On FEMA’s figures, Crest faces more hazard damage per building than 98% of U.S. towns, mostly from wildfire
On FEMA’s National Risk Index, Crest gets a D− for hazard risk: higher expected damage per building than 98% of U.S. towns, #726 of 847 in California. Most of that expected damage is wildfire (72%), then river and rain flooding (24%). Flood insurance has paid 2 claims here since 1993.
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 Crest 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
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 Crest’s grade
Wildfire is 72% of the building damage FEMA expects in Crest, and Crest’s rate of wildfire damage is in the top 1% of U.S. census tracts. Next is river and rain flooding at 24% (higher than 72% of U.S. census tracts).
D− #726 of 847 in California; higher expected damage per building than 98% of U.S. towns (21,298).
All of Crest’s residents live in one census tract; the figures are that tract’s.
The typical California town has higher expected damage than 92% of U.S. towns; within the state, Crest has more expected damage per building than 86% of California towns.
In dollars, FEMA expects about $2.4M a year in losses across Crest: $2.2M to buildings, the rest to people and crops.
Does Crest flood? Rarely: 2 flood claims since 1993
Every paid claim on a federal flood insurance policy in Crest, from FEMA’s records: 1.9 per 1,000 homes, fewer than 63% of the 13,809 U.S. towns with a flood insurance record.
Crest isn’t in FEMA’s Community Rating System, which cuts flood insurance up to 45% in towns that do extra flood-proofing.
Insurance rates: San Diego County.1 federal disaster brought FEMA money to Crest
Disasters that paid out in Crest itself (aid to households or repair grants to Crest), newest first, with that year’s flood claims.
- 2003Wildfires, Flooding, Mudflow and Debris Flow Directly Related T9 households applied for aid$59K aid approved
San Diego County has had 30 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 18 FEMA wildfire suppression grants (Fire Management Assistance, not a disaster declaration) for fires in San Diego County, 2002–2018.
Old photos of Crest after a storm or flood belong in the town’s history. Add one, or share what you remember below.
Add to the Crest archive →Crest and its neighbors
Crest is 3rd of the 4 graded towns here, from least expected damage per building to most. Tap a town to see its hazards.
| Town | Hazard risk | Mostly (buildings) | Flood claims |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rancho San Diego | C−more damage than 77% | river and rain flooding | 4 |
| Granite Hills | C−more damage than 85% | river and rain flooding | 2 |
| Crest | D−more damage than 98% | wildfire | 2 |
| Harbison Canyon | D−among the highest damage | wildfire | 3 |
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 Crest 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.
- 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 Crest
Is Crest at risk for natural disasters?
On FEMA’s National Risk Index, Crest has higher expected damage per building than 98% of U.S. towns: D− for hazard risk, #726 of 847 in California. Most of the expected damage is wildfire (72%) and river and rain flooding (24%). The figures are for the one census tract the town shares with its neighbors. This is FEMA’s model of an average year for today’s buildings, not a forecast.
Does Crest flood?
Flood insurance has paid 2 claims in Crest since 1993, $46K in all, or 1.9 per 1,000 homes, fewer than 63% of U.S. towns with a flood insurance record.
Is Crest 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 San Diego County, 24% of homes in mapped flood zones carry federal flood insurance, and 0.7% of all homes do.
How much is flood insurance in Crest?
FEMA’s Community Rating System list shows no discount for Crest’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 Crest?
By FEMA money that reached Crest, Wildfires, Flooding, Mudflow and Debris Flow Directly Related T (2003): 9 households applied for aid, $59K approved.
Is Crest at risk from wildfire?
It is the largest share of the building damage FEMA expects here (72%), and Crest’s rate for it is in the top 1% of U.S. census tracts.
Storm stories
Memories, warnings and help from neighbors in Crest.
Sources: FEMA National Risk Index v1.20 (December 2025), census-tract table, combined by where Crest’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.