate	5
33	El Dorado County	97	Relatively Moderate	7
34	Calaveras County	96.6	Relatively Moderate	1
35	Nevada County	95.5	Relatively Moderate	5
36	Sierra County	94.6	Relatively Moderate	3
37	Amador County	94.3	Relatively Moderate	0
38	Shasta County	92.4	Relatively Moderate	1
39	Tuolumne County	91.2	Relatively Moderate	2
40	Siskiyou County	91.1	Relatively Moderate	6
41	Yuba County	89.1	Relatively Moderate	0
42	Plumas County	88.9	Relatively Moderate	11
43	Glenn County	86.7	Relatively Low	0
44	Stanislaus County	86.7	Relatively Low	0
45	Yolo County	86.2	Relatively Low	2
46	Placer County	85.5	Relatively Low	4
47	Inyo County	82.7	Relatively Low	0
48	Sacramento County	79.4	Relatively Low	0
49	Mono County	74.9	Relatively Low	18
50	Colusa County	70.6	Relatively Low	0
51	Alpine County	66.5	Relatively Low	8
52	San Joaquin County	62	Very Low	0
53	Kings County	57.7	Very Low	1
54	Merced County	54.7	Very Low	4
55	Lassen County	51	Very Low	3
56	Sutter County	47.2	Very Low	0
57	Imperial County	41.2	Very Low	0
58	Modoc County	33.3	Very Low	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.

Landslide risk nationally:

Top 50 US counties

Other hazard risks in California:

Wildfire Inland Flooding Coastal Flooding Earthquake Heat Wave Tornado Hurricane Hail Strong Wind Winter Weather Ice Storm Cold Wave Lightning Drought Avalanche Tsunami Volcanic Activity

Frequently asked questions

What is the highest landslide risk county in California?

Santa Barbara County, CA has the highest landslide risk in California, with a FEMA National Risk Index score of 100 out of 100 (rated "Very High").

How many counties in California are rated Very High for landslide risk?

2 of 58 scored California counties are rated "Very High" for landslide risk by FEMA's National Risk Index.

What causes landslide risk in California?

Landslide risk covers expected losses from hillslope failures, rockfalls, and debris flows triggered by heavy rainfall, snowmelt, wildfire, or earthquakes. High scores concentrate in the Pacific Northwest, California coastal ranges, Appalachians, and Rocky Mountain foothills, where steep terrain combines with intense precipitation or seismic activity.