States › California › Monterey County
Monterey 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 247 events for Monterey County, California, between 1950 and 2026; floods and flash floods account for the largest share.
That is 7.5 events per 100 square miles, below the California figure of 26.2, and 5.6 per 10,000 residents against 10.4 statewide.
13 events fall in the 12 months to 30 Jun 2026. NCEI attributes 1 death and 8 injuries to events in the county, with property damage estimated at $107M and crop damage at $8.3M.
FEMA has designated the county in 33 federal disaster declarations since 1953; the most recent is Severe Winter Storms, Tornadoes, Flooding, Landslides, And Mudslides (major disaster, 13 Apr 2024).
National Flood Insurance Program policyholders in the county filed 1,492 claims since 1978, of which 1,095 were paid, totalling $42M (about $39K per paid claim). FEMA counts 1,190 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 High" ($402M a year across 18 hazards).
Compared with California and the United States
| Measure | Monterey County | California | US |
|---|---|---|---|
| Recorded events since 1950 | 247 | 40,849 | 1,977,440 |
| Events per 100 square miles | 7.5 | 26.2 | 56.0 |
| Events per 10,000 residents | 5.6 | 10.4 | 59.6 |
| Events in the last 12 months | 13 | 1,233 | 62,008 |
| Deaths recorded by NCEI | 1 | 1,170 | 26,435 |
| Property damage (NCEI estimates) | $107M | $30B | $575B |
| NFIP claims per 1,000 residents | 3.4 | 1.4 | 8.1 |
| Average paid NFIP claim | $39K | $21K | $43K |
| Claims per 100 policies in force, last 10 years | 20.5 | 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: 208 events in the 20 years to 2025 against 33 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 13 Feb 2025 | Flood | Flood | — | — | — | 1 | — | County |
| 8 Sep 1999 | Wildfire | Wildfire | — | $67M | — | — | — | County |
| 7 Oct 1996 | Wildfire | Wildfire | — | $4.5M | $1.0M | — | 3 | County |
| 6 Dec 1992 | Tornado | Tornado | F1 | $250K | — | — | 2 | County |
| 29 Oct 1999 | Storm Surge/Tide | Tropical | — | — | — | — | 2 | County |
| 18 Oct 1996 | Wildfire | Wildfire | — | $12M | — | — | — | County |
| 6 Feb 1998 | Flash Flood | Flood | — | $10M | — | — | — | County |
| 19 May 2017 | Debris Flow | Other | — | $10M | — | — | — | County |
| 27 Jan 2021 | Debris Flow | Other | — | — | — | — | 1 | County |
| 22 Jul 2000 | Wildfire | Wildfire | — | — | $5.7M | — | — | County |
| 24 Mar 2011 | Flood | Flood | — | $1.0M | $1.6M | — | — | County |
| 13 Feb 2000 | Flash Flood | Flood | — | $1.0M | — | — | — | County |
| 6 Feb 1998 | Flash Flood | Flood | — | $300K | — | — | — | County |
| 3 Apr 1987 | Tornado | Tornado | F0 | $250K | — | — | — | County |
| 13 Oct 2009 | Flood | Flood | — | $200K | — | — | — | County |
| 4 Mar 2001 | Storm Surge/Tide | Tropical | — | $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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 13 Apr 2024 | DR-4769 | Major disaster | Severe Storm | Severe Winter Storms, Tornadoes, Flooding, Landslides, And Mudslides | Public assistance |
| 3 Apr 2023 | DR-4699 | Major disaster | Severe Storm | Severe Winter Storms, Straight-Line Winds, Flooding, Landslides, And Mudslides | Individual assistance, Public assistance |
| 10 Mar 2023 | EM-3592 | Emergency | Flood | Severe Winter Storms, Flooding, Landslides, And Mudslides | Public assistance |
| 14 Jan 2023 | DR-4683 | Major disaster | Flood | Severe Winter Storms, Flooding, Landslides, And Mudslides | Individual assistance, Public assistance |
| 9 Jan 2023 | EM-3591 | Emergency | Flood | Severe Winter Storms, Flooding, And Mudslides | Public assistance |
| 22 Aug 2020 | DR-4558 | Major disaster | Fire | Wildfires | Individual assistance, Public assistance |
| 19 Aug 2020 | FM-5333 | Fire management assistance | Fire | Carmel Fire | Public assistance |
| 17 Aug 2020 | FM-5329 | Fire management assistance | Fire | River Fire | 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 |
| 17 May 2019 | DR-4434 | Major disaster | Severe Storm | Severe Winter Storms, Flooding, Landslides, And Mudslides | Public assistance |
| 1 Apr 2017 | DR-4308 | Major disaster | Flood | Severe Winter Storms, Flooding, And Mudslides | Public assistance |
| 14 Feb 2017 | DR-4301 | Major disaster | Severe Storm | Severe Winter Storms, Flooding, And Mudslides | Public assistance |
| 28 Jul 2016 | FM-5137 | Fire management assistance | Fire | Soberanes Fire | Public assistance |
| 18 Apr 2011 | DR-1968 | Major disaster | Tsunami | Tsunami Waves | Public assistance |
| 4 Jul 2008 | FM-2781 | Fire management assistance | Fire | Basin Fire Complex | Public assistance |
| 28 Jun 2008 | EM-3287 | Emergency | Fire | Wildfires | 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 |
| 9 Feb 1999 | DR-1267 | Major disaster | Freezing | Ca-Citrus Crop Damage 2/2/99 | Individual assistance |
| 9 Feb 1998 | DR-1203 | Major disaster | Severe Storm | Severe Winter Storms And Flooding | Individual assistance, Public assistance |
| 4 Jan 1997 | DR-1155 | Major disaster | Severe Storm | Severe Storms, Flooding, Mud And Landslides | Individual assistance, Public assistance |
| 12 Mar 1995 | DR-1046 | Major disaster | Severe Storm | Severe Winter Storms, Flooding Landslides, Mud Flow | Individual assistance, Public assistance |
| 10 Jan 1995 | DR-1044 | Major disaster | Severe Storm | Severe Winter Storms, Flooding, Landslides, Mud Flows | 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 |
| 18 Oct 1989 | DR-845 | Major disaster | Earthquake | Loma Prieta Earthquake | Individual assistance, Public assistance |
| 18 Jul 1985 | DR-739 | Major disaster | Fire | Grass, Wildlands, & Forest Fires | Individual assistance, Public assistance |
| 9 Feb 1983 | DR-677 | Major disaster | Coastal Storm | Coastal Storms, Floods, Slides & Tornadoes | Individual assistance, Public assistance |
| 15 Feb 1978 | DR-547 | Major disaster | Flood | Coastal Storms, Mudslides & Flooding | Individual assistance, Public assistance |
| 20 Jan 1977 | EM-3023 | Emergency | Drought | Drought | Public assistance |
| 26 Jan 1969 | DR-253 | Major disaster | Flood | Severe Storms & Flooding | Individual assistance, Public assistance |
| 2 Jan 1967 | DR-223 | Major disaster | Flood | Severe Storms & Flooding | 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2024 | 4 | 3 | $365,381 | $121,794 |
| 2023 | 170 | 135 | $13,196,406 | $97,751 |
| 2022 | 13 | 8 | $376,624 | $47,078 |
| 2021 | 6 | 6 | $513,415 | $85,569 |
| 2019 | 6 | 4 | $80,242 | $20,060 |
| 2018 | 3 | 1 | $4,559 | $4,559 |
| 2017 | 42 | 34 | $1,428,079 | $42,002 |
| 2016 | 8 | 4 | $60,493 | $15,123 |
| 2014 | 6 | 4 | $66,077 | $16,519 |
| 2012 | 1 | 1 | $6,396 | $6,396 |
| 2011 | 3 | 2 | $15,462 | $7,731 |
| 2010 | 3 | 0 | $0 | — |
| 2009 | 2 | 1 | $13,559 | $13,559 |
| 2008 | 12 | 12 | $556,515 | $46,376 |
| 2006 | 1 | 0 | $0 | — |
| 2005 | 4 | 0 | $0 | — |
| 2003 | 2 | 1 | $4,276 | $4,276 |
| 2002 | 14 | 8 | $2,576,741 | $322,093 |
| 2001 | 7 | 5 | $125,670 | $25,134 |
| 2000 | 17 | 6 | $67,557 | $11,260 |
| 1999 | 2 | 1 | $4,771 | $4,771 |
| 1998 | 319 | 257 | $1,847,189 | $7,188 |
| 1997 | 9 | 4 | $47,707 | $11,927 |
| 1996 | 17 | 7 | $40,567 | $5,795 |
| 1995 | 704 | 507 | $19,673,989 | $38,805 |
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 | $181,854,772 | |
| Inland flooding | $109,289,014 | |
| Drought | $81,061,294 | |
| Wildfire | $17,105,853 | |
| Heat wave | $6,296,841 | |
| Landslide | $4,699,104 | |
| Tsunami | $711,653 | |
| Coastal flooding | $422,006 | |
| Tornado | $403,763 | |
| Lightning | $340,702 | |
| Hail | $120,004 | |
| Strong wind | $74,806 | |
| Winter weather | $3,709 | |
| Avalanche | $101 |
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
No HURDAT2 track at tropical-storm strength passes within 100 miles of the county's centre point (through the 2025 season).
ZIP codes with flood claims
- 93923 623
- 93924 257
- 93906 43
- 93940 43
- 93908 41
- 93907 34
- 93927 23
- 93921 20
- 93920 19
- 95012 18
- 93901 17
- 93930 16
- 93905 15
- 93902 14
- 93926 13
- 93953 12
- 93925 6
- 93950 5
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 Monterey County, CA?
NCEI records 21 hail events in Monterey County since 1950, in 10 different years; that is about 0.3 recorded events a year. 0 reports were golf-ball size (1.75 in) or larger.
Has Monterey County had a tornado?
Yes. NCEI records 5 tornadoes in Monterey County since 1950, 0 of them rated (E)F2 or stronger. Tornado deaths recorded: 0.
When was the last federal disaster declaration for Monterey County?
13 Apr 2024: Severe Winter Storms, Tornadoes, Flooding, Landslides, And Mudslides, a major disaster declaration for severe storm. The county appears in 33 declarations since 1953.
How many flood insurance claims have been filed in Monterey County, and how much was paid?
1,492 NFIP claims since 1978, 1,095 of them paid, for $42M in total. FEMA publishes these figures redacted and aggregated; individual properties are not identified.
Is Monterey 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 High" for expected annual loss, "Relatively Moderate" for social vulnerability and "Relatively Low" for community resilience. These ratings are FEMA's relative comparison across all US counties.
How does Monterey County compare with the rest of California?
7.5 recorded events per 100 square miles against 26.2 statewide, and 3.4 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.