Natural Disasters in Santa Barbara, CA

Hazard risk, disaster history, and FEMA data

Natural Hazard Risk

Source: FEMA National Risk Index

Risk Score

99.0

Relatively High

Expected Annual Loss

98.9

Score (0-100)

Social Vulnerability

60.2

Score (0-100)

Community Resilience

60.9

Score (0-100)

Top Hazard Risks

Landslide100.0Drought99.8Earthquake99.4

Hazard	Risk Score
Landslide	100.0
Drought	99.8
Earthquake	99.4
Wildfire	99.2
Heat Wave	75.4
Lightning	55.4
Coastal Flood	51.4
Tsunami	38.5
Avalanche	30.7
Hail	22.1
Strong Wind	13.0
Tornado	5.4
Cold Wave	2.2
Winter Weather	1.4

Scores range from 0 (lowest risk) to 100 (highest risk) relative to all U.S. communities. Data from FEMA National Risk Index.

Disaster Declarations

Source: FEMA OpenFEMA

Total Declarations

Most Recent

Severe Storm

Apr 2024

Most Common Type

Fire

15 declarations

Date	Type	Declaration
Apr 13, 2024	Severe Storm	SEVERE WINTER STORMS, TORNADOES, FLOODING, LANDSLIDES, AND MUDSLIDES
Apr 3, 2023	Severe Storm	SEVERE WINTER STORMS, STRAIGHT-LINE WINDS, FLOODING, LANDSLIDES, AND MUDSLIDES
Mar 10, 2023	Flood	SEVERE WINTER STORMS, FLOODING, LANDSLIDES, AND MUDSLIDES
Jan 14, 2023	Flood	SEVERE WINTER STORMS, FLOODING, LANDSLIDES, AND MUDSLIDES
Jan 9, 2023	Flood	SEVERE WINTER STORMS, FLOODING, AND MUDSLIDES
Oct 13, 2021	Fire	ALISAL FIRE
Mar 22, 2020	Biological	COVID-19 PANDEMIC
Mar 13, 2020	Biological	COVID-19
Nov 26, 2019	Fire	CAVE FIRE
May 1, 2019	Severe Storm	SEVERE WINTER STORMS, FLOODING, LANDSLIDES, AND MUDSLIDES
Jul 7, 2018	Fire	HOLIDAY FIRE
Jan 2, 2018	Fire	WILDFIRES, FLOODING, MUDFLOWS, AND DEBRIS FLOWS
Dec 8, 2017	Fire	WILDFIRES
Dec 5, 2017	Fire	THOMAS FIRE
Apr 1, 2017	Flood	SEVERE WINTER STORMS, FLOODING, AND MUDSLIDES
Mar 16, 2017	Flood	SEVERE WINTER STORMS, FLOODING, AND MUDSLIDES
Jan 26, 2011	Flood	SEVERE WINTER STORMS, FLOODING, AND DEBRIS AND MUD FLOWS
May 6, 2009	Fire	JESUSITA FIRE
Nov 18, 2008	Fire	WILDFIRES
Nov 14, 2008	Fire	TEA FIRE

Showing 20 of 43 declarations

Individual Assistance

Source: FEMA Housing Assistance

Total IA Registrations

2,757

Total IA Distributed

$6,333,447

Repair/Replace

$3,101,743

Rental Assistance

$1,989,457

Disaster	Registrations	Total IA $	Avg Damage
DR-4558	1	N/A	—
DR-1731	2	N/A	—
DR-4683	798	$2,243,613	$1,398
DR-4353	1,284	$2,143,292	$2,909
DR-1810	400	$1,082,336	$37,329
DR-4482	99	$456,038	—
DR-1577	173	$408,169	$5,094

Individual and household assistance for homeowners and renters affected by federally declared disasters.

Flood Insurance (NFIP)

Source: FEMA NFIP

Total Claims

1,308

Total Claims Paid

$31,353,593

Avg Claim Payout

$23,971

County-level NFIP data from FEMA National Flood Insurance Program.

Disaster Recovery Spending

Source: FEMA Public Assistance

Total Federal Spending

$129,579,081

Disasters with PA

Total Projects

819

Disaster	Type	Projects	Federal $
DR-4353	Wildfire	136	$50,505,703
DR-4683	Severe Storm(s)	131	$29,157,077
DR-4482	Biological	46	$17,318,138
DR-1577	Severe Storm(s)	253	$15,308,501
DR-4699	Severe Storm(s)	29	$3,885,998
DR-4769	Severe Storm(s)	35	$3,640,504
DR-4308	Flood	36	$3,078,420
DR-1810	Fire	61	$2,169,654
DR-4431	Winter Storm	6	$1,388,102
DR-1952	Flood	28	$1,207,247
DR-1505	Earthquake	28	$672,791
DR-3287	Fire	14	$656,266
DR-4305	Flood	15	$582,286
DR-3248	Hurricane	1	$8,392

Hazard Mitigation

Source: FEMA Hazard Mitigation Assistance

Mitigation Projects

Federal Funding

$26,819,261

Properties Protected

Avg Benefit-Cost Ratio

4.58

BCR

Top Mitigation Project Types

Project Type	Projects	Federal $
91.1: Local Multihazard Mitigation Plan	5	$384,759
205.6: Structural Retrofitting/Rehabilitating Public Structures - Seismic	5	$4,711,206
403.1: Stormwater Management - Culverts	2	$1,023,179
403.4: Stormwater Management - Detention/Retention Basins	2	$2,141,037
403.8: Floodwater and Mudflow diversions - post-wildfire	2	$1,443,951

Federally funded projects to reduce future disaster risk. Only includes completed or obligated projects.

Santa Barbara has a relatively high overall natural hazard risk rating according to FEMA's National Risk Index. The top hazard risks are landslide, drought, earthquake. The area has had 43 federal disaster declarations. The most common disaster type is fire (15 declarations). 1,308 flood insurance claims have been filed in the area. FEMA has obligated $129,579,081 in public assistance recovery funding. $6,333,447 has been distributed in individual assistance to disaster-affected residents. 37 hazard mitigation projects have been funded to reduce future risk.