FEMA expects more hazard damage per building in Auberry than in 95% of U.S. towns, mostly from wildfire
On FEMA’s National Risk Index, Auberry gets a D for hazard risk: higher expected damage per building than 95% of U.S. towns, #562 of 847 in California. Most of that expected damage is wildfire (54%), then river and rain flooding (40%). FEMA’s files show no paid flood insurance claims here.
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 Auberry 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
Earthquakes
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 Auberry’s grade
Wildfire is 54% of the building damage FEMA expects in Auberry, and Auberry’s rate of wildfire damage is in the top 1% of U.S. census tracts. Next is river and rain flooding at 40% (higher than 81% of U.S. census tracts).
D #562 of 847 in California; higher expected damage per building than 95% of U.S. towns (21,298).
Auberry’s residents live in 4 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, Auberry has more expected damage per building than 66% of California towns.
In dollars, FEMA expects about $3.6M a year in losses across Auberry: $3.4M to buildings, the rest to people and crops.
Does Auberry flood? No paid flood claims on record
FEMA’s records show no paid flood insurance claims in Auberry. That’s not a promise: most homes don’t carry flood insurance, so small floods go unrecorded.
Auberry isn’t in FEMA’s Community Rating System, which cuts flood insurance up to 45% in towns that do extra flood-proofing.
Insurance rates: Fresno County.1 federal disaster brought FEMA money to Auberry
Disasters that paid out in Auberry itself (aid to households or repair grants to Auberry), newest first, with that year’s flood claims.
- 2020Wildfires241 households applied for aid$639K aid approved
Fresno County has had 15 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 2 FEMA wildfire suppression grants (Fire Management Assistance, not a disaster declaration) for fires in Fresno County, 2016–2020.
Old photos of Auberry after a storm or flood belong in the town’s history. Add one, or share what you remember below.
Add to the Auberry archive →Auberry and its neighbors
Auberry has the lowest expected damage per building of the 1 graded towns here. Tap a town to see its hazards.
| Town | Hazard risk | Mostly (buildings) | Flood claims |
|---|---|---|---|
| Auberry | Dmore damage than 95% | wildfire | 0 |
| Shaver Lake | — | 371 residents; we grade 1,000+ | |
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 Auberry 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.
- Drop, cover and hold on.
- Strap tall furniture and the water heater to the wall.
- Know how to shut off the gas.
- 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 Auberry
Is Auberry at risk for natural disasters?
On FEMA’s National Risk Index, Auberry has higher expected damage per building than 95% of U.S. towns: D for hazard risk, #562 of 847 in California. Most of the expected damage is wildfire (54%) and river and rain flooding (40%). This is FEMA’s model of an average year for today’s buildings, not a forecast.
Is Auberry 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 Fresno County, 20% of homes in mapped flood zones carry federal flood insurance, and 0.3% of all homes do.
How much is flood insurance in Auberry?
FEMA’s Community Rating System list shows no discount for Auberry’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 Auberry?
By FEMA money that reached Auberry, Wildfires (2020): 241 households applied for aid, $639K approved.
Is Auberry at risk from wildfire?
It is the largest share of the building damage FEMA expects here (54%), and Auberry’s rate for it is in the top 1% of U.S. census tracts.
Storm stories
Memories, warnings and help from neighbors in Auberry.
Sources: FEMA National Risk Index v1.20 (December 2025), census-tract table, combined by where Auberry’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.