States › California › Imperial County
Imperial County, California
Recorded hazard history: storm events since 1950, federal disaster declarations since 1953, flood insurance claims since 1978, and FEMA's risk index.
NCEI notes that Storm Data is compiled from a variety of sources including the National Weather Service, other federal, state and local agencies, the media and the public; that property and crop damage figures are estimates; and that some events are recorded by NWS forecast zone rather than by county. FEMA notes that NFIP claim records are redacted and aggregated to protect the privacy of policyholders. NCEI storm records through 30 Jun 2026; OpenFEMA declarations refreshed 1 Oct 2026; NFIP claims as of 8 Sep 2026.
The NCEI record lists 257 events for Imperial County, California, between 1950 and 2026; floods and flash floods account for the largest share.
That is 6.2 events per 100 square miles, below the California figure of 26.2, and 14.3 per 10,000 residents against 10.4 statewide.
51 events fall in the 12 months to 30 Jun 2026. NCEI attributes 2 deaths and 7 injuries to events in the county, with property damage estimated at $50M and crop damage at $50K.
FEMA has designated the county in 15 federal disaster declarations since 1953; the most recent is Tropical Storm Hilary (major disaster, 21 Nov 2023).
National Flood Insurance Program policyholders in the county filed 103 claims since 1978, of which 67 were paid, totalling $560K (about $8K per paid claim). FEMA counts 33 residential flood policies in force.
FEMA's National Risk Index rates the county's overall risk as "Relatively High" and its expected annual loss as "Relatively Moderate" ($148M a year across 18 hazards).
2 tropical storm or hurricane tracks in the HURDAT2 record passed within 100 miles of the county's centre at tropical-storm strength or more, 0 of them within 50 miles at hurricane strength.
Compared with California and the United States
| Measure | Imperial County | California | US |
|---|---|---|---|
| Recorded events since 1950 | 257 | 40,849 | 1,977,440 |
| Events per 100 square miles | 6.2 | 26.2 | 56.0 |
| Events per 10,000 residents | 14.3 | 10.4 | 59.6 |
| Events in the last 12 months | 51 | 1,233 | 62,008 |
| Deaths recorded by NCEI | 2 | 1,170 | 26,435 |
| Property damage (NCEI estimates) | $50M | $30B | $575B |
| NFIP claims per 1,000 residents | 0.6 | 1.4 | 8.1 |
| Average paid NFIP claim | $8K | $21K | $43K |
| Claims per 100 policies in force, last 10 years | 6.1 | 5.0 | 16.1 |
County-recorded events plus zone-recorded events whose forecast zone is named for the county. State and US rows include events recorded only by forecast zone. Rates use 2021 Census population and land area.
Events by decade
Trend: 212 events in the 20 years to 2025 against 34 in the 20 years before. Reporting practice changed in 1996 and again with automated reports in the 2000s, so decade totals measure the record as much as the weather.
Events by type
Hazard pages exist for hail, tornado, flood, wind and winter where the county has at least 10 recorded events. "Other" covers heavy rain, debris flow, dust, funnel clouds and similar reports.
Largest recorded events
| Date | Event type | Group | Magnitude | Property damage | Crop damage | Deaths | Injuries | Geography |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 31 Aug 2021 | Flash Flood | Flood | — | $5K | — | 2 | — | County |
| 30 Jul 2012 | Flood | Flood | — | $400K | — | — | 5 | County |
| 1 Sep 2023 | Flash Flood | Flood | — | $30M | $50K | — | — | County |
| 25 Aug 2025 | Thunderstorm Wind | Wind | 58 mph | $50K | — | — | 1 | County |
| 10 Aug 2021 | Thunderstorm Wind | Wind | 49 mph | $1K | — | — | 1 | County |
| 15 Sep 2007 | Thunderstorm Wind | Wind | 100 mph | $4.0M | — | — | — | County |
| 22 Jan 2024 | Flood | Flood | — | $4.0M | — | — | — | County |
| 5 May 1992 | Tornado | Tornado | F0 | $2.5M | — | — | — | County |
| 25 Aug 2025 | Flash Flood | Flood | — | $2.5M | — | — | — | County |
| 31 Aug 2021 | Thunderstorm Wind | Wind | 63 mph | $1.0M | — | — | — | County |
| 31 Aug 2021 | Flash Flood | Flood | — | $1.0M | — | — | — | County |
| 25 Aug 2025 | Thunderstorm Wind | Wind | 64 mph | $1.0M | — | — | — | County |
| 7 Jul 2011 | Thunderstorm Wind | Wind | 81 mph | $500K | — | — | — | County |
| 25 Aug 2025 | Thunderstorm Wind | Wind | 60 mph | $500K | — | — | — | County |
| 25 Aug 2025 | Thunderstorm Wind | Wind | 60 mph | $400K | — | — | — | County |
| 3 Aug 2017 | Thunderstorm Wind | Wind | 60 mph | $250K | — | — | — | County |
| 8 Sep 2017 | Thunderstorm Wind | Wind | 70 mph | $200K | — | — | — | County |
| 8 Sep 2017 | Thunderstorm Wind | Wind | 70 mph | $200K | — | — | — | County |
| 13 Sep 2011 | Thunderstorm Wind | Wind | 69 mph | $150K | — | — | — | County |
| 13 Jul 2012 | Flood | Flood | — | $100K | — | — | — | County |
Ranked by deaths, then injuries, then NCEI's damage estimate. Deaths and injuries are NCEI counts (direct plus indirect); no personal details are recorded here.
Federal disaster declarations
| Declared | Number | Type | Incident | Title | Programs |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 21 Nov 2023 | DR-4750 | Major disaster | Hurricane | Tropical Storm Hilary | Public assistance |
| 3 Apr 2023 | DR-4699 | Major disaster | Severe Storm | Severe Winter Storms, Straight-Line Winds, Flooding, Landslides, And Mudslides | Public assistance |
| 10 Mar 2023 | EM-3592 | Emergency | Flood | Severe Winter Storms, Flooding, Landslides, And Mudslides | Public assistance |
| 22 Mar 2020 | DR-4482 | Major disaster | Biological | Covid-19 Pandemic | Individual assistance, Public assistance |
| 13 Mar 2020 | EM-3428 | Emergency | Biological | Covid-19 | Public assistance |
| 7 May 2010 | DR-1911 | Major disaster | Earthquake | Earthquake | Public assistance |
| 8 Mar 2010 | DR-1884 | Major disaster | Severe Storm | Severe Winter Storms, Flooding, And Debris And Mud Flows | Public assistance |
| 13 Mar 2007 | DR-1689 | Major disaster | Freezing | Severe Freeze | Individual assistance |
| 13 Sep 2005 | EM-3248 | Emergency | Hurricane | Hurricane Katrina Evacuation | Public assistance |
| 12 Mar 1995 | DR-1046 | Major disaster | Severe Storm | Severe Winter Storms, Flooding Landslides, Mud Flow | Individual assistance, Public assistance |
| 3 Feb 1993 | DR-979 | Major disaster | Flood | Severe Winter Storm, Mud & Land Slides, & Flooding | Individual assistance, Public assistance |
| 11 Feb 1991 | DR-894 | Major disaster | Freezing | Severe Freeze | Individual assistance |
| 1 Jul 1983 | DR-687 | Major disaster | Flood | Flooding | Individual assistance, Public assistance |
| 19 Oct 1979 | DR-609 | Major disaster | Earthquake | Earthquake | Individual assistance, Public assistance |
| 21 Sep 1976 | DR-521 | Major disaster | Flood | Flooding, Tropical Storm Kathleen | Individual assistance, Public assistance |
Declarations in which FEMA designated this county, from the OpenFEMA Disaster Declarations Summaries (v2). DR: major disaster; EM: emergency; FM: fire management assistance. Programs show whether individual or public assistance was made available.
Flood insurance claims
| Year of loss | Claims | Paid claims | Amount paid | Average paid |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2023 | 1 | 1 | $34,256 | $34,256 |
| 2022 | 1 | 0 | $0 | — |
| 2005 | 2 | 2 | $28,193 | $14,097 |
| 2001 | 1 | 0 | $0 | — |
| 1995 | 1 | 0 | $0 | — |
| 1988 | 1 | 0 | $0 | — |
| 1986 | 8 | 8 | $46,063 | $5,758 |
| 1985 | 2 | 0 | $0 | — |
| 1984 | 22 | 13 | $102,006 | $7,847 |
| 1983 | 25 | 16 | $165,240 | $10,327 |
| 1982 | 9 | 7 | $14,117 | $2,017 |
| 1981 | 9 | 6 | $14,787 | $2,464 |
| 1980 | 15 | 9 | $20,256 | $2,251 |
| 1979 | 4 | 3 | $21,674 | $7,225 |
| 1978 | 2 | 2 | $113,732 | $56,866 |
OpenFEMA NFIP claims (v3, as of 8 Sep 2026), aggregated by year of loss; amounts are building, contents and increased-cost-of-compliance payments as recorded. Repetitive-loss counts from the NFIP Multiple Loss Properties file (2 Aug 2026); policies in force from the NFIP Residential Penetration Rates file (3 Aug 2026).
National Risk Index
| Hazard (NRI) | Risk rating | Expected annual loss |
|---|---|---|
| Earthquake | $100,891,671 | |
| Inland flooding | $42,518,994 | |
| Heat wave | $3,109,221 | |
| Strong wind | $401,060 | |
| Drought | $320,568 | |
| Wildfire | $183,745 | |
| Tornado | $53,237 | |
| Hail | $45,806 | |
| Lightning | $34,703 | |
| Hurricane | $4,743 | |
| Volcanic activity | $2,372 | |
| Landslide | $459 | |
| Winter weather | $0 |
FEMA National Risk Index, December 2025 release. Ratings are FEMA's relative comparison of counties; expected annual loss is FEMA's modelled estimate of average yearly building, population and agriculture loss. See how to read the NRI.
Hurricane and tropical storm passes
| Storm | Year | Closest approach | Max wind while within 100 mi |
|---|---|---|---|
| Nora | 1997 | 96 mi | 63 mph |
| Katrina | 1967 | 90 mi | 52 mph |
HURDAT2 best-track positions at tropical-storm strength (34 kt) or more, measured from the county's Census centre point; through the 2025 season. Distance from a track is not the same as the extent of the storm's wind, rain or surge.
ZIP codes with flood claims
ZIP codes whose NFIP claims carry this county's code, with the number of claims. Five or more claims are needed for a ZIP page to be indexed.
Questions and answers
How often does it hail in Imperial County, CA?
NCEI records 10 hail events in Imperial County since 1950, in 9 different years; that is about 0.1 recorded events a year. 3 reports were golf-ball size (1.75 in) or larger.
Has Imperial County had a tornado?
Yes. NCEI records 7 tornadoes in Imperial County since 1950, 0 of them rated (E)F2 or stronger. Tornado deaths recorded: 0.
When was the last federal disaster declaration for Imperial County?
21 Nov 2023: Tropical Storm Hilary, a major disaster declaration for hurricane. The county appears in 15 declarations since 1953.
How many flood insurance claims have been filed in Imperial County, and how much was paid?
103 NFIP claims since 1978, 67 of them paid, for $560K in total. FEMA publishes these figures redacted and aggregated; individual properties are not identified.
Is Imperial County in the National Risk Index's high-risk band?
FEMA's National Risk Index (December 2025) rates the county "Relatively High" for overall risk, "Relatively Moderate" for expected annual loss, "Very High" for social vulnerability and "Very Low" for community resilience. These ratings are FEMA's relative comparison across all US counties.
How does Imperial County compare with the rest of California?
6.2 recorded events per 100 square miles against 26.2 statewide, and 0.6 NFIP claims per 1,000 residents against 1.4. The comparison table on this page shows each measure beside the state and national figures.
Provenance
Storm events: NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database, yearly details files through 30 Jun 2026 (public domain). Declarations: OpenFEMA DisasterDeclarationsSummaries v2, refreshed 1 Oct 2026. Flood claims: OpenFEMA NfipClaims v3 as of 8 Sep 2026; NfipMultipleLossProperties v1 (2 Aug 2026); NfipResidentialPenetrationRates v1 (3 Aug 2026). Risk index: FEMA National Risk Index, December 2025. Hurricane tracks: NHC HURDAT2 through 2025. Population and area: US Census Bureau, 2021 vintage. Built 1 Oct 2026; see the methodology and corrections pages. Hazard hubs: Hail · Tornado · Flood · Wind · Winter.