San Luis Obispo County, CA
FEMA National Risk Index scores, disaster declarations & hazard data
San Luis Obispo County has experienced 28 federally declared disasters since 1967, most recently Severe Winter Storms, Tornadoes, Flooding, Landslides, And Mudslides in 2024. Its overall natural hazard risk is rated Relatively High — higher risk than most US counties.
San Luis Obispo County's highest-rated hazards are drought, landslide, and wildfire, with its top risk rated "Very High" by FEMA's National Risk Index. NOAA records 32 storm events in the county over the past decade.
Past disasters & FEMA designations
A federal disaster declaration officially designates a county for FEMA disaster assistance. San Luis Obispo County has been designated in 28 declarations since 1967, covering 9 disaster types including flood (10), severe storm (8), fire (2).
| Year | Type | Event name |
|---|---|---|
| 2024 | Severe Storm | Severe Winter Storms, Tornadoes, Flooding, Landslides, And Mudslides |
| 2023 | Severe Storm | Severe Winter Storms, Straight-Line Winds, Flooding, Landslides, And Mudslides |
| 2023 | Flood | Severe Winter Storms, Flooding, Landslides, And Mudslides |
| 2023 | Flood | Severe Winter Storms, Flooding, Landslides, And Mudslides |
| 2023 | Flood | Severe Winter Storms, Flooding, And Mudslides |
| 2020 | Biological | Covid-19 Pandemic |
| 2020 | Biological | Covid-19 |
| 2017 | Flood | Severe Winter Storms, Flooding, And Mudslides |
| 2017 | Flood | Severe Winter Storms, Flooding, And Mudslides |
| 2017 | Severe Storm | Severe Winter Storms, Flooding, And Mudslides |
Showing the 10 most recent of 28 total declarations since 1967.
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 | Relatively High | 98.3 | 0 | 0 | — |
| Inland Flooding | Relatively High | 96.7 | 26 | 2 | — |
| Coastal Flooding | Relatively Low | 50 | 0 | 0 | — |
| Earthquake | Relatively Moderate | 97.9 | 350 | — | — |
| Heat Wave | Relatively Low | 78.7 | 0 | 0 | — |
| Tornado | Very Low | 6.1 | 2 | 0 | — |
| Hurricane | Not Applicable | — | 0 | 0 | — |
| Hail | Very Low | 14 | 1 | 0 | — |
| Strong Wind | Very Low | 4.8 | 0 | 0 | — |
| Winter Weather | Very Low | 2.6 | 0 | 0 | — |
| Ice Storm | Not Applicable | — | — | — | — |
| Cold Wave | No Rating | 0 | — | — | — |
| Lightning | Relatively Low | 25.4 | 0 | 0 | — |
| Drought | Very High | 99.6 | 0 | 0 | — |
| Landslide | Relatively High | 99.4 | 3 | 0 | — |
| Avalanche | Very Low | 5.4 | — | — | — |
| Tsunami | Relatively Low | 63.1 | — | — | — |
| Volcanic Activity | Not Applicable | — | — | — | — |
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 Luis Obispo County ranks in the 52nd 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 | 52nd | Moderate |
| Socioeconomic status | 43rd | Low |
| Household characteristics | 23rd | Very low |
| Racial & ethnic minority status | 70th | Moderate |
| Housing type & transportation | 76th | 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 | 97th | Very High |
| Risk to homes | 98th | Very High |
| Buildings in direct exposure zone | 41.3% | — |
NOAA tracked 32 weather events in this county over 2016–2025: 2 in 2016–20 vs 30 in 2021–25 .
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 Luis Obispo County?
According to the FEMA National Risk Index, the highest-risk hazards in San Luis Obispo County, California are drought, landslide, and wildfire. The county's overall natural hazard risk is rated Relatively High — higher risk than most US counties.
Has San Luis Obispo County received federal disaster declarations?
Yes. San Luis Obispo County has received 28 federal disaster declarations since 1967, including declarations in 2024. The most common disaster type on record is flood (10 declarations).
Has San Luis Obispo County had any FEMA disaster declarations in 2024, 2025, or 2026?
Yes. Recent federal disaster declarations for San Luis Obispo County include Severe Winter Storms, Tornadoes, Flooding, Landslides, And Mudslides (2024). See the declarations table above for the full history since 1967.
How does San Luis Obispo County's natural hazard risk compare to nearby counties?
Among neighboring counties, Ventura County, CA has the highest overall natural hazard risk (Relatively High) and San Benito County, CA has the lowest (Relatively Moderate). San Luis Obispo County is rated Relatively High overall.
How is San Luis Obispo County's composite disaster risk index calculated?
San Luis Obispo 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 Luis Obispo County's composite score of 96 means its overall natural hazard risk is higher than 96% of US counties.