Enter any address in Santa Cruz County, California to see its FEMA flood zone
Flood events, including flash floods and coastal flooding, are the most frequent types of flooding impacting Santa Cruz County, with 101 such events recorded in the last 30 years. For example, an atmospheric river on February 3rd-4th, 2025, brought heavy rain and strong winds, leading to flooding. Another winter storm on February 13th, 2025, also caused widespread flooding across the region.
National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP) data shows that properties in Zone A have experienced the highest number of claims, with an average payout of $17,017 and an average water depth of 4.4 feet. Properties in Zone V have seen significantly higher average payouts, reaching $72,025, though with fewer claims and an average water depth of 3.8 feet. Homeowners in coastal areas, as well as those near rivers and in areas designated as Zone A or Zone V, should pay particular attention to flood risk.
Summary generated from NOAA storm narratives and NFIP claim data for this county. Not predictive.
38 NOAA storm reports from this county describe what happened, in the words of the meteorologists who were there.
Santa Cruz County, California has recorded 102 flood-related events since 1996 according to NOAA's Storm Events Database, including 36 flash floods and 58 river or area floods. The county has received 34 federal disaster declarations, 9 of which involved flooding or coastal storms. Enter any address above to check its FEMA flood zone designation.
FEMA Disaster Declarations (1977–2024)
Source: OpenFEMA Disaster Declarations Summaries.
| Declaration | Type | Date |
|---|---|---|
| Severe Winter Storms, Tornadoes, Flooding, Landslides, And Mudslides | Severe Storm | Jan 31, 2024 |
| Severe Winter Storms, Flooding, Landslides, And Mudslides | Flood | Mar 9, 2023 |
| Severe Winter Storms, Straight-line Winds, Flooding, Landslides, And Mudslides | Severe Storm | Feb 21, 2023 |
| Severe Winter Storms, Flooding, And Mudslides | Flood | Jan 8, 2023 |
| Severe Winter Storms, Flooding, Landslides, And Mudslides | Flood | Dec 27, 2022 |
| Czu Lightning Fire Complex | Fire | Aug 20, 2020 |
| Wildfires | Fire | Aug 14, 2020 |
| Covid-19 | Biological | Jan 20, 2020 |
| Covid-19 Pandemic | Biological | Jan 20, 2020 |
| Severe Winter Storms, Flooding, And Mudslides | Flood | Feb 1, 2017 |
NOAA Storm Events Database (1996–2025)
Source: NOAA National Weather Service Storm Events Database.
| Type | Date | Damage |
|---|---|---|
| Flood | Nov 13, 2025 | 0.00K |
| Flood | Feb 13, 2025 | 0.00K |
| Flood | Feb 4, 2025 | 0.00K |
| Flood | Dec 29, 2024 | 0.00K |
| Coastal Flood | Dec 23, 2024 | 0.01K |
| Flood | Nov 22, 2024 | 0.00K |
| Flood | Jan 22, 2024 | 0.01K |
| Flood | Jan 21, 2024 | 0.01K |
| Flood | Feb 1, 2024 | 0.00K |
| Coastal Flood | Dec 28, 2023 | 0.01K |
Flood — Nov 13, 2025
An rapidly intensifying low pressure system impacted the Bay Area and Central Coast on November 13, with the associated frontal systems and atmospheric river resulting in numerous flooding impacts and strong winds across the region. High Wind Warnings and Wind Advisories were issued throughout the Bay Area and Central Coast, with the High Wind Warnings focused on the immediate coastal areas. Ov...
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 — Dec 29, 2024
Multiple weather systems moved through California from December 26 to 29, bringing localized flooding and gusty winds to the region.
Coastal Flood — Dec 23, 2024
Long duration high surf caused damage across Monterey Bay and resulted in numerous attempted water rescues on December 23. Around 1244 PST, around 150 feet of the Santa Cruz wharf collapsed and fell into Monterey Bay. Prior to 1300 PST, wave heights at buoy 46284 were building to around 18.7 feet with a dominant period of around 22 seconds. True wave direction was likely more westerly, but due ...
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 Santa Cruz 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 Santa Cruz 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.