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DHazard risk
Natural hazards in Arnold · FEMA

FEMA expects more hazard damage per building in Arnold than in 91% of U.S. towns, mostly from wildfire

On FEMA’s National Risk Index, Arnold gets a D for hazard risk: higher expected damage per building than 91% of U.S. towns. Most of that expected damage is wildfire (72%), then river and rain flooding (26%). FEMA’s files show no paid flood insurance claims here.

Wildfire 72%River and rain flooding 26%Earthquakes 2%

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

more than 91%of U.S. townsLess damageMoreExpected yearly damage per dollar of building, vs. the 21,298 U.S. towns we grade
Hazard risk
D
in California · higher than 91% of U.S. towns
Main hazard
Wildfire
72% of expected building damage
Flood claims
0
paid since 1978 · $0
Disasters paid out here
2
of 15 declared for Calaveras County
By hazard

What Arnold faces

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

Wildfire

72%of expected building damage
Well above average · in the top 1% of U.S. census tracts

River and rain flooding

26%of expected building damage
About average · lower than 57% of U.S. census tracts
Recorded about once every 1 years in the area
Smaller shares here
 Earthquakes Tornadoes Strong wind Winter storms Hail Heat waves Landslides Lightning Avalanches top 1% Volcanic activity top 4%
FEMA models no building damage here
Coastal floodingHurricanesIce stormsCold wavesTsunamis

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 Arnold’s grade

Wildfire is 72% of the building damage FEMA expects in Arnold, and Arnold’s rate of wildfire damage is in the top 1% of U.S. census tracts. Next is river and rain flooding at 26% (lower than 57% of U.S. census tracts).

Where Arnold sits
Arnold
Least damageMiddleMost damage

D higher expected damage per building than 91% of U.S. towns (21,298).

Arnold’s residents live in 4 census tracts; FEMA’s figures are combined by where they live.

What drives the damage to buildings
Wildfire72%River and rain flooding26%Everything else2%

In dollars, FEMA expects about $5.1M a year in losses across Arnold: $4.8M to buildings, the rest to people and crops.

A small-area figure. Arnold covers 4 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 Arnold flood? No paid flood claims on record

FEMA’s records show no paid flood insurance claims in Arnold. 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

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

Insurance rates: Calaveras County.
Disasters

2 federal disasters brought FEMA money to Arnold

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

  1. 2022Severe Winter Storms, Flooding, Landslides, and Mudslides9 households applied for aid$12K aid approved
  2. 2015Valley Fire and Butte Fire7 households applied for aid$1K aid approved
Disasters declared, by decade
Paid out in ArnoldCalaveras County only

Calaveras County has had 15 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 5 FEMA wildfire suppression grants (Fire Management Assistance, not a disaster declaration) for fires in Calaveras County, 2004–2026.

Were you here?

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

Add to the Arnold archive →
Be ready

Get ready for what Arnold 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 ↗
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 Arnold

Is Arnold at risk for natural disasters?

On FEMA’s National Risk Index, Arnold has higher expected damage per building than 91% of U.S. towns: D for hazard risk. Most of the expected damage is wildfire (72%) and river and rain flooding (26%). This is FEMA’s model of an average year for today’s buildings, not a forecast.

Is Arnold 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 Calaveras County, 37% of homes in mapped flood zones carry federal flood insurance, and 0.4% of all homes do.

How much is flood insurance in Arnold?

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

By FEMA money that reached Arnold, Severe Winter Storms, Flooding, Landslides, and Mudslides (2022): 9 households applied for aid, $12K approved.

Is Arnold at risk from wildfire?

It is the largest share of the building damage FEMA expects here (72%), and Arnold’s rate for it is in the top 1% of U.S. census tracts.

Storm stories

Memories, warnings and help from neighbors in Arnold.

Town Square →
Start the conversation

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