Santa Cruz County, CA
FEMA National Risk Index scores, disaster declarations & hazard data
Santa Cruz County has experienced 34 federally declared disasters since 1977, 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 Cruz County's highest-rated hazards are drought, earthquake, and landslide, with its top risk rated "Relatively High" by FEMA's National Risk Index. Recorded storm events have decreased 53% over the past five years compared to the prior five-year period.
Past disasters & FEMA designations
A federal disaster declaration officially designates a county for FEMA disaster assistance. Santa Cruz County has been designated in 34 declarations since 1977, covering 10 disaster types including fire (9), severe storm (9), flood (8).
| 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 | Fire | Wildfires |
| 2020 | Fire | Czu Lightning Fire Complex |
| 2020 | Biological | Covid-19 Pandemic |
| 2020 | Biological | Covid-19 |
| 2017 | Flood | Severe Winter Storms, Flooding, And Mudslides |
Showing the 10 most recent of 34 total declarations since 1977.
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 Moderate | 97.3 | 0 | 0 | — |
| Inland Flooding | Relatively High | 96.2 | 57 | 0 | $70 |
| Coastal Flooding | Relatively Low | 49.2 | 5 | 0 | $30 |
| Earthquake | Relatively High | 99.3 | 104 | — | — |
| Heat Wave | Relatively Moderate | 86.6 | 2 | 0 | — |
| Tornado | Very Low | 18.7 | 3 | 0 | $10 |
| Hurricane | Not Applicable | — | 0 | 0 | — |
| Hail | Very Low | 33.2 | 15 | 0 | $5.0M |
| Strong Wind | Very Low | 7 | 0 | 0 | — |
| Winter Weather | Relatively Low | 31.7 | 0 | 0 | — |
| Ice Storm | Not Applicable | — | — | — | — |
| Cold Wave | No Rating | 0 | — | — | — |
| Lightning | Relatively Moderate | 59.2 | 0 | 0 | — |
| Drought | Relatively High | 99.4 | 0 | 0 | — |
| Landslide | Relatively High | 99.3 | 47 | 0 | $5K |
| Avalanche | Very Low | 3.1 | — | — | — |
| Tsunami | Relatively Moderate | 73.8 | — | — | — |
| 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 Cruz County ranks in the 61st 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 | 61st | Moderate |
| Socioeconomic status | 49th | Low |
| Household characteristics | 13th | Very low |
| Racial & ethnic minority status | 82nd | High |
| Housing type & transportation | 92nd | 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 | 79th | Relatively High |
| Risk to homes | 79th | Relatively High |
| Buildings in direct exposure zone | 36.7% | — |
NOAA tracked 125 weather events in this county over 2016–2025: 85 in 2016–20 vs 40 in 2021–25 (-53% — frequency decreasing).
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 Cruz County?
According to the FEMA National Risk Index, the highest-risk hazards in Santa Cruz County, California are drought, earthquake, and landslide. The county's overall natural hazard risk is rated Relatively High — higher risk than most US counties.
Has Santa Cruz County received federal disaster declarations?
Yes. Santa Cruz County has received 34 federal disaster declarations since 1977, including declarations in 2024. The most common disaster type on record is fire (9 declarations).
Has Santa Cruz County had any FEMA disaster declarations in 2024, 2025, or 2026?
Yes. Recent federal disaster declarations for Santa Cruz County include Severe Winter Storms, Tornadoes, Flooding, Landslides, And Mudslides (2024). See the declarations table above for the full history since 1977.
How does Santa Cruz County's natural hazard risk compare to nearby counties?
Among neighboring counties, Alameda County, CA has the highest overall natural hazard risk (Very High) and San Benito County, CA has the lowest (Relatively Moderate). Santa Cruz County is rated Relatively High overall.
How is Santa Cruz County's composite disaster risk index calculated?
Santa Cruz 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 Cruz County's composite score of 98 means its overall natural hazard risk is higher than 98% of US counties.