San Diego County, CA
FEMA National Risk Index scores, disaster declarations & hazard data
San Diego County has experienced 51 federally declared disasters since 1966, most recently Severe Storm And Flooding in 2024. Its overall natural hazard risk is rated Very High — among the most at-risk counties in the country.
San Diego County's highest-rated hazards are wildfire, inland flooding, and earthquake, with its top risk rated "Very High" by FEMA's National Risk Index. Recorded storm events have increased 55% over the past five years compared to the prior five-year period. Community vulnerability is elevated (71st percentile nationally), suggesting residents may face greater difficulty recovering from major disasters.
Past disasters & FEMA designations
A federal disaster declaration officially designates a county for FEMA disaster assistance. San Diego County has been designated in 51 declarations since 1966, covering 7 disaster types including fire (28), flood (12), severe storm (5).
| Year | Type | Event name |
|---|---|---|
| 2024 | Flood | Severe Storm And Flooding |
| 2023 | Flood | Severe Winter Storms, Flooding, Landslides, And Mudslides |
| 2023 | Flood | Severe Winter Storms, Flooding, And Mudslides |
| 2021 | Fire | Wildfires |
| 2020 | Biological | Covid-19 Pandemic |
| 2020 | Biological | Covid-19 |
| 2018 | Fire | Wildfires, Flooding, Mudflows, And Debris Flows |
| 2018 | Fire | Wildfires |
| 2018 | Fire | West Fire |
| 2018 | Fire | Lilac Fire |
Showing the 10 most recent of 51 total declarations since 1966.
Source: FEMA OpenFEMA Disaster Declarations Summaries. A single disaster can produce more than one record per county. Data current through September 2026.
Risk by hazard type
| Hazard | Risk rating | Risk score | Recorded events | Deaths | Prop. damage |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Wildfire | Very High | 100 | 1 | 0 | — |
| Inland Flooding | Very High | 99.7 | 250 | 7 | $37.2M |
| Coastal Flooding | Relatively Moderate | 72.8 | 0 | 0 | — |
| Earthquake | Relatively High | 99.7 | 245 | — | — |
| Heat Wave | Relatively High | 98.7 | 53 | 3 | — |
| Tornado | Relatively Low | 64.4 | 1 | 0 | — |
| Hurricane | Very Low | 8.3 | 0 | 0 | — |
| Hail | Relatively Moderate | 77 | 10 | 0 | $42K |
| Strong Wind | Relatively Moderate | 52 | 0 | 0 | — |
| Winter Weather | Relatively Low | 48.3 | 0 | 0 | — |
| Ice Storm | Not Applicable | — | — | — | — |
| Cold Wave | Very Low | 3.1 | — | — | — |
| Lightning | Relatively Moderate | 80.9 | 19 | 0 | $110K |
| Drought | Relatively Low | 59.4 | 0 | 0 | — |
| Landslide | Relatively High | 99.5 | 21 | 0 | $2.1M |
| Avalanche | Very Low | 32.2 | — | — | — |
| Tsunami | Relatively Low | 52.3 | — | — | — |
| Volcanic Activity | Very Low | 33.9 | — | — | — |
Scores are 0–100 percentiles relative to all US counties — higher means more exposed, not that a disaster is likely this year. Event counts: NOAA Storm Events 2016–2026; earthquake counts from USGS ComCat (M3.0+, 1996–2026). See the methodology page for details.
Community vulnerability
San Diego County ranks in the 71st percentile (Moderate) for community vulnerability — a measure of how hard disaster impacts tend to hit residents. Higher vulnerability means more displacement, worse health outcomes, and slower recovery after a disaster.
| SVI theme | Percentile | Vulnerability level |
|---|---|---|
| Overall | 71st | Moderate |
| Socioeconomic status | 63rd | Moderate |
| Household characteristics | 22nd | Very low |
| Racial & ethnic minority status | 90th | High |
| Housing type & transportation | 88th | High |
Source: CDC/ATSDR Social Vulnerability Index 2022. Percentiles compare counties nationally — higher means more vulnerable relative to other counties. See CDC SVI for full methodology.
Future risk outlook
| Wildfire metric | National percentile | Level |
|---|---|---|
| Burn probability | 100th | Very High |
| Risk to homes | 100th | Very High |
| Buildings in direct exposure zone | 14.8% | — |
NOAA tracked 350 weather events in this county over 2016–2025: 137 in 2016–20 vs 213 in 2021–25 (+55% — frequency increasing).
Wildfire: USDA Forest Service Wildfire Risk to Communities (RDS-2020-0016-2) — modeled values, not annual forecasts. See wildfirerisk.org. Inland flood and heat projections pending data availability; coastal sea-level projections are available for select coastal counties below — see the data page.
Nearby counties
Frequently asked questions
What natural hazards pose the greatest risk in San Diego County?
According to the FEMA National Risk Index, the highest-risk hazards in San Diego County, California are wildfire, inland flooding, and earthquake. The county's overall natural hazard risk is rated Very High — among the most at-risk counties in the country.
Has San Diego County received federal disaster declarations?
Yes. San Diego County has received 51 federal disaster declarations since 1966, including declarations in 2024. The most common disaster type on record is fire (28 declarations).
Has San Diego County had any FEMA disaster declarations in 2024, 2025, or 2026?
Yes. Recent federal disaster declarations for San Diego County include Severe Storm And Flooding (2024). See the declarations table above for the full history since 1966.
How does San Diego County's natural hazard risk compare to nearby counties?
Among neighboring counties, Los Angeles County, CA has the highest overall natural hazard risk (Very High) and Imperial County, CA has the lowest (Relatively High). San Diego County is rated Very High overall.
How is San Diego County's composite disaster risk index calculated?
San Diego County's composite disaster risk index — officially FEMA's National Risk Index (NRI) — scores every US county on a 0–100 percentile scale across 18 natural hazard types, factoring in expected annual loss, social vulnerability, and community resilience. San Diego County's composite score of 100 means its overall natural hazard risk is higher than 100% of US counties.