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Anza2005Photo: Trios2007 · Public domain
D−Hazard risk
Natural hazards in Anza · FEMA

FEMA expects more hazard damage per building in Anza than almost anywhere in the U.S., mostly from wildfire

On FEMA’s National Risk Index, Anza gets a D− for hazard risk: among the highest expected damage per building of U.S. towns. Most of that expected damage is wildfire (81%), then river and rain flooding (10%). FEMA’s files show no paid flood insurance claims here.

Wildfire 81%River and rain flooding 10%Earthquakes 9%

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

among the highestof U.S. townsLess damageMoreExpected yearly damage per dollar of building, vs. the 21,298 U.S. towns we grade
Hazard risk
D−
in California · among the highest of U.S. towns
Main hazard
Wildfire
81% of expected building damage
Flood claims
0
paid since 1978 · $0
Disasters paid out here
1
of 33 declared for Riverside County
By hazard

What Anza faces

Each hazard’s share of the building damage FEMA expects here, and how its rate compares with the rest of the country.

Wildfire

81%of expected building damage
Well above average · in the top 1% of U.S. census tracts

River and rain flooding

10%of expected building damage
Well above average · higher than 89% of U.S. census tracts
Recorded about 7 times a year in the area

Earthquakes

9%of expected building damage
Well above average · in the top 5% of U.S. census tracts
Smaller shares here
 Landslides top 1% Hurricanes Tornadoes Hail Strong wind Winter storms Cold waves Heat waves Lightning Avalanches top 1% Volcanic activity
FEMA models no building damage here
Coastal floodingIce stormsTsunamis

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.

Flood risk changes street by street. Check a specific address on FEMA’s flood map, and ask about flood insurance before you buy.
Hazard risk grade

What’s behind Anza’s grade

Wildfire is 81% of the building damage FEMA expects in Anza, and Anza’s rate of wildfire damage is in the top 1% of U.S. census tracts. Earthquakes add 9%, at a rate in the top 5% of U.S. census tracts.

Where Anza sits
Anza
Least damageMiddleMost damage

D− among the highest expected damage per building of U.S. towns (21,298).

Anza’s residents live in 2 census tracts; FEMA’s figures are combined by where they live.

What drives the damage to buildings
Wildfire81%River and rain flooding10%Earthquakes9%

In dollars, FEMA expects about $10.8M a year in losses across Anza: $9.9M to buildings, the rest to people and crops.

A small-area figure. Anza covers 2 census tracts, combined by where residents live. FEMA’s model is an average year for today’s buildings, not a record: the claims and disasters below are the record.

How TownRatings grades hazard risk →

Flood insurance claims

Does Anza flood? No paid flood claims on record

FEMA’s records show no paid flood insurance claims in Anza. That’s not a promise: most homes don’t carry flood insurance, so small floods go unrecorded.

of homes in flood zones are insured
of all homes are insured
No community discount

Anza isn’t in FEMA’s Community Rating System, which cuts flood insurance up to 45% in towns that do extra flood-proofing.

Insurance rates: Riverside County.
Disasters

1 federal disaster brought FEMA money to Anza

Disasters that paid out in Anza itself (aid to households or repair grants to Anza), newest first, with that year’s flood claims.

  1. 2004Severe Storms, Flooding, Debris Flows, and Mudslides2 households applied for aid$752 aid approved
Disasters declared, by decade
Paid out in AnzaRiverside County only

Riverside County has had 33 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 30 FEMA wildfire suppression grants (Fire Management Assistance, not a disaster declaration) for fires in Riverside County, 2003–2026.

Were you here?

Old photos of Anza after a storm or flood belong in the town’s history. Add one, or share what you remember below.

Add to the Anza archive →
Be ready

Get ready for what Anza faces

A short kit for the hazards that drive the building damage here, what to check before you buy, and where neighbors get alerts.

Wildfire
  • 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.
More from Ready.gov ↗
When the river rises
  • 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.
More from Ready.gov ↗
Earthquakes
  • Drop, cover and hold on.
  • Strap tall furniture and the water heater to the wall.
  • Know how to shut off the gas.
More from Ready.gov ↗
Before you buy or rent
  • 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.
When a storm is coming
Forecast and alertsWeather →911, the nearest ERSafety →

Know where neighbors sign up for alerts? Add it to the Handbook so everyone has it.

Questions about natural hazards in Anza

Is Anza at risk for natural disasters?

On FEMA’s National Risk Index, Anza has among the highest expected damage per building of U.S. towns: D− for hazard risk. Most of the expected damage is wildfire (81%) and river and rain flooding (10%). This is FEMA’s model of an average year for today’s buildings, not a forecast.

Is Anza 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 Riverside County, 16% of homes in mapped flood zones carry federal flood insurance, and 0.5% of all homes do.

How much is flood insurance in Anza?

FEMA’s Community Rating System list shows no discount for Anza’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 Anza?

By FEMA money that reached Anza, Severe Storms, Flooding, Debris Flows, and Mudslides (2004): 2 households applied for aid, $752 approved.

Is Anza at risk from wildfire?

It is the largest share of the building damage FEMA expects here (81%), and Anza’s rate for it is in the top 1% of U.S. census tracts.

Storm stories

Memories, warnings and help from neighbors in Anza.

Town Square →
Start the conversation

Sources: FEMA National Risk Index v1.20 (December 2025), census-tract table, combined by where Anza’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.