On FEMA’s figures, few U.S. towns expect more hazard damage per building than Mead Valley, mostly from wildfire
On FEMA’s National Risk Index, Mead Valley gets a D− for hazard risk: among the highest expected damage per building of U.S. towns, #792 of 847 in California. Most of that expected damage is wildfire (55%), then river and rain flooding (26%). Flood insurance has paid 7 claims here since 1980.
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 Mead Valley faces
Each hazard’s share of the building damage FEMA expects here, and how its rate compares with the rest of the country.
Wildfire
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 Mead Valley’s grade
Wildfire is 55% of the building damage FEMA expects in Mead Valley, and Mead Valley’s rate of wildfire damage is in the top 1% of U.S. census tracts. Earthquakes add 18%, at a rate in the top 10% of U.S. census tracts.
D− #792 of 847 in California; among the highest expected damage per building of U.S. towns (21,298).
Mead Valley’s residents live in 6 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, Mead Valley has more expected damage per building than 93% of California towns.
In dollars, FEMA expects about $14.7M a year in losses across Mead Valley: $12.7M to buildings, the rest to people and crops.
Does Mead Valley flood? Rarely: 7 flood claims since 1980
Every paid claim on a federal flood insurance policy in Mead Valley, from FEMA’s records: 1.6 per 1,000 homes, fewer than 68% of the 13,809 U.S. towns with a flood insurance record.
- The Pineapple Express - Southern1 claim · $31K
Mead Valley 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.The storms Mead Valley remembers
None of the 33 disasters declared for Riverside County shows FEMA aid or repair money reaching Mead Valley itself in FEMA’s records, so these are its biggest flood-claim years.
- 20053 flood claims paidThe year of Severe Storms, Flooding, Landslides, and Mud and Debris Flows, declared for Riverside County
- 19801 flood claims paidThe year of Brush and Timber Fires, declared for Riverside County
- 19981 flood claims paidThe year of Severe Winter Storms and Flooding, declared for Riverside County
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 Mead Valley after a storm or flood belong in the town’s history. Add one, or share what you remember below.
Add to the Mead Valley archive →Mead Valley and its neighbors
Mead Valley is 4th of the 6 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| March ARB | Dmore damage than 91% | earthquakes | — |
| Woodcrest | D−more damage than 96% | river and rain flooding | 1 |
| Perris | D−more damage than 98% | river and rain flooding | 4 |
| Mead Valley | D−among the highest damage | wildfire | 7 |
| Good Hope | D−among the highest damage | wildfire | — |
| Lake Mathews | D−among the highest damage | wildfire | — |
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 Mead Valley faces
A short kit for the hazards that drive the building damage here, what to check before you buy, and where neighbors get alerts.
- 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.
- 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 Mead Valley
Is Mead Valley at risk for natural disasters?
On FEMA’s National Risk Index, Mead Valley has among the highest expected damage per building of U.S. towns: D− for hazard risk, #792 of 847 in California. Most of the expected damage is wildfire (55%) and river and rain flooding (26%). This is FEMA’s model of an average year for today’s buildings, not a forecast.
Does Mead Valley flood?
Flood insurance has paid 7 claims in Mead Valley since 1980, $155K in all, or 1.6 per 1,000 homes, fewer than 68% of U.S. towns with a flood insurance record. The most claims came from Pineapple Express - Southern (1).
Is Mead Valley 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 Mead Valley?
FEMA’s Community Rating System list shows no discount for Mead Valley’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 Mead Valley?
By flood claims, Pineapple Express - Southern: 1 paid, $31K.
Is Mead Valley at risk from wildfire?
It is the largest share of the building damage FEMA expects here (55%), and Mead Valley’s rate for it is in the top 1% of U.S. census tracts.
Storm stories
Memories, warnings and help from neighbors in Mead Valley.
Sources: FEMA National Risk Index v1.20 (December 2025), census-tract table, combined by where Mead Valley’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.