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Cathey's Valley park entrancePhoto: Foo39 · CC BY-SA 4.0
–Not graded
Natural hazards in Catheys Valley · FEMA

Storms, floods and disasters in Catheys Valley

Catheys Valley isn’t graded for hazard risk: Catheys Valley has 939 residents; we grade towns of 1,000 or more.

Flood claims
0
paid since 1978 · $0
Disasters paid out here
1
of 12 declared for Mariposa County
By hazard

What Catheys Valley faces

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

Wildfire

66%of expected building damage
Well above average · in the top 1% of U.S. census tracts

River and rain flooding

32%of expected building damage
Well above average · higher than 89% of U.S. census tracts
Recorded about 2 times a year in the area
Smaller shares here
 Earthquakes Tornadoes Strong wind Landslides top 2% Hail Winter storms Heat waves top 3% Lightning Volcanic activity top 4%
FEMA models no building damage here
Coastal floodingHurricanesIce stormsCold wavesAvalanchesTsunamis
People, not buildings.Counting harm to people as well as buildings, FEMA’s model puts heat waves at 48% of Catheys Valley’s expected losses. Heat waves do little damage to buildings (0.0%), so they aren’t part of the grade.

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.
Flood insurance claims

Does Catheys Valley flood? No paid flood claims on record

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

Disasters

1 federal disaster brought FEMA money to Catheys Valley

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

  1. 2023Severe Winter Storms, Straight-line Winds, Flooding, Landslides, and Mudslides9 households applied for aid$12K aid approved
Disasters declared, by decade
Paid out in Catheys ValleyMariposa County only

Mariposa County has had 12 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 8 FEMA wildfire suppression grants (Fire Management Assistance, not a disaster declaration) for fires in Mariposa County, 2004–2024.

Were you here?

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

Add to the Catheys Valley archive →
Be ready

Get ready for what Catheys Valley 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 Catheys Valley

Is Catheys Valley 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.

How much is flood insurance in Catheys Valley?

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

By FEMA money that reached Catheys Valley, Severe Winter Storms, Straight-line Winds, Flooding, Landslides, and Mudslides (2023): 9 households applied for aid, $12K approved.

Storm stories

Memories, warnings and help from neighbors in Catheys Valley.

Town Square →
Start the conversation

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