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–Not graded
Natural hazards in College City · FEMA

Storms, floods and disasters in College City

College City isn’t graded for hazard risk: College City has 557 residents; we grade towns of 1,000 or more. Flood insurance has paid 8 claims here since 1983.

Flood claims
8
paid since 1983 · $193K
Disasters paid out here
0
of 15 declared for Colusa County
By hazard

What College City 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

50%of expected building damage
Above average · higher than 67% of U.S. census tracts
Recorded about once every 2 years in the area

Earthquakes

43%of expected building damage
Well above average · higher than 89% of U.S. census tracts

Wildfire

6%of expected building damage
Well above average · in the top 5% of U.S. census tracts
Smaller shares here
 Tornadoes Hail Strong wind Winter storms Heat waves Landslides Lightning Volcanic activity
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 drought at 80% of College City’s expected losses. Drought does 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 College City flood? Rarely: 8 flood claims since 1983

Every paid claim on a federal flood insurance policy in College City, from FEMA’s records.

Paid flood claims, by year
1983: 1 claim1984: 0 claims1985: 0 claims1986: 1 claim1987: 0 claims1988: 0 claims1989: 0 claims1990: 0 claims1991: 0 claims1992: 0 claims1993: 0 claims1994: 0 claims1995: 2 claims1996: 0 claims1997: 0 claims1998: 1 claim1999: 0 claims2000: 0 claims2001: 0 claims2002: 0 claims2003: 0 claims2004: 0 claims2005: 0 claims2006: 0 claims2007: 0 claims2008: 0 claims2009: 0 claims2010: 0 claims2011: 0 claims2012: 0 claims2013: 0 claims2014: 0 claims2015: 0 claims2016: 0 claims2017: 0 claims2018: 0 claims2019: 3 claims2020: 0 claims2021: 0 claims2022: 0 claims2023: 0 claims2024: 0 claims2025: 0 claims2026: 0 claims198319952019
19832026
Biggest named events
  • The Pineapple Express - Southern1 claim · $7K
8
paid claims since 1983
$193K
paid to owners
0
homes flooded more than once
$24K
average claim
of homes in flood zones are insured
of all homes are insured
No community discount

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

Insurance rates: Colusa County.
Disasters

The storms College City remembers

None of the 15 disasters declared for Colusa County shows FEMA aid or repair money reaching College City itself in FEMA’s records, so these are its biggest flood-claim years.

  1. 20193 flood claims paidThe year of Severe Winter Storms, Flooding, Landslides, and Mudslides, declared for Colusa County
  2. 19952 flood claims paidThe year of Severe Winter Storms, Flooding Landslides, Mud Flow, declared for Colusa County
  3. 19831 flood claims paidThe year of Coastal Storms, Floods, Slides and Tornadoes, declared for Colusa County
Disasters declared, by decade
Paid out in College CityColusa County only

Colusa 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.

Were you here?

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

Add to the College City archive →
Be ready

Get ready for what College City faces

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

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 ↗
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 ↗
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 College City

Does College City flood?

Flood insurance has paid 8 claims in College City since 1983, $193K in all. The most claims came from Pineapple Express - Southern (1).

Is College City 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 Colusa County, 72% of homes in mapped flood zones carry federal flood insurance, and 6.9% of all homes do.

How much is flood insurance in College City?

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

By flood claims, Pineapple Express - Southern: 1 paid, $7K.

Storm stories

Memories, warnings and help from neighbors in College City.

Town Square →
Start the conversation

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