Santa Barbara County, CA
FEMA National Risk Index scores, disaster declarations & hazard data
Santa Barbara County has experienced 43 federally declared disasters since 1969, 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.
Santa Barbara County's highest-rated hazards are landslide, drought, and earthquake, with its top risk rated "Very High" by FEMA's National Risk Index. NOAA records 49 storm events in the county over the past decade. Community vulnerability is elevated (87th 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. Santa Barbara County has been designated in 43 declarations since 1969, covering 9 disaster types including fire (15), flood (13), severe storm (7).
| 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 |
| 2022 | Fire | Alisal Fire |
| 2020 | Biological | Covid-19 Pandemic |
| 2020 | Biological | Covid-19 |
| 2020 | Fire | Cave Fire |
| 2019 | Severe Storm | Severe Winter Storms, Flooding, Landslides, And Mudslides |
Showing the 10 most recent of 43 total declarations since 1969.
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 | 99.2 | 0 | 0 | — |
| Inland Flooding | Relatively High | 98.6 | 47 | 1 | — |
| Coastal Flooding | Relatively Low | 51.4 | 0 | 0 | — |
| Earthquake | Relatively High | 99.4 | 57 | — | — |
| Heat Wave | Relatively Low | 75.4 | 0 | 0 | — |
| Tornado | Very Low | 5.4 | 1 | 0 | — |
| Hurricane | No Rating | 0 | 0 | 0 | — |
| Hail | Very Low | 22.1 | 0 | 0 | — |
| Strong Wind | Very Low | 13 | 0 | 0 | — |
| Winter Weather | Very Low | 1.4 | 0 | 0 | — |
| Ice Storm | Not Applicable | — | — | — | — |
| Cold Wave | Very Low | 2.2 | — | — | — |
| Lightning | Relatively Low | 55.4 | 0 | 0 | — |
| Drought | Very High | 99.8 | 0 | 0 | — |
| Landslide | Very High | 100 | 8 | 21 | $617.0M |
| Avalanche | Very Low | 30.7 | — | — | — |
| Tsunami | Very Low | 38.5 | — | — | — |
| 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
Santa Barbara County ranks in the 87th percentile (High) 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 | 87th | High |
| Socioeconomic status | 84th | High |
| Household characteristics | 34th | Low |
| Racial & ethnic minority status | 91st | High |
| Housing type & transportation | 96th | 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 | 96th | Very High |
| Risk to homes | 97th | Very High |
| Buildings in direct exposure zone | 25.5% | — |
NOAA tracked 49 weather events in this county over 2016–2025: 5 in 2016–20 vs 44 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 Santa Barbara County?
According to the FEMA National Risk Index, the highest-risk hazards in Santa Barbara County, California are landslide, drought, and earthquake. The county's overall natural hazard risk is rated Relatively High — higher risk than most US counties.
Has Santa Barbara County received federal disaster declarations?
Yes. Santa Barbara County has received 43 federal disaster declarations since 1969, including declarations in 2024. The most common disaster type on record is fire (15 declarations).
Has Santa Barbara County had any FEMA disaster declarations in 2024, 2025, or 2026?
Yes. Recent federal disaster declarations for Santa Barbara County include Severe Winter Storms, Tornadoes, Flooding, Landslides, And Mudslides (2024). See the declarations table above for the full history since 1969.
How does Santa Barbara 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 Kings County, CA has the lowest (Relatively Moderate). Santa Barbara County is rated Relatively High overall.
How is Santa Barbara County's composite disaster risk index calculated?
Santa Barbara 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. Santa Barbara County's composite score of 99 means its overall natural hazard risk is higher than 99% of US counties.