Photo: Frank Schulenburg · CC BY-SA 3.0More hazard damage per building is expected in Marin City than in 82% of U.S. towns, mostly from river and rain flooding
On FEMA’s National Risk Index, Marin City gets a C− for hazard risk: higher expected damage per building than 82% of U.S. towns, #186 of 847 in California. Most of that expected damage is river and rain flooding (54%), then earthquakes (43%). Flood insurance has paid 1 claim 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 Marin City 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 Marin City’s grade
River and rain flooding is 54% of the building damage FEMA expects in Marin City, and Marin City’s rate of river and rain flooding damage is higher than 69% of U.S. census tracts. Coastal flooding adds 2%, at a rate in the top 5% of U.S. census tracts.
C− #186 of 847 in California; higher expected damage per building than 82% of U.S. towns (21,298).
Marin City’s residents live in 2 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, Marin City has less expected damage per building than 78% of California towns.
In dollars, FEMA expects about $755K a year in losses across Marin City: $670K to buildings, the rest to people and crops.
Does Marin City flood? Rarely: 1 flood claim since 1998
Every paid claim on a federal flood insurance policy in Marin City, from FEMA’s records: 0.6 per 1,000 homes, fewer than 86% of the 13,809 U.S. towns with a flood insurance record.
- The Pineapple Express - Southern1 claim · $2K
Marin 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: Marin County.The storms Marin City remembers
None of the 22 disasters declared for Marin County shows FEMA aid or repair money reaching Marin City itself in FEMA’s records, so these are its biggest flood-claim years.
- 19981 flood claims paidThe year of Severe Winter Storms and Flooding, declared for Marin County
Marin County has had 22 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.
Old photos of Marin City after a storm or flood belong in the town’s history. Add one, or share what you remember below.
Add to the Marin City archive →Marin City and its neighbors
Marin City has the lowest expected damage per building of the 2 graded towns here. Tap a town to see its hazards.
| Town | Hazard risk | Mostly (buildings) | Flood claims |
|---|---|---|---|
| Marin City | C−more damage than 82% | river and rain flooding | 1 |
| Tamalpais-Homestead Valley | Dmore damage than 86% | river and rain flooding | 112 |
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 Marin 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.
- 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 Marin City
Is Marin City at risk for natural disasters?
On FEMA’s National Risk Index, Marin City has higher expected damage per building than 82% of U.S. towns: C− for hazard risk, #186 of 847 in California. Most of the expected damage is river and rain flooding (54%) and earthquakes (43%). This is FEMA’s model of an average year for today’s buildings, not a forecast.
Does Marin City flood?
Flood insurance has paid 1 claim in Marin City since 1998, $2K in all, or 0.6 per 1,000 homes, fewer than 86% of U.S. towns with a flood insurance record. The most claims came from Pineapple Express - Southern (1).
Is Marin 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 Marin County, 38% of homes in mapped flood zones carry federal flood insurance, and 5.4% of all homes do.
How much is flood insurance in Marin City?
FEMA’s Community Rating System list shows no discount for Marin 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 Marin City?
By flood claims, Pineapple Express - Southern: 1 paid, $2K.
Is Marin City at risk from river and rain flooding?
It is the largest share of the building damage FEMA expects here (54%), and Marin City’s rate for it is higher than 69% of U.S. census tracts.
Storm stories
Memories, warnings and help from neighbors in Marin City.
Sources: FEMA National Risk Index v1.20 (December 2025), census-tract table, combined by where Marin 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.