Hazard Plain Automated baseline

San Benito County, CA

Risk-assessment baseline packet

County FIPS:
06069
Release:
2026-10
Data as of:
2026-09-30
Storm Events data through:
2026-06-30

Hazard Plain is an independent product built from public federal data. It is not a FEMA document and is not reviewed or endorsed by FEMA or any state agency.

Hazard Plain release 2026-10, as of 2026-09-30.

Summary

Plan status as of 2026-09-30: Approved, expires 2028-02-06. Plan: San Benito County (FEMA plan 108549), approved 2023-02-07.

Since the plan was approved on 2023-02-07: 2 new hazard declarations (1 incident): EM-3592-CA (Severe Winter Storms, Flooding, Landslides, and Mudslides), DR-4699-CA (Severe Winter Storms, Straight-Line Winds, Flooding, Landslides, and Mudslides).

NOAA Storm Events records since that date: 17 records (data through 2026-06-30).

Highest expected annual loss (FEMA National Risk Index, modeled total; see B1-a): Earthquake ($49,189,697 a year), Inland Flooding ($18,158,193) and Wildfire ($5,530,996).

Repetitive-loss flood properties now: FMA RL 5, SRL 6 (44 CFR 77.2); any definition: 17.

The tables that follow are organized by the items of FEMA's Local Mitigation Plan Review Tool, Element B (B1-a to B2-c); each heading says which item its tables support.

Plan clock

Status:
Approved, expires 2028-02-06
Plan:
San Benito County (FEMA plan 108549)
Approved:
2023-02-07
Days to expiry:
494

What changed since your last plan (approved 2023-02-07)

New federal declarations:
2 new hazard declarations (1 incident): EM-3592-CA (Severe Winter Storms, Flooding, Landslides, and Mudslides), DR-4699-CA (Severe Winter Storms, Straight-Line Winds, Flooding, Landslides, and Mudslides)
Storm Events records since approval:
17 records (data through 2026-06-30)
Repetitive loss now:
FMA RL 5, SRL 6 (44 CFR 77.2); any definition: 17
Repeat-flood change:
this release sets the baseline count.

Sources: 1, 2, 4, 6 (numbered list at the end)

Plan status for every jurisdiction listed in this county

Source: 1

JurisdictionTypeStatusPlanApprovedExpiresDays to expirynegative = days since expiryNotes
San Benito CountyCountyApproved, expires 2028-02-06San Benito County (FEMA plan 108549)2023-02-072028-02-06494
Hollister cityCityApproved, expires 2028-02-06San Benito County (FEMA plan 108549)2023-02-072028-02-06494
San Juan Bautista cityCityApproved, expires 2028-02-06San Benito County (FEMA plan 108549)2023-02-072028-02-06494this jurisdiction approved 2023-02-10
San Benito County Water DistrictWater/Sewer AuthorityApproved, expires 2028-02-06San Benito County (FEMA plan 108549)2023-02-072028-02-06494this jurisdiction approved 2023-02-28
Sunnyslope County Water DistrictWater/Sewer AuthorityApproved, expires 2028-02-06San Benito County (FEMA plan 108549)2023-02-072028-02-06494this jurisdiction approved 2023-02-10

State plan status and tribal plans in this state: see the state page.

Supports FEMA checklist item B1-a: hazard identification

Hazards NRI does not cover (local data needed)

  • dam failure (incl. upstream dams)
  • levee failure
  • flash flood as its own subtype
  • ice jams
  • debris flows
  • erosion (riverine and coastal)
  • land subsidence and sinkholes
  • expansive soils

The 18 National Risk Index hazards, ranked by expected annual loss (EAL)

Sources: 5, 6

Rank by EALHazardNRI risk ratingEAL ratingEAL buildingsmodeled dollars per yearEAL agriculturemodeled dollars per yearCost of expected deaths and injuriesFEMA's dollar value per year, not property damageEAL total (see note)modeled dollars per yearStorm Events records, 1996 to 2026-06-30countWhy this hazard can be left outNRI Not Applicable, no declaration and no Storm Events record since 1996Storm Events coverage note
1EarthquakeRelatively ModerateRelatively High$36,558,263n/a$12,631,434$49,189,697Storm Events does not record earthquakes.
2Inland FloodingRelatively LowRelatively Moderate$17,846,594$298,361$13,238$18,158,19325
3WildfireRelatively ModerateRelatively Moderate$5,304,853$2,259$223,885$5,530,9961
4DroughtRelatively HighRelatively Highn/a$5,455,354n/a$5,455,3540Declared 1 time; no Storm Events record of this type.
5Heat WaveRelatively LowRelatively Low$622$59,577$750,313$810,51311
6LandslideRelatively ModerateRelatively Moderate$234,072n/a$452,720$686,7934
7TornadoVery LowVery Low$74,862$654$19,988$95,5042
8LightningVery LowVery Low$1,860n/a$59,283$61,1430No recorded events in Storm Events since 1996 (data through 2026-06-30).
9HailVery LowVery Low$2,092$5,115$3,636$10,8423
10Strong WindVery LowVery Low$6,480$156$2,377$9,01345Includes 17 High Wind and 28 Strong Wind records (NOAA non-thunderstorm wind types, outside NRI's Strong Wind definition).
11Winter WeatherVery LowVery Low$346under $1$366$7120Declared 6 times; no Storm Events record of this type.
12AvalancheVery LowVery Low$0n/a$8$80No recorded events in Storm Events since 1996 (data through 2026-06-30).
13Cold WaveNo RatingNo Expected Annual Losses$0$0$0$08Includes 8 Frost/Freeze records (outside NRI's Cold Wave definition; counted in this table and in B1-d, not in the B1-e descriptor).
Coastal FloodingNot ApplicableNot Applicable1
HurricaneNot ApplicableNot Applicable0NRI rates hurricane Not Applicable for this county, and no counted federal declaration for this county names it (EM-3248-CA names it but is not counted as a local occurrence; see B1-d).No recorded events in Storm Events since 1996 (data through 2026-06-30).
Ice StormNot ApplicableNot Applicable0Declared 1 time; no Storm Events record of this type.
TsunamiNot ApplicableNot Applicable1NRI rates this Not Applicable, but 1 Storm Events record of this type exists since 1996; review before omitting.

Total = buildings + agriculture + population equivalence; FEMA values each expected death (or 10 injuries) at $13.7 million (2024 dollars).

NRI risk rating combines expected annual loss with social vulnerability and community resilience; EAL rating rates expected annual loss alone. Both compare this county with all U.S. counties.

Local data needed: state and local lightning records (Storm Events records this hazard only in part).

Not applicable to this county per NRI, with no federal declaration and no Storm Events record since 1996: volcanic activity. That is the evidence for leaving them out of the plan.

The state hazard mitigation plan also lists hazards for this county; FEMA asks the plan to explain any hazard it leaves out.

Supports FEMA checklist item B1-b: hazard location

Affects the whole county (national data give no location within it): Cold Wave, Drought, Hail, Heat Wave, Ice Storm, Lightning, Strong Wind and Winter Weather.

Inland Flooding: The FEMA Flood Insurance Rate Map (FIRM) is the required location source for flooding. See the FEMA Flood Map Service Center (https://msc.fema.gov) for this county.

Hazards that vary within the county: highest-rated census tracts

Source: 5

HazardHighest-rated census tractsNRI risk rating, score 0 to 100
Avalanchetract 8.02 (Very Low, 4.3); tract 1 (Very Low, 3.6)
Coastal Floodingno tract has a National Risk Index rating for this hazard
Earthquaketract 4 (Very High, 99.9); tract 1 (Very High, 99.6); tract 2 (Very High, 99.5)
Hurricaneno tract has a National Risk Index rating for this hazard
Landslidetract 8.02 (Very High, 99.9); tract 2 (Relatively High, 99.5); tract 1 (Relatively Moderate, 97.4)
Tornadotract 1 (Very Low, 27.3); tract 2 (Very Low, 23.4); tract 8.02 (Very Low, 21.7)
Tsunamino tract has a National Risk Index rating for this hazard
Wildfiretract 8.02 (Very High, 99.8); tract 2 (Relatively High, 98.7); tract 8.01 (Relatively High, 98.1)

Up to 3 census tracts per hazard, highest National Risk Index rating first, then highest score; a tract number is the Census tract number (for example 8.02 is Census Tract 8.02). FEMA's Resilience Analysis and Planning Tool maps the National Risk Index for every tract: https://www.fema.gov/emergency-managers/practitioners/resilience-analysis-and-planning-tool

Supports FEMA checklist item B1-c: hazard extent

Extent: scale, observed range and worst recorded event per hazard

Sources: 6, 7

HazardScaleRecordscount and yearsObserved rangeWorst recorded eventMost damaging (when different)How it applies to jurisdictionsNote
Avalanchenone (count and damage only)0Physical measure: in event narratives only (local data needed).
Coastal Flood, Storm Surge/Tidenone in data (flood depth: FIRM)1 record, 2008 (1 zone-level)Coastal Flood, 2008-01-05, $10,000 property; $0 crops (2008 dollars); Storm Events area MONTEREY BAY/N SALINAS VALLEY/HOLLISTER VALLEY/CARMEL VALLEY (legacy zone code CAZ514)Countywide (zone-level records).Flood depth: see the FEMA Flood Insurance Rate Map.
Cold/Wind Chill, Extreme Cold/Wind Chillwind chill0Wind chill: in event narratives only (local data needed).
Frost/Freeze (outside NRI's Cold Wave definition)crop damage8 records, 2007 to 2020 (8 zone-level)Frost/Freeze, 2007-01-06, $14,000,000 crop damage (2007 dollars); Storm Events area MONTEREY BAY/N SALINAS VALLEY/HOLLISTER VALLEY/CARMEL VALLEY (legacy zone code CAZ514)Countywide (zone-level records).Temperature: in event narratives only (local data needed).
DroughtU.S. Drought Monitor scale (D0 to D4)0Storm Events enters a drought at D2 or worse east of the Rockies and D3 or worse from the Rockies west (NWS Instruction 10-1605); NRI drought counts D3 and D4 only.
EarthquakeModified Mercalli (local data)0Storm Events does not record earthquakes; the USGS earthquake catalog is the source.
Hailhail size (inches)3 records, 2008 to 20180.25 in to 1 in (median 0.25 in); 3 with a recorded value1 in hail, 2008-03-15Event records naming jurisdictions in the plan: Hollister city (1 record).
Excessive Heat, Heatheat index (in event narratives)11 records, 2006 to 2026 (11 zone-level)1 day to 6 days (median 1 day); 7 with a recorded value6 consecutive days, 2006-07-22 to 2006-07-27, zone-levelCountywide (zone-level records).Heat index: in event narratives only (local data needed). Heat records from November to March (unseasonable warmth, not a heat wave) are counted but not used for the longest run.
Hurricane, Tropical Storm, Tropical DepressionSaffir-Simpson0Storm Events files every zone of a storm's episode under the storm's type; flooding from the storm is filed as Flood or Flash Flood records.
Ice StormSperry-Piltz ice scale (local data)0Ice thickness: in event narratives only (local data needed).
Flash Flood, Flood, Lakeshore Flooddamage and flood days (flood depth: FIRM)25 records, 1997 to 2026Flood, 2021-01-27, $3,500,000 property; $0 crops (2021 dollars)Event records naming jurisdictions in the plan: Hollister city (5 records), San Juan Bautista city (2 records).Flood depth: see the FEMA Flood Insurance Rate Map. Storm Events damage is often $0 or blank for floods, major ones included; FEMA Public Assistance by declaration (B1-d) shows which floods cost the most.
Debris Flownone (count and damage only)4 records, 2014 to 2025Debris Flow, 2021-01-27, $4,500,000 property; $0 crops (2021 dollars)No event record names a jurisdiction in the plan.Physical measure: in event narratives only (local data needed).
Lightningannualized frequency (the measure FEMA's Local Mitigation Planning Handbook names)0Storm Events lists lightning with damage or casualties; physical measure in event narratives only (local data needed).
High Wind and Strong Wind (outside NRI's Strong Wind definition)wind speed (kt and mph)45 records, 2006 to 2026 (45 zone-level)26 kt (30 mph) to 73 kt (84 mph) (median 43.5 kt (50 mph)); 44 with a recorded value73 kt (84 mph) measured gust, High Wind, 2025-02-04; NWS zone CAZ518Strong Wind, 2009-04-14, $65,000 property; $0 crops, reported for the zone (2009 dollars)Countywide (zone-level records).Speeds under 20 kt (likely entry errors) are left out of the observed range.
Thunderstorm Windwind speed (kt and mph)0
TornadoEnhanced Fujita (Fujita before Feb 2007)3 records, 1985 to 2016F/EF0 to F/EF2 (median F/EF0); 3 with a recorded valueF2 tornado, 1985-03-11, 0.5 mi path length (whole path, pre-1996), 20 yd wide, $2,500 property; crops not recorded (1985 dollars)Tornado, 2016-01-06, $0 property; $75,000 crops (2016 dollars)No event record names a jurisdiction in the plan.Before 1996 a tornado is listed once, under the county where it began, with its whole path's rating and length; from 1996 on, each county lists its own segment. Length is not used to rank tornadoes (see Methods).
Tsunaminone (count and damage only)1 record, 2006 (1 zone-level)Tsunami, 2006-11-15, $3,000 property; $0 crops (2006 dollars); Storm Events area MONTEREY BAY/N SALINAS VALLEY/HOLLISTER VALLEY/CARMEL VALLEY (legacy zone code CAZ514)Countywide (zone-level records).Physical measure: in event narratives only (local data needed).
Wildfireacres burned (local data)1 record, 2020 (1 zone-level)No damage reported in 1 record.Countywide (zone-level records).Acres burned: in event narratives only (local data needed).
Winter Storm, Heavy Snow, Blizzard, Lake-Effect Snow, Winter Weather, Sleetnone in data (snowfall: local data)0Snow depth: in event narratives only (local data needed).

Storm Events records are more complete after 1996; before 1996 only Tornado (from 1950), Hail and Thunderstorm Wind (from 1955) exist. Zone-level records whose zone no NWS zone-county file places in this county (mostly before 2020) are not counted here (the Methods page explains the zone matching).

Dollars are nominal (as reported), labeled with the year; not adjusted for inflation.

Supports FEMA checklist item B1-d: previous occurrences

Federal declarations for this county: 18 declarations covering 13 separate hazard incidents counted in this packet (declarations for the same incident count once; non-natural and evacuation-only declarations are not counted).

Federal disaster declarations for this county

Sources: 1, 2, 3

DeclaredIncident beganFEMA numberTypeTitleMapped hazardCounty Public Assistancefederal share obligated, nominal dollarsFlagsNotes
2023-04-032023-02-21DR-4699-CAMajor disasterSevere Winter Storms, Straight-Line Winds, Flooding, Landslides, and MudslidesIce Storm; Inland Flooding; Landslide; Strong Wind; Winter Weather$1,461,438.27new since last plan; within last 5 years
2023-03-102023-03-09EM-3592-CAEmergencySevere Winter Storms, Flooding, Landslides, and MudslidesInland Flooding (primary); also designated: Landslide, Winter Weatherno Public Assistance recordednew since last plan; within last 5 yearssame incident as DR-4699
2023-01-142022-12-27DR-4683-CAMajor disasterSevere Winter Storms, Flooding, Landslides, and MudslidesInland Flooding (primary); also designated: Landslide, Winter Weather$1,588,974.99in the 12 months before plan approval; within last 5 years
2023-01-092023-01-08EM-3591-CAEmergencySevere Winter Storms, Flooding, and MudslidesInland Flooding (primary); also designated: Landslide, Winter Weatherno Public Assistance recordedin the 12 months before plan approval; within last 5 yearssame incident as DR-4683
2020-03-222020-01-20DR-4482-CAMajor disasterCOVID-19 PandemicNon-natural, not counted$3,471,226.38
2020-03-132020-01-20EM-3428-CAEmergencyCOVID-19Non-natural, not countedno Public Assistance recordedsame incident as DR-4482
2017-04-012017-02-01DR-4308-CAMajor disasterSevere Winter Storms, Flooding, and MudslidesInland Flooding (primary); also designated: Landslide, Winter Weather$708,133.80
2017-02-142017-01-03DR-4301-CAMajor disasterSevere Winter Storms, Flooding, and MudslidesInland Flooding; Landslide; Winter Weather$508,401.81
2005-09-132005-08-29EM-3248-CAEmergencyHurricane Katrina EvacuationHurricane: evacuation support, not a local hazard event; not countedno Public Assistance recorded
1998-02-091998-02-02DR-1203-CAMajor disasterSevere Winter Storms and FloodingInland Flooding; Winter Weatherno Public Assistance recorded
1997-01-041996-12-28DR-1155-CAMajor disasterSevere Storms, Flooding, Mud and LandslidesInland Flooding; Landslideno Public Assistance recorded
1995-03-121995-02-13DR-1046-CAMajor disasterSevere Winter Storms, Flooding Landslides, Mud FlowInland Flooding; Landslide; Winter Weatherno Public Assistance recorded
1991-02-111990-12-19DR-894-CAMajor disasterSevere FreezeCold WavePA not declared for this county
1989-10-181989-10-17DR-845-CAMajor disasterLoma Prieta EarthquakeEarthquakeno Public Assistance recorded
1986-02-211986-02-12DR-758-CAMajor disasterSevere Storms & FloodingInland FloodingPA not declared for this county
1983-02-091983-01-21DR-677-CAMajor disasterCoastal Storms, Floods, Slides & TornadoesCoastal Flooding; Inland Flooding; Landslide; Tornadono Public Assistance recorded
1977-01-201977-01-20EM-3023-CAEmergencyDroughtDroughtno Public Assistance recorded
1969-01-261969-01-26DR-253-CAMajor disasterSevere Storms & FloodingInland Floodingno Public Assistance recorded

County Public Assistance: applicants the FEMA record places in this county, including any state agencies FEMA files there; statewide rows are listed on the state page; federal share obligated, nominal dollars.

Statewide declarations

Source: 2

DeclaredIncident beganFEMA numberTypeTitleMapped hazard
1964-04-011964-04-01DR-169-CAMajor disasterSeismic Sea WaveTsunami
1963-12-211963-12-21DR-161-CAMajor disasterFlood Due to Broken DamOther, not an NRI hazard; not counted
1963-02-251963-02-25DR-145-CAMajor disasterSevere Storms, Heavy Rains & FloodingInland Flooding
1962-10-241962-10-24DR-138-CAMajor disasterSevere Storms & FloodingInland Flooding
1962-03-061962-03-06DR-122-CAMajor disasterFloodsInland Flooding
1961-11-161961-11-16DR-119-CAMajor disasterFire (Los Angeles County)Wildfire
1958-04-041958-04-04DR-82-CAMajor disasterHeavy Rainstorms & FloodInland Flooding
1956-12-291956-12-29DR-65-CAMajor disasterForest FireWildfire
1955-12-231955-12-23DR-47-CAMajor disasterFloodInland Flooding
1954-02-051954-02-05DR-15-CAMajor disasterFlood & ErosionInland Flooding

FEMA recorded these with designated area Statewide and no county, so they are listed on every county page in the state and not counted with county rows. Local data needed: whether each one affected this county.

5 Fire Management declarations (1977-08-07 to 1988-09-13) FEMA filed as Statewide with no county; each names one local fire. Listed on the state page.

Previous occurrences by hazard, with explicit no-event rows

Sources: 2, 6, 7

HazardStorm Events records, all years on file(years in the Period column)Since plan approvalrecordsIn the 12 months before plan approvalrecordsLast 5 yearsrecordsDeclared incidents, all yearsseparate disastersDeclared since approvalseparate disastersPeriodStatement
Avalanche0000001996 to 2026-06-30No recorded events, 1996 to 2026-06-30, NOAA NCEI Storm Events
Coastal Flooding1000101996 to 2026-06-30
Cold Wave8000101996 to 2026-06-30Includes 8 Frost/Freeze records.
Drought0000101996 to 2026-06-30No Storm Events records of this type; 1 federal declared incident (see declarations table)
Earthquake000010Storm Events does not record earthquakes; the USGS earthquake catalog is the source.
Hail3000001955 to 2026-06-30
Heat Wave11358001996 to 2026-06-30
Hurricane0000001996 to 2026-06-30No recorded events, 1996 to 2026-06-30, NOAA NCEI Storm Events
Ice Storm0000111996 to 2026-06-30No Storm Events records of this type; 1 federal declared incident (see declarations table)
Inland Flooding253031011996 to 2026-06-30
Landslide4101711996 to 2026-06-30
Lightning0000001996 to 2026-06-30No recorded events, 1996 to 2026-06-30, NOAA NCEI Storm Events
Strong Wind4510111111955 to 2026-06-30Includes 17 High Wind and 28 Strong Wind records.
Tornado3000101950 to 2026-06-30
Tsunami1000001996 to 2026-06-30
Wildfire1000001996 to 2026-06-30
Winter Weather0000611996 to 2026-06-30No Storm Events records of this type; 6 federal declared incidents (see declarations table)

Notable Storm Events records

Sources: 1, 6, 7

DateEvent typeMagnitude or extentDamagenominal dollarsDeaths, injuriesdirect onlyLocationFlagsWhy listed
2026-02-17Flood$0 property; $0 crops (2026 dollars)1, 1PAICINESnew since last plan; within last 5 yearsdeaths or injuries recorded
2025-02-04High Wind73 kt (84 mph) measured gust$0 property; $0 crops, reported for the zone (2025 dollars)0, 0NWS zone CAZ518 (MOUNTAINS OF SAN BENITO COUNTY AND INTERIOR MONTEREY COUNTY INCLUDING PINNACLES NATIONAL PARK), zone-levelnew since last plan; within last 5 yearsB1-c worst recorded: High Wind and Strong Wind
2021-01-27Flood$3,500,000 property; $0 crops (2021 dollars)0, 0PANOCHEB1-c worst recorded: Flash Flood, Flood, Lakeshore Flood
2021-01-27Debris Flow$4,500,000 property; $0 crops (2021 dollars)0, 0PANOCHEB1-c worst recorded: Debris Flow
2012-10-02Heat$0 property; $0 crops, reported for the zone (2012 dollars)1, 0NWS zone CAZ528 (NORTHERN SALINAS VALLEY / HOLLISTER VALLEY / CARMEL VALLEY), zone-leveldeaths or injuries recorded
2008-03-15Hail1 in$0 property; $0 crops (2008 dollars)0, 0TRES PINOSB1-c worst recorded: Hail
2008-01-05Coastal Flood$10,000 property; $0 crops, reported for the zone (2008 dollars)0, 0Storm Events area MONTEREY BAY/N SALINAS VALLEY/HOLLISTER VALLEY/CARMEL VALLEY (legacy zone code CAZ514), zone-levelB1-c worst recorded: Coastal Flood, Storm Surge/Tide
2007-01-06Frost/Freeze$0 property; $14,000,000 crops, reported for the zone (2007 dollars)0, 0Storm Events area MONTEREY BAY/N SALINAS VALLEY/HOLLISTER VALLEY/CARMEL VALLEY (legacy zone code CAZ514), zone-levelB1-c worst recorded: Frost/Freeze
2006-11-15Tsunami$3,000 property; $0 crops, reported for the zone (2006 dollars)0, 0Storm Events area MONTEREY BAY/N SALINAS VALLEY/HOLLISTER VALLEY/CARMEL VALLEY (legacy zone code CAZ514), zone-levelB1-c worst recorded: Tsunami
2006-07-22Heatdamage not reported0, 0NWS zone CAZ518 (MOUNTAINS OF SAN BENITO COUNTY AND INTERIOR MONTEREY COUNTY), zone-levelB1-c worst recorded: Excessive Heat, Heat
2006-03-06Strong Wind40 kt (46 mph) estimated gustdamage not reported1, 0Storm Events area MONTEREY BAY/N SALINAS VALLEY/HOLLISTER VALLEY/CARMEL VALLEY (legacy zone code CAZ514), zone-leveldeaths or injuries recorded
1985-03-11TornadoF2, 0.5 mi path length (whole path, pre-1996), 20 yd wide$2,500 property; crops not recorded (1985 dollars)0, 0location not recordedB1-c worst recorded: Tornado

The full list is in the Excel file, sheet "B1-d Storm Events history" (102 rows).

Location is the place NOAA recorded, as written in its data; it need not be a jurisdiction in this plan.

Local data needed: state-declared emergencies, from your state emergency management agency (federal data do not include them).

Tribal and special-area declarations in this state are listed on the state page.

Supports FEMA checklist item B1-e: probability of future events

Probability: FEMA annualized frequency and descriptor per hazard

Sources: 5, 6

HazardFEMA annualized frequency (modeled)unit per rowUnitIn plain termsDescriptorDescriptor basisNRI events or days in its record period (hail, wind and tornado are area-weighted, so can be fractional)NRI periodLocationNote
Avalanche0.01events per yearabout 1 in 100 yearsPossibleFEMA annualized frequency (modeled)01994 to 2023 (30 years)see B1-f0.01 is NRI's minimum avalanche frequency for a county in an avalanche susceptibility zone; NRI records no avalanche here, so the descriptor reflects the floor, not local events.
Coastal Floodingevents per year at a location (modeled)Possiblenot shownmodeledsee B1-fNot Applicable in NRI for this county; the descriptor comes from Storm Events, not NRI: Storm Events records in 1 of 30 years, 1996 to 2025.
Cold Wave0event-days per yearnone modeledevent-days in 0 of 30 years, 1996 to 2025 (0%)02005-11-12 to 2024-11-12 (19 years)countywideNo Storm Events cold wave record, 1996 to 2025.
Drought104event-days per yearabout 104 days per yearevent-days in 0 of 30 years, 1996 to 2025 (0%)2,8212000 to 2025 (25.25 years; D3 and D4 only)countywideNo Storm Events drought record, 1996 to 2025
Earthquake0.189annual probability at a locationchance a given location in the county has at least minor-damage shaking in a year: 18.9%not shownmodeledsee B1-fNo descriptor (Storm Events does not record earthquakes).
Hail0.102events per yearabout 1 in 10 yearsLikelyFEMA annualized frequency (modeled)3.9 (modeled)1986 to 2023 (38 years)countywide
Heat Wave8.22event-days per yearabout 8.22 days per yearLikely (from Storm Events: 4 of 30 years)event-days in 4 of 30 years, 1996 to 2025 (13.3%)1062005-11-12 to 2024-11-12 (19 years)countywide
Hurricaneevents per year1851 to 2024 (Atlantic); 1949 to 2024 (Pacific)see B1-fNot Applicable in NRI for this county; no descriptor.
Ice Stormevent-days per year1946-12-31 to 2014-02-12 (67 years)countywideNot Applicable in NRI for this county; no descriptor.
Inland Flooding0.286event-days per yearabout 0.286 days per yearLikely (from Storm Events: 6 of 30 years)event-days in 6 of 30 years, 1996 to 2025 (20%)81996 to 2023 (28 years)see B1-f
Landslide91.8events per year (modeled)about 91.8 per yearHighly likelyFEMA annualized frequency (modeled)not shownmodeledsee B1-f
Lightning3.22days per year with a strikeabout 3.22 days per yearHighly likelyFEMA annualized frequency (modeled)not shown1995 to 2023 (29 years; CONUS)countywide
Strong Wind0.0258events per yearabout 1 in 39 yearsPossibleFEMA annualized frequency (modeled)11986 to 2023 (38 years)countywide
Tornado0.115events per yearabout 1 in 9 yearsLikelyFEMA annualized frequency (modeled)not shown1950 to 2023 (EF2+); 1986 to 2023 (EF0-1)see B1-f
Tsunamiannual probability at the most exposed location (used in place of a county value)Possiblenot shownmodeledsee B1-fNot Applicable in NRI for this county; the descriptor comes from Storm Events, not NRI: Storm Events records in 1 of 30 years, 1996 to 2025.
Wildfire0.0085annual probability at a locationchance a given location in the county burns in a year: 0.85%Possible (from Storm Events: 1 of 30 years)Storm Events records in 1 of 30 years, 1996 to 2025 (3.33%)not shownmodeledsee B1-fDescriptor from Storm Events, not NRI.
Winter Weather1.54event-days per yearabout 1.54 days per yearevent-days in 0 of 30 years, 1996 to 2025 (0%)29.22005-11-12 to 2024-11-12 (19 years)countywideNo Storm Events winter weather record, 1996 to 2025

FEMA annualized frequency (modeled) is the National Risk Index v1.20 (December 2025) estimate of how often a hazard affects this county in a year; it is not recorded events divided by years, and its unit differs by hazard (events, event-days, or days with a lightning strike per year). For earthquake, wildfire, coastal flooding and tsunami the value is the chance (or number of events) at a location in the county, not across the county, so no "1 in N years" is given and the descriptor comes from Storm Events where it has a record (none for earthquake). The Methods page gives each hazard's method, from FEMA's National Risk Index Technical Documentation v1.20.

Where NRI gives event-days, the descriptor comes from the share of years with a Storm Events record; NRI's source records more events, so the two differ.

Descriptor scale used in this packet (defined per unit)

Sources: 5, 6

UnitDescriptorDefinition
events per yearHighly likely1 or more per year
events per yearLikelyabout once in 1 to 10 years
events per yearPossibleabout once in 10 to 100 years
events per yearUnlikelyless than once in 100 years
annual probabilityLikely10% to under 100% chance in a given year
annual probabilityPossible1% to under 10% chance in a given year
annual probabilityUnlikelyunder 1% chance in a given year
event-days (share of years)Highly likelyevent-days recorded in 90% or more of years
event-days (share of years)Likelyevent-days recorded in 10% to under 90% of years
event-days (share of years)Possibleevent-days recorded in some years but under 10% of years
lightning strike-daysHighly likelycloud-to-ground strikes on 1 or more days per year

Intensity bands: historical frequency (Storm Events)

Source: 6

HazardBandYearsEventscounty-coded recordsYears in periodEvents per yearevents / years
Hail1.00-1.99 in1996 to 20251300.0333
Hail2.00 in+1996 to 20250300
Thunderstorm Wind (counted as NRI Strong Wind)50-64 kt1996 to 20250300
Thunderstorm Wind (counted as NRI Strong Wind)65 kt+1996 to 20250300
Thunderstorm Wind (counted as NRI Strong Wind)unmeasured or below 50 kt1996 to 20250300
TornadoEF0-11996 to 20252300.0667
TornadoEF2-31996 to 20250300
TornadoEF4-51996 to 20250300
Tornadounrated (EFU)1996 to 20250300

The bands show how often events of each severity were recorded in this county, to profile how severe events have been (FEMA's probability item asks for the range of intensities).

Hail smaller than 1 inch is not counted: on 2010-01-05 the National Weather Service raised its severe-hail threshold from 3/4 inch to 1 inch, so smaller reports became less common after 2009 (NWS Service Change Notice 09-52). NRI hail frequency uses a 0.75 inch threshold.

Optional: future conditions. Not a required item in the 2025 FEMA Local Mitigation Planning Policy Guide; some states ask for it. The federal Climate Mapping for Resilience and Adaptation (CMRA) site gives county exposure to future climate conditions (https://resilience.climate.gov/).

Supports FEMA checklist item B1-f: hazards that vary across jurisdictions

Range of census tract risk within the county

Source: 5

HazardTractsrated of allNRI risk score, 0 to 100Tracts by rating
MinMedianMax
Avalanche2 of 123.63.94.3Very Low 2, Not Applicable 10
Coastal Flooding0 of 12Not Applicable 12
Cold Wave0 of 12No Rating 12
Drought10 of 1277.391.599.8Very High 1, Relatively High 2, Relatively Moderate 2, Relatively Low 4, Very Low 1, No Rating 2
Earthquake12 of 1292.397.499.9Very High 7, Relatively High 5
Hail12 of 127.912.436.6Very Low 12
Heat Wave12 of 1251.964.977.9Relatively Moderate 11, Relatively Low 1
Hurricane0 of 12Not Applicable 12
Ice Storm0 of 12Not Applicable 12
Inland Flooding12 of 1237.573.799.2Very High 3, Relatively High 1, Relatively Moderate 5, Relatively Low 3
Landslide12 of 1211.449.899.9Very High 1, Relatively High 1, Relatively Moderate 1, Very Low 9
Lightning12 of 1220.726.132.9Relatively Low 12
Strong Wind12 of 124.77.711.3Very Low 12
Tornado12 of 127.916.827.3Very Low 12
Tsunami0 of 12Not Applicable 12
Wildfire11 of 1222.292.599.8Very High 1, Relatively High 3, Relatively Moderate 3, Relatively Low 3, Very Low 1, No Rating 1
Winter Weather12 of 1213.114.120.8Relatively Low 1, Very Low 11

Drought: Agriculture is all of NRI's expected annual loss for this hazard in the county, so the tract range mostly reflects where crop and livestock value is.

Rated tracts only: No Rating (score 0.0), Not Applicable and Insufficient Data tracts are counted but not used for the minimum, median and maximum.

The score ranks a tract against all U.S. tracts (100 = highest). The rating is FEMA's category for the tract's risk value, computed differently, so the two can disagree.

Frequency data for drought, hail, heat wave, lightning, strong wind and winter weather are county-wide or coarse (49 km grid or NWS zone), the same for every jurisdiction; the tract range mostly reflects where buildings and people are (crop and livestock value where a line above names agriculture).

Each jurisdiction (starting figures from federal data)

Sources: 1, 3, 4, 6

JurisdictionTypePlan statusRepetitive lossFMA RL and SRL (44 CFR 77.2); repeat-flood, any definitionPublic Assistance to this jurisdictionFEMA records matched by applicant name; federal share obligated, nominal dollarsEvent records naming this placeall years; since its planNotes
San Benito CountyCountyApproved, expires 2028-02-06FMA RL 5, SRL 6; any 14$5,972,577.920 total; 0 since its planIncludes $3,234,907.83 for declarations not counted as hazard incidents (DR-4482-CA).
Hollister cityCityApproved, expires 2028-02-06FMA RL 0, SRL 0; any 3$331,958.186 total; 0 since its planIncludes $230,299.47 for declarations not counted as hazard incidents (DR-4482-CA).
San Juan Bautista cityCityApproved, expires 2028-02-06FMA RL 0, SRL 0; any 0$34,918.172 total; 1 since its planIncludes $6,019.08 for declarations not counted as hazard incidents (DR-4482-CA).

Repetitive-loss counts are for whole NFIP communities, which can extend beyond this county (see the note in B2-c).

School districts and special districts get a plan clock row only.

County Public Assistance in B1-d also includes applicants filed under the county that are not jurisdictions in this plan (for example state agencies, special districts and nonprofits), so the jurisdiction rows add up to less.

Supports FEMA checklist items B2-a and B2-b: vulnerability and potential impacts

Local data needed

The table below gives county-level starting figures; the plan describes impacts for each jurisdiction and its own assets.

  • Critical facilities and lifelines per hazard
  • A problem statement per jurisdiction per hazard
  • Changes in development in hazard-prone areas since the last approval, or a statement of none (E1-a)
  • Future assets

County-level starter: exposure, expected annual loss and damage since the plan

Sources: 1, 2, 3, 5, 6, 7

HazardBuilding exposuremodeled dollarsAgriculture exposuremodeled dollarsPopulation exposedpeopleEAL buildingsmodeled dollars per yearEAL agriculturemodeled dollars per yearCost of expected deaths and injuriesFEMA's dollar value per year, not property damageEAL as % of exposurebuildings; agriculture where notedStorm Events damage since 2023-02-07county-coded records, property plus crops, nominal dollarsZone-level damage since planproperty plus crops, reported for the zonePublic Assistance since plannominal dollars; see noteNote
Avalanche$0n/aunder 1$0n/a$8building exposure is 0 in NRI
Coastal FloodingNot Applicable in NRI for this county
Cold Wave$0$00$0$0$0building exposure is 0 in NRI
Droughtn/a$119,237,901n/an/a$5,455,354n/a4.58% (agriculture)NRI has no building exposure for this hazard; agriculture shown
Earthquake$24,998,410,773n/a64,209$36,558,263n/a$12,631,4340.146%
Hail$14,862,782,201$209,750,46964,102$2,092$5,115$3,636under 0.0001%
Heat Wave$14,862,782,201$209,750,46964,102$622$59,577$750,313under 0.0001%$0
HurricaneNot Applicable in NRI for this county
Ice Storm$1,461,438.27Not Applicable in NRI for this county
Inland Flooding$14,860,388,363$68,765,0871,591$17,846,594$298,361$13,238n/a (see note)$0$1,461,438.27NRI counts the full building value of any census block with some flood loss; this is not the value of buildings in the floodplain. Use local FIRM overlays for B2-a/B2-b.
Landslide$477,441,941n/a1,553$234,072n/a$452,7200.049%$0$1,461,438.27
Lightning$14,862,782,201n/a64,102$1,860n/a$59,283under 0.0001%
Strong Wind$14,862,782,201$209,750,46964,102$6,480$156$2,377under 0.0001%$30$1,461,438.27Storm Events damage since the plan includes 3 zone-level Strong Wind records ($30): a NOAA non-thunderstorm wind type, outside NRI's Strong Wind definition.
Tornado$14,862,782,201$209,750,46964,102$74,862$654$19,9880.000504%
TsunamiNot Applicable in NRI for this county
Wildfire$1,792,415,405$96,510,15611,829$5,304,853$2,259$223,8850.296%
Winter Weather$14,862,782,201$209,750,46964,102$346under $1$366under 0.0001%$1,461,438.27

Totals since 2023-02-07 (Storm Events through 2026-06-30): 4 county-coded records, 4 with a damage value recorded (including $0), $0; 13 zone-level records, 13 with a damage value recorded (including $0), $30 reported for the zone; Public Assistance: $1,461,438.27 on 2 counted declarations, 1 of them with Public Assistance.

FEMA does not split Public Assistance by hazard. A declaration mapped to several hazards is listed under each of them with its full amount, so the per-hazard column does not add up to the total; the unit total counts each declaration once.

NRI computes earthquake exposure on its own basis, so it exceeds the county building value in B2-a.

Supports FEMA checklist item B2-a: vulnerability (county context)

County context

Source: 5

MeasureValue
Population64,102
Building value (total, not at risk)$14,862,782,201
Agriculture value (total, not at risk)$209,750,469
NRI risk rating (all hazards)Relatively Moderate
Expected annual loss, buildings and agriculture, all hazards$65,851,520
Expected annual loss, population equivalence, all hazards (NRI values each statistical life at $13.7M; a modeled value of expected deaths and injuries, not property damage)$14,157,248
Social vulnerability ratingVery Low
Community resilience ratingRelatively Moderate
NRI versionDecember 2025

FEMA's all-hazard expected annual loss adds buildings, agriculture and population equivalence; this table gives the property part and the population-equivalence part as separate rows.

Social vulnerability: higher means people are more likely to be harmed and slower to recover. Community resilience: lower means the community is less able to recover. High social vulnerability and low resilience both raise the NRI risk rating.

Supports FEMA checklist item B2-c: repetitive loss properties

Repetitive loss in this county, both definitions

Sources: 1, 4

DefinitionPropertiesSevere repetitive lossProperties
Repetitive loss, FMA definition (44 CFR 77.2)5Severe repetitive loss, FMA definition (44 CFR 77.2)6
Repetitive loss, NFIP insurance definition17Severe repetitive loss, NFIP insurance definition6

The state NFIP coordinator's list, the source FEMA's Handbook names, often uses the NFIP insurance definition (second row).

Repeat-flood properties: county and state-level rows

Sources: 1, 4

ScopeRL, FMApropertiesSRL, FMApropertiesRL, NFIPpropertiesSRL, NFIPpropertiesAny categorypropertiesMitigatedpropertiesCurrently insuredproperties
County total561761708
of which: San Benito County (unincorporated area)561461408
of which: Hollister city0030300
Statewide, no county in FEMA's file0130410

The statewide row counts properties FEMA's file gives with no county in this state; they are listed for reference and are not in this county's counts.

Repeat-flood properties by jurisdiction in the plan (NFIP community)

Sources: 1, 4

JurisdictionNFIP community IDRL, FMApropertiesSRL, FMApropertiesRL, NFIPpropertiesSRL, NFIPpropertiesAny categorypropertiesMitigatedpropertiesCurrently insuredproperties
San Benito County060267561461408
Hollister city0602680030300
San Juan Bautista city0602690000000

Counts by occupancy group for each jurisdiction are in the Excel file, sheet "B2-c Jurisdictions".

Jurisdiction rows are whole NFIP communities and need not add up to the county total: a community that extends into another county is counted in full on each jurisdiction row, while the county table counts only its part in this county.

County repeat-flood properties by occupancy group

Sources: 1, 4

Occupancy groupRL, FMApropertiesSRL, FMApropertiesRL, NFIPpropertiesSRL, NFIPpropertiesAny categorypropertiesMitigatedpropertiesCurrently insuredproperties
single-family residential551551508
2 to 4 unit residential0111100
other residential0000000
non-residential0010100
not reported0000000

FEMA's occupancy groups have no institutional class; institutional properties are counted in non-residential or other residential in the table by occupancy group.

FMA RL and FMA SRL are the Flood Mitigation Assistance definitions (44 CFR 77.2), the ones the FEMA Local Mitigation Planning Policy Guide cites. NFIP repetitive loss (the FEMA insurance definition) is 2 or more claims over $1,000 in 10 years, and a property can leave that group once it is mitigated. Also shown: NFIP severe repetitive loss, any category, mitigated and currently insured. The Methods page gives the OpenFEMA field details.

Counts are aggregates of FEMA's public NFIP Multiple Loss Properties file (FEMA's data date 2026-08-02; file version 2026-08-04). No property is identified. County assignment is FEMA's geocode.

In this county 0 properties are FMA repetitive loss but not NFIP repetitive loss, and 12 properties are NFIP repetitive loss but not FMA repetitive loss.

Exact counts; no count suppression.

Sources

Tables cite these sources by number. The full list, for the plan's bibliography (FEMA review item A4-a):

  1. FEMA, OpenFEMA HazardMitigationPlanStatuses v1, version 2026-09-29T134039Z, pulled 2026-09-30, https://www.fema.gov/api/open/v1/HazardMitigationPlanStatuses (API)
  2. FEMA, OpenFEMA DisasterDeclarationsSummaries v2, version 2026-09-29T162832Z, pulled 2026-09-30, https://www.fema.gov/api/open/v2/DisasterDeclarationsSummaries (API)
  3. FEMA, OpenFEMA PublicAssistanceFundedProjectsSummaries v1, version 2026-09-29T150754Z, pulled 2026-09-30, https://www.fema.gov/api/open/v1/PublicAssistanceFundedProjectsSummaries (API)
  4. FEMA, OpenFEMA NfipMultipleLossProperties v1, version 2026-08-04T164045Z, pulled 2026-09-30, https://www.fema.gov/api/open/v1/NfipMultipleLossProperties (API)
  5. FEMA, FEMA National Risk Index 1.20.0 (December 2025), county and census tract tables, version 1.20.0, pulled 2026-09-30, https://www.fema.gov/about/reports-and-data/openfema/nri/v120/NRI_Table_Counties.zip (download, 25 MB), https://www.fema.gov/about/reports-and-data/openfema/nri/v120/NRI_Table_CensusTracts.zip (download, 635 MB)
  6. NOAA NCEI, NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database, details files (csvfiles v1.0), version c20260918, pulled 2026-09-30, https://www.ncei.noaa.gov/pub/data/swdi/stormevents/csvfiles/
  7. NOAA National Weather Service, NWS county-public forecast zones correlation file, version bp03mr20 to bp16ap26 (11 files; newest bp16ap26), pulled 2026-09-30, https://www.weather.gov/gis/ZoneCounty
  8. U.S. Census Bureau, Census 2024 Gazetteer, 2020 place by county, CT county-to-cousub crosswalk, version 2024-gazetteer, pulled 2026-09-30, https://www2.census.gov/geo/docs/maps-data/data/gazetteer/2024_Gazetteer/2024_Gaz_counties_national.zip, https://www2.census.gov/geo/docs/maps-data/data/gazetteer/2024_Gazetteer/2024_Gaz_cousubs_national.zip, https://www2.census.gov/geo/docs/maps-data/data/gazetteer/2024_Gazetteer/2024_Gaz_place_national.zip, https://www2.census.gov/geo/docs/maps-data/data/gazetteer/2024_Gazetteer/2024_Gaz_unsd_national.zip, https://www2.census.gov/geo/docs/maps-data/data/gazetteer/2024_Gazetteer/2024_Gaz_elsd_national.zip, https://www2.census.gov/geo/docs/maps-data/data/gazetteer/2024_Gazetteer/2024_Gaz_scsd_national.zip, https://www2.census.gov/geo/docs/reference/codes2020/national_place_by_county2020.txt, https://www2.census.gov/geo/docs/reference/ct_change/ct_cou_to_cousub_crosswalk.xlsx (used to match place names and codes; no table prints its values)

What this packet is and what the plan adds

This packet is the federal data for the plan's risk assessment, organized by the items of FEMA's Local Mitigation Plan Review Tool, Element B. Each section heading names the item its tables support; the plan and FEMA's review decide whether the item is met.

The plan adds what only the community has: local data on assets, critical facilities, development and each jurisdiction's impacts; local hazard history, including state-declared emergencies; the mitigation strategy; and adoption.

How the federal data are built: National Risk Index values are FEMA's model, not counts of events. Storm Events is more complete from 1996; zone-level records are placed by forecast zone, not by location in the county. Public Assistance for a jurisdiction is matched by applicant name. The Methods page gives every rule and the known edge cases.

OpenFEMA disclaimer

This product uses the Federal Emergency Management Agency's OpenFEMA API, but is not endorsed by FEMA. The Federal Government or FEMA cannot vouch for the data or analyses derived from these data after the data have been retrieved from the Agency's website(s).

Reuse, citation and corrections

Reuse and citation: Hazard Plain text and tables are licensed under Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International (CC BY 4.0, https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/); credit Hazard Plain and the release. The underlying federal data are public domain; OpenFEMA data are also subject to the OpenFEMA terms and conditions.

Cite this: Hazard Plain (2026). San Benito County, CA: risk-assessment baseline packet, release 2026-10 (data as of 2026-09-30; County FIPS 06069). Automated baseline. https://hazardplain.org/ca/06069/ Built from FEMA OpenFEMA, the FEMA National Risk Index and NOAA NCEI Storm Events; source versions in the packet's Sources list.

Corrections: to report an error, name the packet, the table and what your records show. Contact: contact@hazardplain.org

Hazard Plain release 2026-10. As of 2026-09-30; Storm Events data through 2026-06-30. Automated baseline.