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Santa Barbara 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.
Between 1950 and 2026, NCEI recorded 157 storm events in Santa Barbara County, California, led by floods and flash floods.
That is 5.7 events per 100 square miles, below the California figure of 26.2, and 3.5 per 10,000 residents against 10.4 statewide.
20 events fall in the 12 months to 30 Jun 2026. NCEI attributes 27 deaths and 175 injuries to events in the county, with property damage estimated at $630M and crop damage at $3.5M.
FEMA has designated the county in 43 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 1,309 claims since 1978, of which 799 were paid, totalling $31M (about $39K per paid claim). FEMA counts 2,383 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" ($477M a year across 18 hazards).
Compared with California and the United States
| Measure | Santa Barbara County | California | US |
|---|---|---|---|
| Recorded events since 1950 | 157 | 40,849 | 1,977,440 |
| Events per 100 square miles | 5.7 | 26.2 | 56.0 |
| Events per 10,000 residents | 3.5 | 10.4 | 59.6 |
| Events in the last 12 months | 20 | 1,233 | 62,008 |
| Deaths recorded by NCEI | 27 | 1,170 | 26,435 |
| Property damage (NCEI estimates) | $630M | $30B | $575B |
| NFIP claims per 1,000 residents | 2.9 | 1.4 | 8.1 |
| Average paid NFIP claim | $39K | $21K | $43K |
| Claims per 100 policies in force, last 10 years | 16.6 | 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: 80 events in the 20 years to 2025 against 56 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 9 Jan 2018 | Debris Flow | Other | — | $617M | — | 21 | 168 | County |
| 23 Feb 1998 | Flash Flood | Flood | — | — | — | 2 | — | County |
| 22 Mar 2005 | Flash Flood | Flood | — | — | — | 2 | — | County |
| 7 Feb 1998 | Flash Flood | Flood | — | — | — | 1 | — | County |
| 3 Jan 2026 | Flash Flood | Flood | — | — | — | 1 | — | County |
| 29 Dec 1991 | Tornado | Tornado | F0 | $250 | — | — | 2 | County |
| 3 Sep 2017 | Thunderstorm Wind | Wind | 81 mph | — | — | — | 2 | County |
| 16 Oct 1998 | Wildfire | Wildfire | — | — | — | — | 1 | County |
| 5 Apr 2001 | Hail | Hail | — | — | — | — | 1 | County |
| 7 Jan 2005 | Heavy Rain | Other | — | $10M | — | — | — | County |
| 21 Mar 2023 | Tornado | Tornado | EF0 | — | — | — | 1 | County |
| 21 Dec 1998 | Frost/Freeze | Cold | — | — | $3.5M | — | — | County |
| 21 Feb 2005 | Flash Flood | Flood | — | $2.0M | — | — | — | County |
| 13 Sep 2000 | Wildfire | Wildfire | — | $662K | — | — | — | 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 | 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 |
| 13 Oct 2021 | FM-5419 | Fire management assistance | Fire | Alisal 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 |
| 26 Nov 2019 | FM-5303 | Fire management assistance | Fire | Cave Fire | Public assistance |
| 1 May 2019 | DR-4431 | Major disaster | Severe Storm | Severe Winter Storms, Flooding, Landslides, And Mudslides | Public assistance |
| 7 Jul 2018 | FM-5252 | Fire management assistance | Fire | Holiday Fire | Public assistance |
| 2 Jan 2018 | DR-4353 | Major disaster | Fire | Wildfires, Flooding, Mudflows, And Debris Flows | Individual assistance, Public assistance |
| 8 Dec 2017 | EM-3396 | Emergency | Fire | Wildfires | Public assistance |
| 5 Dec 2017 | FM-5224 | Fire management assistance | Fire | Thomas Fire | Public assistance |
| 1 Apr 2017 | DR-4308 | Major disaster | Flood | Severe Winter Storms, Flooding, And Mudslides | Public assistance |
| 16 Mar 2017 | DR-4305 | Major disaster | Flood | Severe Winter Storms, Flooding, And Mudslides | Public assistance |
| 26 Jan 2011 | DR-1952 | Major disaster | Flood | Severe Winter Storms, Flooding, And Debris And Mud Flows | Public assistance |
| 6 May 2009 | FM-2817 | Fire management assistance | Fire | Jesusita Fire | Public assistance |
| 18 Nov 2008 | DR-1810 | Major disaster | Fire | Wildfires | Individual assistance, Public assistance |
| 14 Nov 2008 | FM-2790 | Fire management assistance | Fire | Tea Fire | Public assistance |
| 4 Jul 2008 | FM-2780 | Fire management assistance | Fire | Gap Fire | Public assistance |
| 28 Jun 2008 | EM-3287 | Emergency | Fire | Wildfires | Public assistance |
| 24 Oct 2007 | DR-1731 | Major disaster | Fire | Wildfires, Flooding, Mud Flows, And Debris Flows | Individual assistance, Public assistance |
| 23 Oct 2007 | EM-3279 | 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 |
| 4 Feb 2005 | DR-1577 | Major disaster | Severe Storm | Severe Storms, Flooding, Debris Flows, And Mudslides | Individual assistance, Public assistance |
| 5 Jun 2004 | FM-2519 | Fire management assistance | Fire | Ca-Gaviota Fire-06-05-2004 | Public assistance |
| 13 Jan 2004 | DR-1505 | Major disaster | Earthquake | Earthquake | Public assistance |
| 9 Feb 1998 | DR-1203 | Major disaster | Severe Storm | Severe Winter Storms And Flooding | 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 |
| 30 Jun 1990 | DR-872 | Major disaster | Fire | Fires | Individual assistance, Public assistance |
| 5 Feb 1988 | DR-812 | Major disaster | Flood | Severe Storms, High Tides & Flooding | Public assistance |
| 9 Feb 1983 | DR-677 | Major disaster | Coastal Storm | Coastal Storms, Floods, Slides & Tornadoes | Individual assistance, Public assistance |
| 21 Feb 1980 | DR-615 | Major disaster | Flood | Severe Storms, Mudslides & Flooding | 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 |
| 8 Feb 1973 | DR-364 | Major disaster | Flood | Severe Storms, High Tides & Flooding | Individual assistance, Public assistance |
| 11 Jan 1972 | DR-316 | Major disaster | Flood | Winds, Flooding, Mudslides | Public assistance |
| 26 Jan 1969 | DR-253 | 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 | 1 | 0 | $0 | — |
| 2025 | 8 | 2 | $33,270 | $16,635 |
| 2024 | 20 | 16 | $1,508,041 | $94,253 |
| 2023 | 128 | 90 | $3,984,221 | $44,269 |
| 2022 | 10 | 5 | $121,040 | $24,208 |
| 2021 | 3 | 3 | $53,139 | $17,713 |
| 2019 | 22 | 12 | $382,423 | $31,869 |
| 2018 | 183 | 116 | $16,598,363 | $143,089 |
| 2017 | 20 | 15 | $687,957 | $45,864 |
| 2016 | 10 | 5 | $100,309 | $20,062 |
| 2014 | 6 | 3 | $93,507 | $31,169 |
| 2011 | 6 | 3 | $17,261 | $5,754 |
| 2010 | 6 | 2 | $39,314 | $19,657 |
| 2009 | 2 | 1 | $14,754 | $14,754 |
| 2008 | 1 | 1 | $4,442 | $4,442 |
| 2006 | 1 | 0 | $0 | — |
| 2005 | 40 | 26 | $668,548 | $25,713 |
| 2004 | 7 | 4 | $28,967 | $7,242 |
| 2003 | 1 | 0 | $0 | — |
| 2002 | 2 | 1 | $1,523 | $1,523 |
| 2001 | 16 | 10 | $122,890 | $12,289 |
| 2000 | 13 | 9 | $60,357 | $6,706 |
| 1999 | 1 | 0 | $0 | — |
| 1998 | 182 | 106 | $1,245,126 | $11,746 |
| 1997 | 5 | 0 | $0 | — |
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 | $168,242,047 | |
| Inland flooding | $166,789,813 | |
| Drought | $64,904,866 | |
| Landslide | $51,445,578 | |
| Wildfire | $23,974,974 | |
| Heat wave | $1,007,583 | |
| Tsunami | $342,590 | |
| Lightning | $243,463 | |
| Coastal flooding | $128,577 | |
| Strong wind | $88,796 | |
| Hail | $68,522 | |
| Tornado | $19,983 | |
| Winter weather | $185 | |
| Avalanche | $98 | |
| Cold wave | $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
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
- 93108 481
- 93013 178
- 93101 156
- 93103 153
- 93117 84
- 93105 82
- 93441 32
- 93110 27
- 93460 25
- 93109 18
- 93454 13
- 93463 13
- 93067 10
- 93436 10
- 93455 8
- 93458 8
- 93111 6
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 Santa Barbara County, CA?
NCEI records 6 hail events in Santa Barbara County since 1950, in 5 different years; that is about 0.1 recorded events a year. 1 reports were golf-ball size (1.75 in) or larger.
Has Santa Barbara County had a tornado?
Yes. NCEI records 6 tornadoes in Santa Barbara County since 1950, 0 of them rated (E)F2 or stronger. Tornado deaths recorded: 0.
When was the last federal disaster declaration for Santa Barbara County?
13 Apr 2024: Severe Winter Storms, Tornadoes, Flooding, Landslides, And Mudslides, a major disaster declaration for severe storm. The county appears in 43 declarations since 1953.
How many flood insurance claims have been filed in Santa Barbara County, and how much was paid?
1,309 NFIP claims since 1978, 799 of them paid, for $31M in total. FEMA publishes these figures redacted and aggregated; individual properties are not identified.
Is Santa Barbara 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 High" for social vulnerability and "Relatively High" for community resilience. These ratings are FEMA's relative comparison across all US counties.
How does Santa Barbara County compare with the rest of California?
5.7 recorded events per 100 square miles against 26.2 statewide, and 2.9 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.