1,492 flood insurance claims·$42.3M paid·9 federal flood & hurricane disasters
Share of the whole county outline, rivers and lakes included; parts FEMA hasn’t mapped count as zero.
Shaded areas are FEMA’s mapped flood hazard zones in and around Monterey County, California. Zoomed out they are simplified; at street level the map switches to FEMA’s exact layer. Tap anywhere to check that spot, or search an address above.
River and standard floods dominate the historical hazard profile of Monterey County, accounting for 115 events and one death over the last 30 years, alongside 32 flash flood events, two storm surge or tide events, and two coastal flood events. Recent severe weather recorded in the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration database includes a low pressure system that brought rain, winds, and localized heavy rain on November 16 and 17, as well as a series of storm systems that impacted the Central Coast from December 19 to 25.
National Flood Insurance Program records show that flood impacts extend across multiple zones, with Zone A experiencing the highest claim volume at 1,147 claims averaging $41,415 with an average recorded water depth of 6 inches. Zone X accounts for 119 claims with an average payout of $30,055 and an average recorded water depth of 7 inches, while unshaded Zone X properties recorded 83 claims averaging $60,775 with an average water depth of 5 inches, and shaded Zone X properties recorded 34 claims averaging $8,545 with an average water depth of 16 inches. Properties with unknown zones recorded 100 claims averaging $8,248 with an average water depth of 2 inches. Homeowners and real estate agents managing properties in Zone A and various designations of Zone X should pay the closest attention to flood risk given the documented historical payouts and water depths.
Summary written from NOAA storm reports and NFIP claims for this county. Not a prediction.
9% of Monterey County’s flood insurance claims were on properties rated outside FEMA’s high-risk zones.
1,273 NFIP claims with a recorded rated flood zone, 1978 to date. The zone is the one FEMA used to rate that policy, which may not match today’s map. Source: OpenFEMA NFIP claims.
In flood insurance claims here that reported a flood depth, the average was 6 inches.
Drawn to scale against an 80-inch door. Even a few inches soaks flooring, the bottom of the drywall and anything plugged in near the floor.
Average of the depths reported on claims (zero and implausible values left out); FEMA’s record doesn’t say exactly where each depth was measured. Source: OpenFEMA NFIP claims.
The worst year was 1995, with 704 claims and $19.7M paid, the year of Severe Winter Storms, Flooding, Landslides, Mud Flows and Severe Winter Storms, Flooding Landslides, Mud Flow.
Bar height is scaled by square root so ordinary years stay visible next to the worst one. NFIP claims by year of loss. Source: OpenFEMA.
79 NOAA storm reports from Monterey County describe what happened, in the words of the forecasters who covered it. Read the California flood stories →
33 federal disaster declarations since 1967, 9 of them floods, coastal storms or hurricanes.
| Disaster | Began |
|---|---|
| Severe Winter Storms, Tornadoes, Flooding, Landslides, And Mudslides | Jan 31, 2024 |
| Severe Winter Storms, Flooding, Landslides, And Mudslides | Mar 9, 2023 |
| Severe Winter Storms, Straight-line Winds, Flooding, Landslides, And Mudslides | Feb 21, 2023 |
| Severe Winter Storms, Flooding, And Mudslides | Jan 8, 2023 |
| Severe Winter Storms, Flooding, Landslides, And Mudslides | Dec 27, 2022 |
| Carmel Fire | Aug 18, 2020 |
| River Fire | Aug 16, 2020 |
| Wildfires | Aug 14, 2020 |
Weather and water disasters only; most recent first. Source: OpenFEMA Disaster Declarations.
151 since 1996: 32 flash floods, 115 river or area floods and 4 coastal floods or surges.
| Event | Date | Damage |
|---|---|---|
| Flood | Dec 25, 2025 | — |
| Flood | Nov 17, 2025 | — |
| Flood | Nov 16, 2025 | — |
| Flood | Feb 13, 2025 | — · 1 killed |
| Flood | Feb 6, 2025 | — |
| Flood | Jan 31, 2024 | — |
| Flood | Mar 30, 2024 | $10 |
| Flood | Dec 27, 2024 | — |
— = no damage estimate in the record. Source: NOAA Storm Events Database.
Flood · Dec 25, 2025. A series of storm systems impacted the Bay Area and Central Coast from December 19 to 25th, impacting Christmas holiday travel across the region. The most impactful systems arrived on Christmas Eve and Christmas Day. Two tornado warnings were issued for the coastal regions of San Mateo and Santa Cruz counties based off radar indicated rotation. San Francisco International Airport reported delays of at least 300 fl…
Flood · Nov 17, 2025. A low pressure system brought rain and winds to the Bay Area and Central Coast on November 16 and 17th. Special Marine Warnings and Special Weather Statements were issued due to isolated thunderstorms causing localized heavy rain and gusty winds. The main frontal rain band came through in the overnight hours, with isolated to scattered showers and some thunderstorms continuing into the 17th.
Flood · Nov 16, 2025. A low pressure system brought rain and winds to the Bay Area and Central Coast on November 16 and 17th. Special Marine Warnings and Special Weather Statements were issued due to isolated thunderstorms causing localized heavy rain and gusty winds. The main frontal rain band came through in the overnight hours, with isolated to scattered showers and some thunderstorms continuing into the 17th.
Flood · Feb 13, 2025. A winter storm on February 13 caused widespread flooding and strong winds across the Bay Area and Central Coast.
National Weather Service narratives, lightly trimmed. Source: NOAA Storm Events Database.
Every colour on the map above is a place on this drawing: where the ground sits relative to the flood FEMA plans for.
If a building in Monterey County is in a high-risk zone (A or V) and its mortgage comes from a federally regulated or insured lender, or is federally backed, flood insurance is required.
Outside those zones it is optional, and often worth having: from 2014 to 2024 nearly one-third of NFIP claims came from outside the high-risk Special Flood Hazard Area. Since Risk Rating 2.0, NFIP premiums are set for each building, so the only reliable price is a quote: FloodSmart.gov or a local agent.