21,858 residents·in San Diego County·2,442 flood claims county-wide
From the National Weather Service, checked 1 minute ago. Every active flood alert in the U.S. →
WHAT. Minor to locally moderate coastal flooding expected. Dangerous rip currents and elevated surf expected along west- facing beaches.
WHERE. San Diego County Coastal Areas and Orange County Coastal Areas.
WHEN. Through noon PST Tuesday.
IMPACTS. Flooding of lots, parks, and roads with only isolated road closures expected.
ADDITIONAL DETAILS. Highest tides will occur in the late morning each day, peaking at 7.4-7.6 feet Sunday and Monday, which is 1.3 to 1.6 feet above astronomical tide predictions. Surf will increase to 4-7 feet Monday, which may prolong some of the coastal impacts.
What to do.
If travel is required, allow extra time as some roads may be closed. Do not drive around barricades or through water of unknown depth. Take the necessary actions to protect flood-prone property.
Is your address in the flood zone? Search it above for FEMA’s zone and base flood elevation. A new flood insurance policy usually takes 30 days to start (NFIP rule; exceptions include a policy bought when closing a mortgage), so one bought during a flood generally won’t cover it. Homeowners policies don’t cover flood.
Shaded areas are FEMA’s mapped flood hazard zones in and around Rancho San Diego CDP, 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.
The map above shows FEMA’s flood zones in and around Rancho San Diego CDP; tap any spot, or search an address, for the exact zone. FEMA’s flood insurance records are kept by county, not by city, so the numbers below are for all of San Diego County, which includes Rancho San Diego CDP.
3% of San Diego County’s area is in FEMA’s high-risk flood zones, and another 1% in shaded X (mostly the 0.2% floodplain and areas behind levees).
23% of San Diego County’s flood insurance claims were on properties rated outside FEMA’s high-risk zones.
1,092 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 San Diego County flood insurance claims that reported a flood depth, the average was 10 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 the county’s claims (zero and implausible values left out). Source: OpenFEMA NFIP claims.
The worst year was 1980, with 257 claims and $1.6M paid, the year of Severe Storms, Mudslides & Flooding.
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.
Full San Diego County flood history: disasters, storm reports and events →
If a building 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.
The average NFIP premium across California was $1,033 a year on August 31, 2026 (premium plus the federal policy fee; the reserve fund assessment and HFIAA surcharge come on top). Risk Rating 2.0 prices each building on its own flood risk, so a quote can be far from the average.
Outside the high-risk 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. Quotes: FloodSmart.gov or a local agent.