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–Not graded
Natural hazards in Tehama · FEMA

Storms, floods and disasters in Tehama

Tehama isn’t graded for hazard risk: Tehama has 366 residents; we grade towns of 1,000 or more. Flood insurance has paid 32 claims here since 1983.

Flood claims
32
paid since 1983 · $393K
Flooded more than once
7
properties · 1 “severe repetitive loss”
Flood insurance
25% off
Community discount (class 5)
By hazard

What Tehama 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

73%of expected building damage
Well above average · in the top 5% of U.S. census tracts
Recorded about once every 1 years in the area

Earthquakes

18%of expected building damage
Well above average · higher than 86% of U.S. census tracts

Wildfire

9%of expected building damage
Well above average · in the top 3% of U.S. census tracts
Smaller shares here
 Tornadoes Hail Strong wind Winter storms Heat waves Landslides Lightning Volcanic activity top 3%
FEMA models no building damage here
Coastal floodingHurricanesIce stormsCold wavesAvalanchesTsunamis
People, not buildings.Counting harm to people as well as buildings, FEMA’s model puts drought at 35% of Tehama’s expected losses. Drought does 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 Tehama flood? Sometimes: 32 flood claims since 1983

Every paid claim on a federal flood insurance policy in Tehama, from FEMA’s records.

Paid flood claims, by year
1983: 11 claims1984: 0 claims1985: 0 claims1986: 2 claims1987: 0 claims1988: 0 claims1989: 0 claims1990: 0 claims1991: 0 claims1992: 0 claims1993: 0 claims1994: 0 claims1995: 8 claims1996: 2 claims1997: 4 claims1998: 5 claims1999: 0 claims2000: 0 claims2001: 0 claims2002: 0 claims2003: 0 claims2004: 0 claims2005: 0 claims2006: 0 claims2007: 0 claims2008: 0 claims2009: 0 claims2010: 0 claims2011: 0 claims2012: 0 claims2013: 0 claims2014: 0 claims2015: 0 claims2016: 0 claims2017: 0 claims2018: 0 claims2019: 0 claims2020: 0 claims2021: 0 claims2022: 0 claims2023: 0 claims2024: 0 claims2025: 0 claims2026: 0 claims198319951998
19832026
Biggest named events
  • The Pineapple Express - Southern5 claims · $85K
32
paid claims since 1983
$393K
paid to owners
7
homes flooded more than once
$12K
average claim
Homes that flooded again and again
FEMA “severe repetitive loss” (1)Flooded 2+ times
of homes in flood zones are insured
of all homes are insured
Community discount25% off flood insurance

Tehama is in FEMA’s Community Rating System (class 5) for its flood-proofing work.

Insurance rates: Tehama County.
Disasters

3 federal disasters brought FEMA money to Tehama

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

  1. 2022Severe Winter Storms, Flooding, Landslides, and Mudslides$70K to the City of Tehama for repairs
  2. 2019Severe Winter Storms, Flooding, Landslides, and Mudslides$75K to the City of Tehama for repairs
  3. 2017Severe Winter Storms, Flooding, and Mudslides$54K to the City of Tehama for repairs
Disasters declared, by decade
Paid out in TehamaTehama County only

Tehama County has had 19 natural disasters declared by the President since 1953, most often floods, then severe storms. Not counted: the 2005 Hurricane Katrina evacuee emergency, which covered counties that took in evacuees.

Also 3 FEMA wildfire suppression grants (Fire Management Assistance, not a disaster declaration) for fires in Tehama County, 2005–2024.

Were you here?

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

Add to the Tehama archive →
Be ready

Get ready for what Tehama 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 ↗
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 ↗
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.
  • Tehama residents get 25% off flood insurance.
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 Tehama

Does Tehama flood?

Flood insurance has paid 32 claims in Tehama since 1983, $393K in all. 7 properties have flooded more than once. The most claims came from Pineapple Express - Southern (5).

Is Tehama 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 Tehama County, 17% of homes in mapped flood zones carry federal flood insurance, and 2.1% of all homes do.

How much is flood insurance in Tehama?

Tehama is in FEMA’s Community Rating System (class 5), which takes 25% off federal flood insurance policies for its flood-proofing work. Premiums depend on the building; policies usually start 30 days after you buy, so get a quote early.

What was the biggest storm in Tehama?

By FEMA money that reached Tehama, Severe Winter Storms, Flooding, Landslides, and Mudslides (2019): $75K to the City of Tehama for repairs. By flood claims, Pineapple Express - Southern: 5 paid, $85K.

Storm stories

Memories, warnings and help from neighbors in Tehama.

Town Square →
Start the conversation

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