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–Not graded
Natural hazards in Stinson Beach · FEMA

Storms, floods and disasters in Stinson Beach

Stinson Beach isn’t graded for hazard risk: Stinson Beach has 255 residents; we grade towns of 1,000 or more.

Flood claims
0
paid since 1978 · $0
Disasters paid out here
1
of 22 declared for Marin County
By hazard

What Stinson Beach faces

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

Earthquakes

50%of expected building damage
Well above average · in the top 2% of U.S. census tracts

River and rain flooding

24%of expected building damage
Above average · higher than 71% of U.S. census tracts
Recorded about 2 times a year in the area

Tsunamis

21%of expected building damage
Well above average · in the top 1% of U.S. census tracts
Smaller shares here
 Coastal flooding top 2% Wildfire Landslides top 1% Tornadoes Hail Strong wind Winter storms Heat waves Lightning
FEMA models no building damage here
HurricanesIce stormsCold wavesAvalanchesVolcanic activity

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 Stinson Beach flood? No paid flood claims on record

FEMA’s records show no paid flood insurance claims in Stinson Beach. 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

Stinson Beach 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.
Disasters

1 federal disaster brought FEMA money to Stinson Beach

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

  1. 2005Severe Storms, Flooding, Mudslides, and Landslides3 households applied for aid$5K aid approved
Disasters declared, by decade
Paid out in Stinson BeachMarin County only

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.

Were you here?

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

Add to the Stinson Beach archive →
Be ready

Get ready for what Stinson Beach faces

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

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 ↗
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 ↗
Tsunamis
  • Strong shaking or a sudden drop in the sea means head for high ground now.
  • Learn the tsunami route signs near the shore.
  • Stay away until officials say it’s safe.
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 Stinson Beach

Is Stinson Beach 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 Stinson Beach?

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

By FEMA money that reached Stinson Beach, Severe Storms, Flooding, Mudslides, and Landslides (2005): 3 households applied for aid, $5K approved.

Storm stories

Memories, warnings and help from neighbors in Stinson Beach.

Town Square →
Start the conversation

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