Photo: Luzonensis · CC BY-SA 4.0On FEMA’s figures, few U.S. towns expect more hazard damage per building than Highland, mostly from river and rain flooding
On FEMA’s National Risk Index, Highland gets a D− for hazard risk: among the highest expected damage per building of U.S. towns, #805 of 847 in California. Most of that expected damage is river and rain flooding (51%), then earthquakes (36%). Flood insurance has paid 8 claims here since 2010.
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 Highland 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
Earthquakes
Wildfire
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 Highland’s grade
River and rain flooding is 51% of the building damage FEMA expects in Highland, and Highland’s rate of river and rain flooding damage is in the top 2% of U.S. census tracts. Earthquakes add 36%, at a rate in the top 2% of U.S. census tracts.
D− #805 of 847 in California; among the highest expected damage per building of U.S. towns (21,298).
Highland’s residents live in 19 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, Highland has more expected damage per building than 95% of California towns.
In dollars, FEMA expects about $48.7M a year in losses across Highland: $40.2M to buildings, the rest to people and crops.
Does Highland flood? Rarely: 8 flood claims since 2010
Every paid claim on a federal flood insurance policy in Highland, from FEMA’s records: 0.5 per 1,000 homes, fewer than 90% of the 13,809 U.S. towns with a flood insurance record.
Highland 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 Bernardino County.5 federal disasters brought FEMA money to Highland
Disasters that paid out in Highland itself (aid to households or repair grants to the City of Highland), newest first, with that year’s flood claims.
- 2023Severe Winter Storms, Straight-line Winds, Flooding, Landslides, and Mudslides15 households applied for aid$8K aid approved
- 2010Severe Winter Storms, Flooding, and Debris and Mud Flows$1.1M to the City of Highland for repairs3 flood claims paid that year
- 2007Wildfires, Flooding, Mud Flows, and Debris Flows38 households applied for aid$4K aid approved
- 2004Severe Storms, Flooding, Debris Flows, and Mudslides15 households applied for aid$5K aid approved$60K to the City of Highland for repairs
- 2003Wildfires, Flooding, Mudflow and Debris Flow Directly Related T257 households applied for aid$134K aid approved$3K to the City of Highland for repairs
San Bernardino County has had 34 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 24 FEMA wildfire suppression grants (Fire Management Assistance, not a disaster declaration) for fires in San Bernardino County, 2002–2024.
Old photos of Highland after a storm or flood belong in the town’s history. Add one, or share what you remember below.
Add to the Highland archive →Highland and its neighbors
Highland is 3rd of the 3 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Redlands | D−more damage than 97% | earthquakes | 2 |
| San Bernardino | D−among the highest damage | earthquakes | 87 |
| Highland | D−among the highest damage | river and rain flooding | 8 |
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 Highland faces
A short kit for the hazards that drive the building damage here, what to check before you buy, and where neighbors get alerts.
- 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.
- 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.
- 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 Highland
Is Highland at risk for natural disasters?
On FEMA’s National Risk Index, Highland has among the highest expected damage per building of U.S. towns: D− for hazard risk, #805 of 847 in California. Most of the expected damage is river and rain flooding (51%) and earthquakes (36%). This is FEMA’s model of an average year for today’s buildings, not a forecast.
Does Highland flood?
Flood insurance has paid 8 claims in Highland since 2010, $384K in all, or 0.5 per 1,000 homes, fewer than 90% of U.S. towns with a flood insurance record. 1 properties have flooded more than once.
Is Highland 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 Bernardino County, 15% of homes in mapped flood zones carry federal flood insurance, and 0.3% of all homes do.
How much is flood insurance in Highland?
FEMA’s Community Rating System list shows no discount for Highland’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 Highland?
By FEMA money that reached Highland, Severe Winter Storms, Flooding, and Debris and Mud Flows (2010): $1.1M to the City of Highland for repairs.
Is Highland at risk from river and rain flooding?
It is the largest share of the building damage FEMA expects here (51%), and Highland’s rate for it is in the top 2% of U.S. census tracts.
Storm stories
Memories, warnings and help from neighbors in Highland.
Sources: FEMA National Risk Index v1.20 (December 2025), census-tract table, combined by where Highland’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.