On FEMA’s figures, San Tan Valley faces more hazard damage per building than 61% of U.S. towns, mostly from river and rain flooding
On FEMA’s National Risk Index, San Tan Valley gets a C+ for hazard risk: higher expected damage per building than 61% of U.S. towns, #40 of 140 in Arizona. Most of that expected damage is river and rain flooding (91%). Flood insurance has paid 3 claims here since 2008.
Graded on FEMA’s expected yearly building damage per dollar of building value (NRI v1.20, December 2025), weighted by where residents live; flood claims are shown, not graded. How hazard risk is graded
What San Tan Valley faces
Each hazard’s share of the building damage FEMA expects here, and how its rate compares with the rest of the country.
River and rain flooding
Wildfire
Shares are of FEMA’s expected building damage, the measure the grade uses; ranks compare each hazard’s building-damage rate with all 85,154 U.S. census tracts. In FEMA’s terms, river and rain flooding is FEMA’s “Inland Flooding” (rivers and streams overflowing their banks, or rain overwhelming drainage). FEMA defines coastal flooding as high or rising tides and storm surge, so surge damage is counted there. Drought isn’t listed: FEMA counts its losses in crops only.
What’s behind San Tan Valley’s grade
River and rain flooding is 91% of the building damage FEMA expects in San Tan Valley, and San Tan Valley’s rate of river and rain flooding damage is higher than 79% of U.S. census tracts. Wildfire adds 6%, at a rate in the top 7% of U.S. census tracts.
C+ #40 of 140 in Arizona; higher expected damage per building than 61% of U.S. towns (21,298).
San Tan Valley’s residents live in 20 census tracts; FEMA’s figures are combined by where they live.
The typical Arizona town has higher expected damage than 78% of U.S. towns; within the state, San Tan Valley has less expected damage per building than 72% of Arizona towns.
Among the 400 U.S. cities of 100,000 or more, San Tan Valley has higher expected damage per building than 53% (#211 of 400). Because it is so big, its total expected yearly loss, $24.2M, is the 374th largest of those 400.
Does San Tan Valley flood? Rarely: 3 flood claims since 2008
Every paid claim on a federal flood insurance policy in San Tan Valley, from FEMA’s records: 0.1 per 1,000 homes, fewer than 99% of the 13,809 U.S. towns with a flood insurance record.
San Tan Valley isn’t in FEMA’s Community Rating System, which cuts flood insurance up to 45% in towns that do extra flood-proofing.
Insurance rates: Pinal County.The storms San Tan Valley remembers
None of the 10 disasters declared for Pinal County shows FEMA aid or repair money reaching San Tan Valley itself in FEMA’s records, so these are its biggest flood-claim years.
- 20081 flood claims paidNo declaration for the county that year
- 20131 flood claims paidNo declaration for the county that year
- 20171 flood claims paidNo declaration for the county that year
Pinal County has had 10 natural disasters declared by the President since 1953, most often floods, then severe storms. Not counted: the 2005 Hurricane Katrina evacuee emergency, which covered counties that took in evacuees.
Also 10 FEMA wildfire suppression grants (Fire Management Assistance, not a disaster declaration) for fires in Pinal County, 2002–2025.
Old photos of San Tan Valley after a storm or flood belong in the town’s history. Add one, or share what you remember below.
Add to the San Tan Valley archive →San Tan Valley and its neighbors
San Tan Valley is 2nd of the 3 graded towns here, from least expected damage per building to most. Tap a town to see its hazards.
| Town | Hazard risk | Mostly (buildings) | Flood claims |
|---|---|---|---|
| Florence | A−less damage than 75% | river and rain flooding | 1 |
| San Tan Valley | C+more damage than 61% | river and rain flooding | 3 |
| Queen Creek | Dmore damage than 86% | river and rain flooding | 4 |
Hazard risk = FEMA’s expected yearly building damage per dollar of building value, vs. the 21,298 U.S. towns we grade; the map is shaded by fifths of the same scale. Flood claims = paid federal flood insurance claims on record.
Get ready for what San Tan Valley faces
A short kit for the hazards that drive the building damage here, what to check before you buy, and where neighbors get alerts.
- Turn around at flooded roads: a foot of moving water can carry off a car.
- Flood insurance usually takes 30 days to start, so buy it before the forecast.
- Keep papers and medicines up high, in a grab-and-go bag.
- Clear dead leaves and brush within 5 feet of the house.
- Sign up for local alerts and know two ways out.
- Keep N95 masks for smoky days.
- Look up the address on FEMA’s flood map.
- Ask the seller or landlord whether it has ever flooded, and what flood insurance costs there.
- Get a flood insurance quote early: policies usually start 30 days after you buy.
Know where neighbors sign up for alerts? Add it to the Handbook so everyone has it.
Questions about natural hazards in San Tan Valley
Is San Tan Valley at risk for natural disasters?
On FEMA’s National Risk Index, San Tan Valley has higher expected damage per building than 61% of U.S. towns: C+ for hazard risk, #40 of 140 in Arizona. Most of the expected damage is river and rain flooding (91%) and wildfire (6%). This is FEMA’s model of an average year for today’s buildings, not a forecast.
Does San Tan Valley flood?
Flood insurance has paid 3 claims in San Tan Valley since 2008, $41K in all, or 0.1 per 1,000 homes, fewer than 99% of U.S. towns with a flood insurance record.
Is San Tan Valley in a flood zone?
Flood zones are drawn street by street, so the answer depends on the address: look it up on FEMA’s flood map. In Pinal County, 21% of homes in mapped flood zones carry federal flood insurance, and 0.5% of all homes do.
How much is flood insurance in San Tan Valley?
FEMA’s Community Rating System list shows no discount for San Tan Valley’s flood program. Premiums depend on the building; policies usually start 30 days after you buy, so get a quote early.
Is San Tan Valley at risk from river and rain flooding?
It is the largest share of the building damage FEMA expects here (91%), and San Tan Valley’s rate for it is higher than 79% of U.S. census tracts.
Storm stories
Memories, warnings and help from neighbors in San Tan Valley.
Sources: FEMA National Risk Index v1.20 (December 2025), census-tract table, combined by where San Tan Valley’s residents lived in the 2020 census; OpenFEMA: NFIP redacted claims, multiple-loss properties, community status book and residential penetration rates, housing assistance (owners and renters), public assistance funded projects, hazard mitigation properties and disaster declarations. Homes: Census ACS 2020–24. Preparedness tips: Ready.gov. FEMA’s model is an average of expected damage, not a forecast. How hazard risk is graded.