Photo: prayitno · CC BY 2.0FEMA puts La Quinta’s expected hazard damage per building above that of 92% of U.S. towns, mostly from river and rain flooding
On FEMA’s National Risk Index, La Quinta gets a D for hazard risk: higher expected damage per building than 92% of U.S. towns, #409 of 847 in California. Most of that expected damage is river and rain flooding (66%), then earthquakes (33%). Flood insurance has paid 38 claims here since 2004.
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 La Quinta 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 La Quinta’s grade
River and rain flooding is 66% of the building damage FEMA expects in La Quinta, and La Quinta’s rate of river and rain flooding damage is in the top 8% of U.S. census tracts. Earthquakes add 33%, at a rate in the top 9% of U.S. census tracts.
D #409 of 847 in California; higher expected damage per building than 92% of U.S. towns (21,298).
La Quinta’s residents live in 14 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, La Quinta has less expected damage per building than 52% of California towns.
In dollars, FEMA expects about $45.8M a year in losses across La Quinta: $44.0M to buildings, the rest to people and crops.
Does La Quinta flood? Sometimes: 38 flood claims since 2004
Every paid claim on a federal flood insurance policy in La Quinta, from FEMA’s records: 1.5 per 1,000 homes, fewer than 68% of the 13,809 U.S. towns with a flood insurance record.
- Tropical Storm Hilary2 claims · $11K
La Quinta 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.2 federal disasters brought FEMA money to La Quinta
Disasters that paid out in La Quinta itself (aid to households or repair grants to the City of La Quinta), newest first, with that year’s flood claims.
- 2023Tropical Storm Hilary$339K to the City of La Quinta for repairs2 flood claims paid for it, $11K
- 2010Severe Winter Storms, Flooding, and Debris and Mud Flows$11K to the City of La Quinta 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 La Quinta after a storm or flood belong in the town’s history. Add one, or share what you remember below.
Add to the La Quinta archive →La Quinta and its neighbors
La Quinta has the lowest expected damage per building of the 5 graded towns here. 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 | D−more damage than 96% | river and rain flooding | 3 |
| Indian Wells | D−more damage than 98% | river and rain flooding | 54 |
| Vista Santa Rosa | D−more damage than 98% | river and rain flooding | — |
| Bermuda Dunes | D−among the highest damage | river and rain flooding | 4 |
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 La Quinta 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 La Quinta
Is La Quinta at risk for natural disasters?
On FEMA’s National Risk Index, La Quinta has higher expected damage per building than 92% of U.S. towns: D for hazard risk, #409 of 847 in California. Most of the expected damage is river and rain flooding (66%) and earthquakes (33%). This is FEMA’s model of an average year for today’s buildings, not a forecast.
Does La Quinta flood?
Flood insurance has paid 38 claims in La Quinta since 2004, $2.9M in all, or 1.5 per 1,000 homes, fewer than 68% of U.S. towns with a flood insurance record. 2 properties have flooded more than once. The most claims came from Tropical Storm Hilary (2).
Is La Quinta 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 La Quinta?
FEMA’s Community Rating System list shows no discount for La Quinta’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 La Quinta?
By FEMA money that reached La Quinta, Tropical Storm Hilary (2023): $339K to the City of La Quinta for repairs. By flood claims, Tropical Storm Hilary: 2 paid, $11K.
Is La Quinta at risk from river and rain flooding?
It is the largest share of the building damage FEMA expects here (66%), and La Quinta’s rate for it is in the top 8% of U.S. census tracts.
Storm stories
Memories, warnings and help from neighbors in La Quinta.
Sources: FEMA National Risk Index v1.20 (December 2025), census-tract table, combined by where La Quinta’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.