1,630 flood insurance claims·$24.5M paid·7 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 Santa Clara 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 inland flooding dominates the flood character of Santa Clara County, accounting for 142 events and 3 deaths over the last 30 years, alongside 24 flash flood and 4 coastal flood events recorded in the NOAA Storm Events Database. Recent impacts include a series of storm systems that disrupted travel across the region from December 19 to 25, 2025, and an intense atmospheric river that brought heavy rain and strong wind on February 3 and 4, 2025.
Federal insurance claims data shows that flood risk extends across multiple zones, with the highest concentration of historical claims occurring in Zone A with 1,225 claims averaging an average 6 inches of recorded water depth and an average payout of $25,606. Properties categorized under Zone D recorded the highest average payout at $33,854 with an average of 4 inches of water depth, while Zone X properties recorded an average of 8 inches of water depth and an average payout of $24,117.
Homeowners and real estate agents with properties located in Zone A and Zone D should pay the most attention to flood risk, as these areas account for the vast majority of historical claims and high-cost payouts in the county.
Summary written from NOAA storm reports and NFIP claims for this county. Not a prediction.
7% of Santa Clara County’s flood insurance claims were on properties rated outside FEMA’s high-risk zones.
1,322 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 5 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 1998, with 536 claims and $9.5M paid, the year of Severe Winter Storms and 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.
65 NOAA storm reports from Santa Clara County describe what happened, in the words of the forecasters who covered it. Read the California flood stories →
25 federal disaster declarations since 1977, 7 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 |
| Scu Ligtning Complex Fire | Aug 20, 2020 |
| Wildfires | Aug 14, 2020 |
| Severe Winter Storms, Flooding, And Mudslides | Feb 1, 2017 |
| Severe Winter Storms, Flooding, And Mudslides | Jan 3, 2017 |
Weather and water disasters only; most recent first. Source: OpenFEMA Disaster Declarations.
170 since 1996: 24 flash floods, 142 river or area floods and 4 coastal floods or surges.
| Event | Date | Damage |
|---|---|---|
| Flood | Dec 25, 2025 | — |
| Flood | Feb 13, 2025 | — |
| Flood | Feb 4, 2025 | — |
| Flood | Jan 31, 2024 | — |
| Flood | Jan 22, 2024 | $10 |
| Flood | Feb 18, 2024 | — |
| Flood | Dec 14, 2024 | — |
| Flood | Apr 13, 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 · 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.
Flood · Jan 31, 2024. A quick-moving cold front came through California on January 31, bringing widespread rain and high winds. A narrow cold frontal rainband (NCFR) developed during the afternoon and evening commute, with moderate to heavy rain across the region as a result. Impacts and post-frontal showers continued through February 1.
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 Santa Clara 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.