More hazard damage per building is expected in Pioneer than in 98% of U.S. towns, mostly from wildfire
On FEMA’s National Risk Index, Pioneer gets a D− for hazard risk: higher expected damage per building than 98% of U.S. towns. Most of that expected damage is wildfire (81%), then river and rain flooding (18%). FEMA’s files show no paid flood insurance claims here.
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 Pioneer 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
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 Pioneer’s grade
Wildfire is 81% of the building damage FEMA expects in Pioneer, and Pioneer’s rate of wildfire damage is in the top 1% of U.S. census tracts. Next is river and rain flooding at 18% (higher than 58% of U.S. census tracts).
D− higher expected damage per building than 98% of U.S. towns (21,298).
Pioneer’s residents live in 2 census tracts; FEMA’s figures are combined by where they live.
In dollars, FEMA expects about $1.9M a year in losses across Pioneer: $1.2M to buildings, the rest to people and crops.
Does Pioneer flood? No paid flood claims on record
FEMA’s records show no paid flood insurance claims in Pioneer. That’s not a promise: most homes don’t carry flood insurance, so small floods go unrecorded.
Pioneer isn’t in FEMA’s Community Rating System, which cuts flood insurance up to 45% in towns that do extra flood-proofing.
Insurance rates: Amador County.1 federal disaster brought FEMA money to Pioneer
Disasters that paid out in Pioneer itself (aid to households or repair grants to Pioneer), newest first, with that year’s flood claims.
- 2022Severe Winter Storms, Flooding, Landslides, and Mudslides36 households applied for aid$76K aid approved
Amador County has had 17 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 1 FEMA wildfire suppression grant (Fire Management Assistance, not a disaster declaration) for fires in Amador County, 2015–2015.
Old photos of Pioneer after a storm or flood belong in the town’s history. Add one, or share what you remember below.
Add to the Pioneer archive →Pioneer and its neighbors
Pioneer is 3rd of the 3 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Red Corral | Dmore damage than 91% | wildfire | — |
| Buckhorn | D−more damage than 98% | wildfire | — |
| Pioneer | D−more damage than 98% | wildfire | 0 |
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 Pioneer 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.
- 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 Pioneer
Is Pioneer at risk for natural disasters?
On FEMA’s National Risk Index, Pioneer has higher expected damage per building than 98% of U.S. towns: D− for hazard risk. Most of the expected damage is wildfire (81%) and river and rain flooding (18%). This is FEMA’s model of an average year for today’s buildings, not a forecast.
Is Pioneer 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 Amador County, 25% of homes in mapped flood zones carry federal flood insurance, and 0.6% of all homes do.
How much is flood insurance in Pioneer?
FEMA’s Community Rating System list shows no discount for Pioneer’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 Pioneer?
By FEMA money that reached Pioneer, Severe Winter Storms, Flooding, Landslides, and Mudslides (2022): 36 households applied for aid, $76K approved.
Is Pioneer at risk from wildfire?
It is the largest share of the building damage FEMA expects here (81%), and Pioneer’s rate for it is in the top 1% of U.S. census tracts.
Storm stories
Memories, warnings and help from neighbors in Pioneer.
Sources: FEMA National Risk Index v1.20 (December 2025), census-tract table, combined by where Pioneer’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.