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KingCityHS-RobertStantonTheaterPhoto: Binksternet · Public domain
D−Hazard risk
Natural hazards in King City · FEMA

FEMA expects more hazard damage per building in King City than in 96% of U.S. towns, led by earthquakes

On FEMA’s National Risk Index, King City gets a D− for hazard risk: higher expected damage per building than 96% of U.S. towns, #626 of 847 in California. Most of that expected damage is earthquakes (46%), then river and rain flooding (44%). Flood insurance has paid 10 claims here since 1993.

Earthquakes 46%River and rain flooding 44%Wildfire 9%

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 96%of U.S. townsLess damageMoreExpected yearly damage per dollar of building, vs. the 21,298 U.S. towns we grade#626 of 847 in California
Hazard risk
D−#626 of 847
in California · higher than 96% of U.S. towns
Main hazard
Earthquakes
46% of expected building damage
Flood claims
10
paid since 1993 · $716K
Disasters paid out here
2
of 26 declared for Monterey County
By hazard

What King City faces

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

Earthquakes

46%of expected building damage
Well above average · in the top 4% of U.S. census tracts

River and rain flooding

44%of expected building damage
Well above average · in the top 9% of U.S. census tracts
Recorded about 2 times a year in the area

Wildfire

9%of expected building damage
Well above average · in the top 3% of U.S. census tracts
Smaller shares here
 Landslides top 1% Tornadoes Hail Strong wind Winter storms Heat waves Lightning
FEMA models no building damage here
Coastal floodingHurricanesIce stormsCold wavesAvalanchesTsunamisVolcanic activity
People, not buildings.Counting harm to people as well as buildings, FEMA’s model puts drought at 44% of King City’s expected losses. Drought does 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.
Hazard risk grade

What’s behind King City’s grade

Earthquakes are 46% of the building damage FEMA expects in King City, and King City’s rate of earthquakes damage is in the top 4% of U.S. census tracts. River and rain flooding adds 44%, at a rate in the top 9% of U.S. census tracts.

Where King City sits
King City
Least damageMiddleMost damage

D− #626 of 847 in California; higher expected damage per building than 96% of U.S. towns (21,298).

King City’s residents live in 4 census tracts; FEMA’s figures are combined by where they live.

What drives the damage to buildings
Earthquakes46%River and rain flooding44%Wildfire9%Everything else1%

The typical California town has higher expected damage than 92% of U.S. towns; within the state, King City has more expected damage per building than 74% of California towns.

In dollars, FEMA expects about $19.7M a year in losses across King City: $8.7M to buildings, the rest to people and crops.

A small-area figure. King City covers 4 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 King City flood? Sometimes: 10 flood claims since 1993

Every paid claim on a federal flood insurance policy in King City, from FEMA’s records: 2.9 per 1,000 homes, fewer than 53% of the 13,809 U.S. towns with a flood insurance record.

Paid flood claims, by year
1993: 10 claims1994: 0 claims1995: 0 claims1996: 0 claims1997: 0 claims1998: 0 claims1999: 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 claims1993
19932026
10
paid claims since 1993
$716K
paid to owners
0
homes flooded more than once
$72K
average claim
of homes in flood zones are insured
of all homes are insured
No community discount

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

Insurance rates: Monterey County.
Disasters

2 federal disasters brought FEMA money to King City

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

  1. 2023Severe Winter Storms, Straight-line Winds, Flooding, Landslides, and Mudslides76 households applied for aid$201K aid approved$7K to the City of King City for repairs
  2. 2022Severe Winter Storms, Flooding, Landslides, and Mudslides56 households applied for aid$55K aid approved$88K to the City of King City for repairs
Disasters declared, by decade
Paid out in King CityMonterey County only

Monterey County has had 26 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 4 FEMA wildfire suppression grants (Fire Management Assistance, not a disaster declaration) for fires in Monterey County, 2008–2020.

Were you here?

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

Add to the King City archive →
Be ready

Get ready for what King City faces

A short kit for the hazards that drive the building damage here, what to check before you buy, and where neighbors get alerts.

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 ↗
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 ↗
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 ↗
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 King City

Is King City at risk for natural disasters?

On FEMA’s National Risk Index, King City has higher expected damage per building than 96% of U.S. towns: D− for hazard risk, #626 of 847 in California. Most of the expected damage is earthquakes (46%) and river and rain flooding (44%). This is FEMA’s model of an average year for today’s buildings, not a forecast.

Does King City flood?

Flood insurance has paid 10 claims in King City since 1993, $716K in all, or 2.9 per 1,000 homes, fewer than 53% of U.S. towns with a flood insurance record.

Is King City 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 Monterey County, 23% of homes in mapped flood zones carry federal flood insurance, and 1.1% of all homes do.

How much is flood insurance in King City?

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

By FEMA money that reached King City, Severe Winter Storms, Straight-line Winds, Flooding, Landslides, and Mudslides (2023): 76 households applied for aid, $201K approved, and $7K to the City of King City for repairs.

Is King City at risk from earthquakes?

It is the largest share of the building damage FEMA expects here (46%), and King City’s rate for it is in the top 4% of U.S. census tracts.

Storm stories

Memories, warnings and help from neighbors in King City.

Town Square →
Start the conversation

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