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Monte Rio 3498Photo: Stepheng3 · Public domain
–Not graded
Natural hazards in Monte Rio · FEMA

Storms, floods and disasters in Monte Rio

Monte Rio isn’t graded for hazard risk: Monte Rio has 876 residents; we grade towns of 1,000 or more.

Flood claims
0
paid since 1978 · $0
Disasters paid out here
2
of 24 declared for Sonoma County
By hazard

What Monte Rio 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

82%of expected building damage
Well above average · in the top 1% of U.S. census tracts
Recorded about 3 times a year in the area

Earthquakes

13%of expected building damage
Well above average · in the top 8% of U.S. census tracts
Smaller shares here
 Wildfire top 3% Landslides top 1% Tornadoes Hail Strong wind Winter storms Heat waves Lightning Volcanic activity
FEMA models no building damage here
Coastal floodingHurricanesIce stormsCold wavesAvalanchesTsunamis

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 Monte Rio flood? No paid flood claims on record

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

of homes in flood zones are insured
of all homes are insured
No community discount

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

Insurance rates: Sonoma County.
What’s been done with FEMA grants
98homes raised above flood level
2flood-prone properties bought out and cleared
Disasters

2 federal disasters brought FEMA money to Monte Rio

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

  1. 2020Wildfires31 households applied for aid$3K aid approved
  2. 2005Severe Storms, Flooding, Mudslides, and Landslides59 households applied for aid$67K aid approved
Disasters declared, by decade
Paid out in Monte RioSonoma County only

Sonoma County has had 24 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 Sonoma County, 2004–2020.

Were you here?

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

Add to the Monte Rio archive →
Be ready

Get ready for what Monte Rio faces

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

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 ↗
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 ↗
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 Monte Rio

Is Monte Rio 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 Sonoma County, 31% of homes in mapped flood zones carry federal flood insurance, and 1.1% of all homes do.

How much is flood insurance in Monte Rio?

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

By FEMA money that reached Monte Rio, Severe Storms, Flooding, Mudslides, and Landslides (2005): 59 households applied for aid, $67K approved.

Storm stories

Memories, warnings and help from neighbors in Monte Rio.

Town Square →
Start the conversation

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