Enter any address in Riverside County, California to see its FEMA flood zone
Flash flooding from heavy rainfall events is the dominant flood character in Riverside County. Between 1993 and 2023, the NOAA Storm Events Database recorded 295 flash flood events and 135 flood events. Recent events include significant rainfall and debris flows in February 2025, driven by atmospheric rivers impacting the San Bernardino Mountains with hourly rates up to 0.9 inches.
National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP) claims data indicates that properties in Zone A experienced the highest average payouts and water depths, with an average claim of $17,302 and 4.0 feet of water. Properties in Zone X also saw substantial claims, averaging $31,253 with 1.7 feet of water, while Zone X_UNSHADED and Zone X_SHADED had lower average payouts and water depths. Properties in Zone UNKNOWN had 485 claims with an average payout of $5,598 and 1.0 foot of water depth.
Homeowners in areas designated as Zone A, as well as those in Zone X and Zone UNKNOWN, should pay particular attention to flood risk. Properties located in mountainous areas prone to heavy rainfall and debris flows also warrant careful consideration.
Summary generated from NOAA storm narratives and NFIP claim data for this county. Not predictive.
255 NOAA storm reports from this county describe what happened, in the words of the meteorologists who were there.
Riverside County, California has recorded 435 flood-related events since 1996 according to NOAA's Storm Events Database, including 295 flash floods and 135 river or area floods. The county has received 65 federal disaster declarations, 14 of which involved flooding or coastal storms. Enter any address above to check its FEMA flood zone designation.
FEMA Disaster Declarations (1965–2024)
Source: OpenFEMA Disaster Declarations Summaries.
| Declaration | Type | Date |
|---|---|---|
| Airport Fire | Fire | Sep 11, 2024 |
| Hawarden Fire | Fire | Jul 21, 2024 |
| Tropical Storm Hilary | Hurricane | Aug 19, 2023 |
| Severe Winter Storms, Flooding, And Mudslides | Flood | Jan 8, 2023 |
| Fairview Fire | Fire | Sep 5, 2022 |
| Blue Ridge Fire | Fire | Oct 26, 2020 |
| Apple Fire | Fire | Aug 2, 2020 |
| Covid-19 | Biological | Jan 20, 2020 |
| Covid-19 Pandemic | Biological | Jan 20, 2020 |
| 46 Fire | Fire | Oct 31, 2019 |
NOAA Storm Events Database (1996–2025)
Source: NOAA National Weather Service Storm Events Database.
| Type | Date | Damage |
|---|---|---|
| Flood | Dec 25, 2025 | 0.00K |
| Flood | Aug 25, 2025 | 0.00K |
| Flash Flood | Sep 18, 2025 | 20.00K |
| Flash Flood | Sep 18, 2025 | 0.00K |
| Flash Flood | Sep 17, 2025 | 0.00K |
| Flood | Nov 15, 2025 | 0.00K |
| Flash Flood | Mar 13, 2025 | 0.00K |
| Flood | Feb 13, 2025 | 0.00K |
| Flood | Jan 22, 2024 | 0.00K |
| Flood | Mar 15, 2024 | 0.00K |
Flood — Dec 25, 2025
A very strong area of low pressure, tapped into an atmospheric river driving up subtropical moisture, produced substantial rainfall across southern California. This led to some areas within the San Bernardino mountains receiving well over a foot of total rain on Christmas Eve, and resulted in significant flooding for the city of Wrightwood. There also road closures due to debris flow along High...
Flood — Aug 25, 2025
An upper level low combined with monsoonal moisture produced numerous thunderstorms, which resulted in several reports of heavy rainfall, flooding, and severe wind. Most of the impacts occurred on the afternoon of August 25th over the mountains, deserts, and inland valleys.
Flash Flood — Sep 18, 2025
The combination of an upper-level low off the CA coast and the remnants of Tropical Cyclone Mario resulted in a significant moisture increase with PWATs rising to 1.5 on the 17th and upwards of 1.8-2.0 on the 18th. Thunderstorms on the 17th were concentrated mainly across the higher terrain areas of southeast CA, mainly across the Chocolate Mountains, while on the 18th, the activity was more wi...
Flash Flood — Sep 17, 2025
The combination of an upper-level low off the CA coast and the remnants of Tropical Cyclone Mario resulted in a significant moisture increase with PWATs rising to 1.5 on the 17th and upwards of 1.8-2.0 on the 18th. Thunderstorms on the 17th were concentrated mainly across the higher terrain areas of southeast CA, mainly across the Chocolate Mountains, while on the 18th, the activity was more wi...
Flood — Nov 15, 2025
A strong area of low pressure impacts southern California with heavy rain, debris flow, flooding, and gusty winds across the higher terrain.
Source: NOAA National Weather Service Storm Events Database.
Source: OpenFEMA NFIP Individual Claims (2.25M records analyzed).
FEMA assigns flood zone designations to areas in Riverside County, California:
AE High Risk — 1% annual chance of flooding. Insurance required.
VE Very High Risk — Coastal flooding with wave action.
X (Shaded) Moderate Risk — 500-year floodplain.
X Low Risk — Outside major floodplains.
Properties in Riverside County, California that are in FEMA-designated Special Flood Hazard Areas (zones A and V) with federally backed mortgages are required to carry flood insurance.
Even outside high-risk zones, flood insurance is recommended. From 2014 to 2024, nearly one-third of NFIP claims came from outside the high-risk Special Flood Hazard Area.
Visit FloodSmart.gov to find an agent and get a quote.