Photo: John Pilge · Public domainFEMA expects more hazard damage per building in Brookdale than almost anywhere in the U.S., mostly from river and rain flooding
On FEMA’s National Risk Index, Brookdale gets a D− for hazard risk: among the highest expected damage per building of U.S. towns. Most of that expected damage is river and rain flooding (69%), then earthquakes (26%). Flood insurance has paid 17 claims here since 1980.
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 Brookdale 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
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 Brookdale’s grade
River and rain flooding is 69% of the building damage FEMA expects in Brookdale, and Brookdale’s rate of river and rain flooding damage is in the top 1% of U.S. census tracts. Earthquakes add 26%, at a rate in the top 5% of U.S. census tracts.
D− among the highest expected damage per building of U.S. towns (21,298).
Brookdale’s residents live in 2 census tracts; FEMA’s figures are combined by where they live.
In dollars, FEMA expects about $2.7M a year in losses across Brookdale: $2.4M to buildings, the rest to people and crops.
Does Brookdale flood? Sometimes: 17 flood claims since 1980
Every paid claim on a federal flood insurance policy in Brookdale, from FEMA’s records: 21.2 per 1,000 homes, more than 85% of the 13,809 U.S. towns with a flood insurance record.
- The Pineapple Express - Southern7 claims · $184K
- The California Atmospheric River2 claims · $87K
Brookdale isn’t in FEMA’s Community Rating System, which cuts flood insurance up to 45% in towns that do extra flood-proofing.
Insurance rates: Santa Cruz County.3 federal disasters brought FEMA money to Brookdale
Disasters that paid out in Brookdale itself (aid to households or repair grants to Brookdale), newest first, with that year’s flood claims.
- 2023Severe Winter Storms, Straight-line Winds, Flooding, Landslides, and Mudslides39 households applied for aid$106K aid approved
- 2022Severe Winter Storms, Flooding, Landslides, and Mudslides22 households applied for aid$67K aid approved2 flood claims paid that year
- 2020Wildfires154 households applied for aid$202K aid approved
Santa Cruz County has had 24 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 6 FEMA wildfire suppression grants (Fire Management Assistance, not a disaster declaration) for fires in Santa Cruz County, 2002–2020.
Old photos of Brookdale after a storm or flood belong in the town’s history. Add one, or share what you remember below.
Add to the Brookdale archive →Brookdale and its neighbors
Brookdale has the lowest expected damage per building of the 3 graded towns here. Tap a town to see its hazards.
| Town | Hazard risk | Mostly (buildings) | Flood claims |
|---|---|---|---|
| Brookdale | D−among the highest damage | river and rain flooding | 17 |
| Ben Lomond | D−among the highest damage | river and rain flooding | 48 |
| Boulder Creek | D−among the highest damage | river and rain flooding | 34 |
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 Brookdale 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.
- 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 Brookdale
Is Brookdale at risk for natural disasters?
On FEMA’s National Risk Index, Brookdale has among the highest expected damage per building of U.S. towns: D− for hazard risk. Most of the expected damage is river and rain flooding (69%) and earthquakes (26%). This is FEMA’s model of an average year for today’s buildings, not a forecast.
Does Brookdale flood?
Flood insurance has paid 17 claims in Brookdale since 1980, $373K in all, or 21.2 per 1,000 homes, more than 85% of U.S. towns with a flood insurance record. The most claims came from Pineapple Express - Southern (7).
Is Brookdale 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 Santa Cruz County, 33% of homes in mapped flood zones carry federal flood insurance, and 2.5% of all homes do.
How much is flood insurance in Brookdale?
FEMA’s Community Rating System list shows no discount for Brookdale’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 Brookdale?
By FEMA money that reached Brookdale, Wildfires (2020): 154 households applied for aid, $202K approved. By flood claims, Pineapple Express - Southern: 7 paid, $184K.
Is Brookdale at risk from river and rain flooding?
It is the largest share of the building damage FEMA expects here (69%), and Brookdale’s rate for it is in the top 1% of U.S. census tracts.
Storm stories
Memories, warnings and help from neighbors in Brookdale.
Sources: FEMA National Risk Index v1.20 (December 2025), census-tract table, combined by where Brookdale’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.