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GratonEdit2723Photo: Stepheng3 at English Wikipedia · Public domain
D−Hazard risk
Natural hazards in Graton · FEMA

FEMA puts Graton’s expected hazard damage per building above that of 98% of U.S. towns, mostly from river and rain flooding

On FEMA’s National Risk Index, Graton gets a D− for hazard risk: higher expected damage per building than 98% of U.S. towns. Most of that expected damage is river and rain flooding (58%), then earthquakes (39%). FEMA’s files show no paid flood insurance claims here.

River and rain flooding 58%Earthquakes 39%Wildfire 3%

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

more than 98%of U.S. townsLess damageMoreExpected yearly damage per dollar of building, vs. the 21,298 U.S. towns we grade
Hazard risk
D−
in California · higher than 98% of U.S. towns
Main hazard
River and rain flooding
58% of expected building damage
Flood claims
0
paid since 1978 · $0
Disasters paid out here
1
of 24 declared for Sonoma County
By hazard

What Graton 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

58%of expected building damage
Well above average · in the top 4% of U.S. census tracts
Recorded about 3 times a year in the area

Earthquakes

39%of expected building damage
Well above average · in the top 4% of U.S. census tracts
Smaller shares here
 Wildfire top 5% Tornadoes Hail Strong wind Winter storms Heat waves Landslides Lightning Volcanic activity top 5%
FEMA models no building damage here
Coastal floodingHurricanesIce stormsCold wavesAvalanchesTsunamis

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.
Hazard risk grade

What’s behind Graton’s grade

River and rain flooding is 58% of the building damage FEMA expects in Graton, and Graton’s rate of river and rain flooding damage is in the top 4% of U.S. census tracts. Earthquakes add 39%, at a rate in the top 4% of U.S. census tracts.

Where Graton sits
Graton
Least damageMiddleMost damage

D− higher expected damage per building than 98% of U.S. towns (21,298).

Graton’s residents live in 2 census tracts; FEMA’s figures are combined by where they live.

What drives the damage to buildings
River and rain flooding58%Earthquakes39%Wildfire3%

In dollars, FEMA expects about $2.5M a year in losses across Graton: $2.0M to buildings, the rest to people and crops.

A small-area figure. Graton covers 2 census tracts, combined by where residents live. FEMA’s model is an average year for today’s buildings, not a record: the claims and disasters below are the record.

How TownRatings grades hazard risk →

Flood insurance claims

Does Graton flood? No paid flood claims on record

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

of homes in flood zones are insured
of all homes are insured
No community discount

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

Insurance rates: Sonoma County.
Disasters

1 federal disaster brought FEMA money to Graton

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

  1. 2005Severe Storms, Flooding, Mudslides, and Landslides1 households applied for aid$6K aid approved
Disasters declared, by decade
Paid out in GratonSonoma County only

Sonoma County has had 24 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 Sonoma County, 2004–2020.

Were you here?

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

Add to the Graton archive →
Be ready

Get ready for what Graton 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 ↗
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 Graton

Is Graton at risk for natural disasters?

On FEMA’s National Risk Index, Graton has higher expected damage per building than 98% of U.S. towns: D− for hazard risk. Most of the expected damage is river and rain flooding (58%) and earthquakes (39%). This is FEMA’s model of an average year for today’s buildings, not a forecast.

Is Graton 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 Sonoma County, 31% of homes in mapped flood zones carry federal flood insurance, and 1.1% of all homes do.

How much is flood insurance in Graton?

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

By FEMA money that reached Graton, Severe Storms, Flooding, Mudslides, and Landslides (2005): 1 households applied for aid, $6K approved.

Is Graton at risk from river and rain flooding?

It is the largest share of the building damage FEMA expects here (58%), and Graton’s rate for it is in the top 4% of U.S. census tracts.

Storm stories

Memories, warnings and help from neighbors in Graton.

Town Square →
Start the conversation

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