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Midpines, California during the winterPhoto: Foo39 · CC BY-SA 4.0
–Not graded
Natural hazards in Midpines · FEMA

Storms, floods and disasters in Midpines

Midpines isn’t graded for hazard risk: Midpines has 160 residents; we grade towns of 1,000 or more.

Flood claims
0
paid since 1978 · $0
Disasters paid out here
1
of 12 declared for Mariposa County
By hazard

What Midpines faces

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

Wildfire

57%of expected building damage
Well above average · in the top 1% of U.S. census tracts

River and rain flooding

40%of expected building damage
Well above average · higher than 86% of U.S. census tracts
Recorded about 2 times a year in the area
Smaller shares here
 Earthquakes Landslides top 1% Strong wind Tornadoes Lightning Hail Winter storms Heat waves top 4% Avalanches top 1% Volcanic activity top 4%
FEMA models no building damage here
Coastal floodingHurricanesIce stormsCold wavesTsunamis
People, not buildings.Counting harm to people as well as buildings, FEMA’s model puts heat waves at 27% of Midpines’ expected losses. Heat waves do 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.
Flood insurance claims

Does Midpines flood? No paid flood claims on record

FEMA’s records show no paid flood insurance claims in Midpines. That’s not a promise: most homes don’t carry flood insurance, so small floods go unrecorded.

Disasters

1 federal disaster brought FEMA money to Midpines

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

  1. 2023Severe Winter Storms, Straight-line Winds, Flooding, Landslides, and Mudslides68 households applied for aid$302K aid approved
Disasters declared, by decade
Paid out in MidpinesMariposa County only

Mariposa County has had 12 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 8 FEMA wildfire suppression grants (Fire Management Assistance, not a disaster declaration) for fires in Mariposa County, 2004–2024.

Were you here?

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

Add to the Midpines archive →
Be ready

Get ready for what Midpines faces

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

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 ↗
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 ↗
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 Midpines

Is Midpines 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.

How much is flood insurance in Midpines?

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

By FEMA money that reached Midpines, Severe Winter Storms, Straight-line Winds, Flooding, Landslides, and Mudslides (2023): 68 households applied for aid, $302K approved.

Storm stories

Memories, warnings and help from neighbors in Midpines.

Town Square →
Start the conversation

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