Photo: Amin Eshaiker · CC BY-SA 3.0On FEMA’s figures, few U.S. towns expect more hazard damage per building than Alpine, mostly from wildfire
On FEMA’s National Risk Index, Alpine gets a D− for hazard risk: among the highest expected damage per building of U.S. towns, #792 of 847 in California. Most of that expected damage is wildfire (77%), then river and rain flooding (20%). Flood insurance has paid 7 claims here since 1982.
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 Alpine faces
Each hazard’s share of the building damage FEMA expects here, and how its rate compares with the rest of the country.
Wildfire
River and rain flooding
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 Alpine’s grade
Wildfire is 77% of the building damage FEMA expects in Alpine, and Alpine’s rate of wildfire damage is in the top 1% of U.S. census tracts. Next is river and rain flooding at 20% (higher than 73% of U.S. census tracts).
D− #792 of 847 in California; among the highest expected damage per building of U.S. towns (21,298).
Alpine’s residents live in 3 census tracts; FEMA’s figures are combined by where they live.
The typical California town has higher expected damage than 92% of U.S. towns; within the state, Alpine has more expected damage per building than 93% of California towns.
In dollars, FEMA expects about $18.2M a year in losses across Alpine: $17.3M to buildings, the rest to people and crops.
Does Alpine flood? Rarely: 7 flood claims since 1982
Every paid claim on a federal flood insurance policy in Alpine, from FEMA’s records: 1.2 per 1,000 homes, fewer than 73% of the 13,809 U.S. towns with a flood insurance record.
Alpine isn’t in FEMA’s Community Rating System, which cuts flood insurance up to 45% in towns that do extra flood-proofing.
Insurance rates: San Diego County.4 federal disasters brought FEMA money to Alpine
Disasters that paid out in Alpine itself (aid to households or repair grants to Alpine), newest first, with that year’s flood claims.
- 2024Severe Storm and Flooding20 households applied for aid$13K aid approved
- 2007Wildfires, Flooding, Mud Flows, and Debris Flows36 households applied for aid$6K aid approved
- 2004Severe Storms, Flooding, Debris Flows, and Mudslides13 households applied for aid$17K aid approved
- 2003Wildfires, Flooding, Mudflow and Debris Flow Directly Related T713 households applied for aid$1.2M aid approved
San Diego County has had 30 natural disasters declared by the President since 1953, most often severe storms, then floods. Not counted: the 2005 Hurricane Katrina evacuee emergency, which covered counties that took in evacuees.
Also 18 FEMA wildfire suppression grants (Fire Management Assistance, not a disaster declaration) for fires in San Diego County, 2002–2018.
Old photos of Alpine after a storm or flood belong in the town’s history. Add one, or share what you remember below.
Add to the Alpine archive →Alpine and its neighbors
Alpine is 2nd of the 2 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Harbison Canyon | D−among the highest damage | wildfire | 3 |
| Alpine | D−among the highest damage | wildfire | 7 |
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 Alpine faces
A short kit for the hazards that drive the building damage here, what to check before you buy, and where neighbors get alerts.
- 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.
- 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.
- 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 Alpine
Is Alpine at risk for natural disasters?
On FEMA’s National Risk Index, Alpine has among the highest expected damage per building of U.S. towns: D− for hazard risk, #792 of 847 in California. Most of the expected damage is wildfire (77%) and river and rain flooding (20%). This is FEMA’s model of an average year for today’s buildings, not a forecast.
Does Alpine flood?
Flood insurance has paid 7 claims in Alpine since 1982, $98K in all, or 1.2 per 1,000 homes, fewer than 73% of U.S. towns with a flood insurance record.
Is Alpine 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 San Diego County, 24% of homes in mapped flood zones carry federal flood insurance, and 0.7% of all homes do.
How much is flood insurance in Alpine?
FEMA’s Community Rating System list shows no discount for Alpine’s flood program. Premiums depend on the building; policies usually start 30 days after you buy, so get a quote early.
What was the biggest storm in Alpine?
By FEMA money that reached Alpine, Wildfires, Flooding, Mudflow and Debris Flow Directly Related T (2003): 713 households applied for aid, $1.2M approved.
Is Alpine at risk from wildfire?
It is the largest share of the building damage FEMA expects here (77%), and Alpine’s rate for it is in the top 1% of U.S. census tracts.
Storm stories
Memories, warnings and help from neighbors in Alpine.
Sources: FEMA National Risk Index v1.20 (December 2025), census-tract table, combined by where Alpine’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.