Courtlandt Gross House · Photo: Bobak Ha'Eri · CC BY 3.0FEMA puts Golden Hills’s expected hazard damage per building above that of 96% of U.S. towns, mostly from wildfire
On FEMA’s National Risk Index, Golden Hills gets a D− for hazard risk: higher expected damage per building than 96% of U.S. towns, #617 of 847 in California. Most of that expected damage is wildfire (62%), then river and rain flooding (24%). Flood insurance has paid 1 claim here since 1998.
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 Golden Hills 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
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 Golden Hills’ grade
Wildfire is 62% of the building damage FEMA expects in Golden Hills, and Golden Hills’ rate of wildfire damage is in the top 1% of U.S. census tracts. Next is river and rain flooding at 24% (higher than 65% of U.S. census tracts).
D− #617 of 847 in California; higher expected damage per building than 96% of U.S. towns (21,298).
Golden Hills’ residents live in 4 census tracts; FEMA’s figures are combined by where they live.
The typical California town has higher expected damage than 92% of U.S. towns; within the state, Golden Hills has more expected damage per building than 73% of California towns.
In dollars, FEMA expects about $6.7M a year in losses across Golden Hills: $6.1M to buildings, the rest to people and crops.
Does Golden Hills flood? Rarely: 1 flood claim since 1998
Every paid claim on a federal flood insurance policy in Golden Hills, from FEMA’s records: 0.2 per 1,000 homes, fewer than 96% of the 13,809 U.S. towns with a flood insurance record.
- The Pineapple Express - Southern1 claim · $1K
Golden Hills isn’t in FEMA’s Community Rating System, which cuts flood insurance up to 45% in towns that do extra flood-proofing.
Insurance rates: Kern County.The storms Golden Hills remembers
None of the 22 disasters declared for Kern County shows FEMA aid or repair money reaching Golden Hills itself in FEMA’s records, so these are its biggest flood-claim years.
- 19981 flood claims paidThe year of Ca-citrus Crop Damage 2/2/99, declared for Kern County
Kern County has had 22 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 15 FEMA wildfire suppression grants (Fire Management Assistance, not a disaster declaration) for fires in Kern County, 2002–2024.
Old photos of Golden Hills after a storm or flood belong in the town’s history. Add one, or share what you remember below.
Add to the Golden Hills archive →Golden Hills and its neighbors
Golden Hills is 2nd of the 2 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Tehachapi | Dmore damage than 94% | wildfire | 1 |
| Golden Hills | D−more damage than 96% | wildfire | 1 |
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 Golden Hills 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.
- 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 Golden Hills
Is Golden Hills at risk for natural disasters?
On FEMA’s National Risk Index, Golden Hills has higher expected damage per building than 96% of U.S. towns: D− for hazard risk, #617 of 847 in California. Most of the expected damage is wildfire (62%) and river and rain flooding (24%). This is FEMA’s model of an average year for today’s buildings, not a forecast.
Does Golden Hills flood?
Flood insurance has paid 1 claim in Golden Hills since 1998, $1K in all, or 0.2 per 1,000 homes, fewer than 96% of U.S. towns with a flood insurance record. The most claims came from Pineapple Express - Southern (1).
Is Golden Hills 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 Kern County, 20% of homes in mapped flood zones carry federal flood insurance, and 1.1% of all homes do.
How much is flood insurance in Golden Hills?
FEMA’s Community Rating System list shows no discount for Golden Hills’ 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 Golden Hills?
By flood claims, Pineapple Express - Southern: 1 paid, $1K.
Is Golden Hills at risk from wildfire?
It is the largest share of the building damage FEMA expects here (62%), and Golden Hills’ rate for it is in the top 1% of U.S. census tracts.
Storm stories
Memories, warnings and help from neighbors in Golden Hills.
Sources: FEMA National Risk Index v1.20 (December 2025), census-tract table, combined by where Golden Hills’ 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.