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Fort Jones HousePhoto: NoeHill · CC BY-SA 3.0
–Not graded
Natural hazards in Fort Jones · FEMA

Storms, floods and disasters in Fort Jones

Fort Jones isn’t graded for hazard risk: Fort Jones has 562 residents; we grade towns of 1,000 or more. Flood insurance has paid 2 claims here since 1996.

Flood claims
2
paid since 1996 · $3K
Disasters paid out here
1
of 14 declared for Siskiyou County
By hazard

What Fort Jones faces

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

Wildfire

53%of expected building damage
Well above average · in the top 1% of U.S. census tracts

River and rain flooding

44%of expected building damage
Well above average · in the top 2% of U.S. census tracts
Recorded about once a year in the area
Smaller shares here
 Earthquakes Tornadoes Hail Strong wind Winter storms Heat waves Landslides Lightning Avalanches top 1% Volcanic activity top 0%
FEMA models no building damage here
Coastal floodingHurricanesIce stormsCold wavesTsunamis
People, not buildings.Counting harm to people as well as buildings, FEMA’s model puts avalanches at 12% of Fort Jones’ expected losses. Avalanches 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 Fort Jones flood? Rarely: 2 flood claims since 1996

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

Paid flood claims, by year
1996: 1 claim1997: 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: 0 claims2020: 0 claims2021: 0 claims2022: 0 claims2023: 0 claims2024: 0 claims2025: 0 claims2026: 0 claims19961998
19962026
Biggest named events
  • The Pineapple Express - Southern1 claim · $1K
2
paid claims since 1996
$3K
paid to owners
0
homes flooded more than once
$1K
average claim
of homes in flood zones are insured
of all homes are insured
No community discount

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

Insurance rates: Siskiyou County.
Disasters

1 federal disaster brought FEMA money to Fort Jones

Disasters that paid out in Fort Jones itself (aid to households or repair grants to the City of Fort Jones), newest first, with that year’s flood claims.

  1. 2005Severe Storms, Flooding, Mudslides, and Landslides51 households applied for aid$60K aid approved$35K to the City of Fort Jones for repairs
Disasters declared, by decade
Paid out in Fort JonesSiskiyou County only

Siskiyou County has had 14 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 Siskiyou County, 2014–2022.

Were you here?

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

Add to the Fort Jones archive →
Be ready

Get ready for what Fort Jones 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 Fort Jones

Does Fort Jones flood?

Flood insurance has paid 2 claims in Fort Jones since 1996, $3K in all. The most claims came from Pineapple Express - Southern (1).

Is Fort Jones 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 Siskiyou County, 9% of homes in mapped flood zones carry federal flood insurance, and 0.8% of all homes do.

How much is flood insurance in Fort Jones?

FEMA’s Community Rating System list shows no discount for Fort Jones’ 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 Fort Jones?

By FEMA money that reached Fort Jones, Severe Storms, Flooding, Mudslides, and Landslides (2005): 51 households applied for aid, $60K approved, and $35K to the City of Fort Jones for repairs. By flood claims, Pineapple Express - Southern: 1 paid, $1K.

Storm stories

Memories, warnings and help from neighbors in Fort Jones.

Town Square →
Start the conversation

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