Photo: sachoben · CC BY-SA 2.0FEMA puts Indio’s expected hazard damage per building above that of 96% of U.S. towns, mostly from river and rain flooding
On FEMA’s National Risk Index, Indio gets a D− for hazard risk: higher expected damage per building than 96% of U.S. towns, #646 of 847 in California. Most of that expected damage is river and rain flooding (53%), then earthquakes (46%). Flood insurance has paid 3 claims 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 Indio 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
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 Indio’s grade
River and rain flooding is 53% of the building damage FEMA expects in Indio, and Indio’s rate of river and rain flooding damage is in the top 7% of U.S. census tracts. Earthquakes add 46%, at a rate in the top 3% of U.S. census tracts.
D− #646 of 847 in California; higher expected damage per building than 96% of U.S. towns (21,298).
Indio’s residents live in 25 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, Indio has more expected damage per building than 76% of California towns.
In dollars, FEMA expects about $70.4M a year in losses across Indio: $58.6M to buildings, the rest to people and crops.
Does Indio flood? Rarely: 3 flood claims since 1998
Every paid claim on a federal flood insurance policy in Indio, from FEMA’s records: 0.1 per 1,000 homes, fewer than 99% of the 13,809 U.S. towns with a flood insurance record.
- The Pineapple Express - Southern1 claim · $3K
- Tropical Storm Hilary1 claim · $3K
Indio isn’t in FEMA’s Community Rating System, which cuts flood insurance up to 45% in towns that do extra flood-proofing.
Insurance rates: Riverside County.3 federal disasters brought FEMA money to Indio
Disasters that paid out in Indio itself (aid to households or repair grants to the City of Indio), newest first, with that year’s flood claims.
- 2023Tropical Storm Hilary$1.0M to the City of Indio for repairs1 flood claim paid for it, $3K
- 2019Severe Winter Storms, Flooding, Landslides, and Mudslides$215K to the City of Indio for repairs
- 2004Severe Storms, Flooding, Debris Flows, and Mudslides3 households applied for aid$2K aid approved$5K to the City of Indio for repairs
Riverside County has had 33 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 30 FEMA wildfire suppression grants (Fire Management Assistance, not a disaster declaration) for fires in Riverside County, 2003–2026.
Old photos of Indio after a storm or flood belong in the town’s history. Add one, or share what you remember below.
Add to the Indio archive →Indio and its neighbors
Indio is 4th of the 7 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| La Quinta | Dmore damage than 92% | river and rain flooding | 38 |
| Indio Hills | D−more damage than 95% | river and rain flooding | 1 |
| Desert Palms | D−more damage than 96% | river and rain flooding | — |
| Indio | D−more damage than 96% | river and rain flooding | 3 |
| Vista Santa Rosa | D−more damage than 98% | river and rain flooding | — |
| Bermuda Dunes | D−among the highest damage | river and rain flooding | 4 |
| Coachella | D−among the highest damage | river and rain flooding | — |
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 Indio 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.
- 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 Indio
Is Indio at risk for natural disasters?
On FEMA’s National Risk Index, Indio has higher expected damage per building than 96% of U.S. towns: D− for hazard risk, #646 of 847 in California. Most of the expected damage is river and rain flooding (53%) and earthquakes (46%). This is FEMA’s model of an average year for today’s buildings, not a forecast.
Does Indio flood?
Flood insurance has paid 3 claims in Indio since 1998, $13K in all, or 0.1 per 1,000 homes, fewer than 99% of U.S. towns with a flood insurance record. The most claims came from Pineapple Express - Southern (1).
Is Indio 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 Riverside County, 16% of homes in mapped flood zones carry federal flood insurance, and 0.5% of all homes do.
How much is flood insurance in Indio?
FEMA’s Community Rating System list shows no discount for Indio’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 Indio?
By FEMA money that reached Indio, Tropical Storm Hilary (2023): $1.0M to the City of Indio for repairs. By flood claims, Pineapple Express - Southern: 1 paid, $3K.
Is Indio at risk from river and rain flooding?
It is the largest share of the building damage FEMA expects here (53%), and Indio’s rate for it is in the top 7% of U.S. census tracts.
Storm stories
Memories, warnings and help from neighbors in Indio.
Sources: FEMA National Risk Index v1.20 (December 2025), census-tract table, combined by where Indio’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.