California strong wind risk
San Bernardino County has the highest strong wind risk in California, scoring 97 out of 100 — rated "Relatively High" by FEMA's National Risk Index.
| # | County | NRI score | Rating |
NOAA events 2016–2026 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | San Bernardino County | 97 | Relatively High | 0 |
| 2 | Los Angeles County | 75.2 | Relatively Moderate | 0 |
| 3 | Imperial County | 54.7 | Relatively Moderate | 0 |
| 4 | Riverside County | 52.7 | Relatively Moderate | 1 |
| 5 | Orange County | 52.3 | Relatively Moderate | 0 |
| 6 | San Diego County | 52 | Relatively Moderate | 0 |
| 7 | Kern County | 46 | Relatively Low | 0 |
| 8 | Ventura County | 44.1 | Relatively Low | 0 |
| 9 | San Joaquin County | 38 | Relatively Low | 0 |
| 10 | Contra Costa County | 34.4 | Relatively Low | 0 |
| 11 | Stanislaus County | 28.3 | Relatively Low | 0 |
| 12 | Tulare County | 26.9 | Relatively Low | 0 |
| 13 | Placer County | 21.8 | Relatively Low | 0 |
| 14 | San Mateo County | 20.6 | Relatively Low | 0 |
| 15 | Madera County | 20.4 | Relatively Low | 0 |
| 16 | Merced County | 20.4 | Relatively Low | 0 |
| 17 | El Dorado County | 18.7 | Relatively Low | 0 |
| 18 | Solano County | 17.7 | Relatively Low | 0 |
| 19 | Fresno County | 15.6 | Very Low | 0 |
| 20 | Tuolumne County | 14.1 | Very Low | 0 |
| 21 | Nevada County | 13.7 | Very Low | 0 |
| 22 | Sonoma County | 13.6 | Very Low | 0 |
| 23 | Santa Barbara County | 13 | Very Low | 0 |
| 24 | Butte County | 12.1 | Very Low | 0 |
| 25 | Monterey County | 11.4 | Very Low | 0 |
| 26 | Alameda County | 11.3 | Very Low | 0 |
| 27 | Marin County | 11.2 | Very Low | 0 |
| 28 | Kings County | 11 | Very Low | 0 |
| 29 | Mariposa County | 10.8 | Very Low | 0 |
| 30 | San Francisco County | 10.3 | Very Low | 0 |
| 31 | Mono County | 9.9 | Very Low | 0 |
| 32 | Calaveras County | 9.8 | Very Low | 0 |
| 33 | Santa Clara County | 9.4 | Very Low | 0 |
| 34 | Yolo County | 8.6 | Very Low | 0 |
| 35 | Napa County | 8.3 | Very Low | 0 |
| 36 | Shasta County | 8 | Very Low | 0 |
| 37 | Sacramento County | 7.6 | Very Low | 0 |
| 38 | Santa Cruz County | 7 | Very Low | 0 |
| 39 | Sutter County | 6.6 | Very Low | 0 |
| 40 | Plumas County | 6.4 | Very Low | 0 |
| 41 | Lassen County | 5.8 | Very Low | 0 |
| 42 | Siskiyou County | 5.8 | Very Low | 0 |
| 43 | Amador County | 5.7 | Very Low | 0 |
| 44 | San Luis Obispo County | 4.8 | Very Low | 0 |
| 45 | Yuba County | 4.6 | Very Low | 0 |
| 46 | Colusa County | 4 | Very Low | 0 |
| 47 | Tehama County | 4 | Very Low | 0 |
| 48 | Humboldt County | 3.9 | Very Low | 0 |
| 49 | Del Norte County | 3.8 | Very Low | 0 |
| 50 | Alpine County | 3.6 | Very Low | 0 |
| 51 | Glenn County | 2.8 | Very Low | 0 |
| 52 | Sierra County | 2.4 | Very Low | 0 |
| 53 | Inyo County | 2 | Very Low | 0 |
| 54 | Lake County | 1.8 | Very Low | 0 |
| 55 | San Benito County | 1.7 | Very Low | 0 |
| 56 | Modoc County | 1.5 | Very Low | 0 |
| 57 | Trinity County | 1.5 | Very Low | 0 |
| 58 | Mendocino County | 1.1 | Very Low | 1 |
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.
Strong Wind risk nationally:
Other hazard risks in California:
Frequently asked questions
What is the highest strong wind risk county in California?
San Bernardino County, CA has the highest strong wind risk in California, with a FEMA National Risk Index score of 97 out of 100 (rated "Relatively High").
What causes strong wind risk in California?
Strong wind risk covers non-convective, non-tropical sustained high winds — including derechos and general high-wind events, but excluding tornado and hurricane winds. High scores appear in mountain passes, coastal headlands, and open plains where topography amplifies wind speeds. Damage concentrates on utility infrastructure, trees, and lightweight structures.