147 flood insurance claims·$2.9M paid·3 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 San Francisco 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.
Standard river and general flood events dominate the historical flood profile of San Francisco County, California, accounting for 98 of the 112 recorded flood events in the last 30 years alongside coastal floods, flash floods, and storm surges. Recent impacts are documented in NOAA storm narratives, such as a series of storm systems that disrupted holiday travel and caused flight delays in December 2025, and an intense atmospheric river that brought heavy rain and strong winds on February 3 and 4, 2025.
Federal Emergency Management Agency National Flood Insurance Program records show claims across multiple zones with varying severity. Zone A accounts for the highest claim volume with 93 claims averaging a payout of $25,613 and an average recorded water depth of 5 inches. Properties in Zone X experienced fewer claims with 16 total, but recorded a higher average payout of $98,855 and an average recorded water depth of 34 inches. Zone UNKNOWN recorded 33 claims averaging $3,180 with an average water depth of 2 inches. Zone D recorded 3 claims with an average payout of $4,370 and an average water depth of 1 inch, while Zone X_UNSHADED recorded 2 claims averaging $37,739 with an average water depth of 2 inches.
Homeowners, real estate agents, and journalists should pay the closest attention to properties located in Zone A and Zone X, where historical claims indicate significant financial loss and measurable water depths during flood events.
Summary written from NOAA storm reports and NFIP claims for this county. Not a prediction.
2% of San Francisco County’s flood insurance claims were on properties rated outside FEMA’s high-risk zones.
95 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 7 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 1982, with 45 claims and $1.2M paid.
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.
59 NOAA storm reports from San Francisco County describe what happened, in the words of the forecasters who covered it. Read the California flood stories →
11 federal disaster declarations since 1989, 3 of them floods, coastal storms or hurricanes.
| Disaster | Began |
|---|---|
| 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 |
| Hurricane Katrina Evacuation | Aug 29, 2005 |
| Severe Winter Storms And Flooding | Feb 2, 1998 |
| Severe Storms, Flooding, Mud And Landslides | Dec 28, 1996 |
| Severe Winter Storms, Flooding Landslides, Mud Flow | Feb 13, 1995 |
Weather and water disasters only; most recent first. Source: OpenFEMA Disaster Declarations.
112 since 1996: 5 flash floods, 98 river or area floods and 9 coastal floods or surges.
| Event | Date | Damage |
|---|---|---|
| Flood | Dec 25, 2025 | — |
| Flood | Dec 22, 2025 | — |
| Flood | Feb 13, 2025 | — |
| Flood | Feb 4, 2025 | — |
| Flood | Jan 31, 2024 | — |
| Flood | Dec 29, 2024 | — |
| Flood | Nov 22, 2024 | — |
| Flood | Jan 21, 2024 | $10 |
— = 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 · Dec 22, 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 · Feb 13, 2025. A winter storm on February 13 caused widespread flooding and strong winds across the Bay Area and Central Coast.
Flood · Feb 4, 2025. An intense atmospheric river impacted the Bay Area from February 3rd to the 4th, bringing heavy rain and strong wind to the region, especially across the North Bay. The Russian River near Guerneville flooded due to the heavy rain.
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 San Francisco 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.