Marin County, California
Natural disaster risk, federal disaster history and flood insurance facts.
Marin County, California has a relatively high overall risk from natural hazards in FEMA's National Risk Index. Its risk score is higher than 96% of US counties. It ranks 27th of 58 counties in California. The costliest hazards here are inland flooding, earthquakes and coastal flooding. FEMA estimates about $259 million a year in expected losses, or roughly $989 per resident. Since 1964 it has been included in 24 federal disaster or emergency declarations for natural events (21 major disasters). The most recent was in April 2023 (severe winter storms, straight-line winds, flooding, landslides and mudslides). About 1 in 19 homes here carry federal flood insurance (4,542 policies). Since 1978, federal flood insurance has paid about $55 million on 3,301 claims here, including $28 million for floods in 2005.
FEMA National Risk Index December 2025; OpenFEMA declarations to Nov 6, 2026; NFIP records. Updated November 6, 2026.
Top risks in Marin County
- Check the FEMA flood map for your address, and ask the seller or landlord about past flooding.
- Price a flood policy now. Most new federal policies take 30 days to start.
- Ask whether an older house is bolted to its foundation.
- Consider separate earthquake insurance where risk is high.
- Learn your evacuation zone; it is set by surge risk, not by distance from the beach.
- Ask about flood insurance even outside a mapped high-risk zone.
All 18 hazards
What the ratings mean ›| Hazard | Rating | Score | Expected loss a year | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Inland flooding | 96.5 | $116M | ||
| Earthquake | 98.7 | $110M | ||
| Coastal flooding | 97.2 | $20M | ||
| Tsunami | 69.2 | $6M | ||
| Wildfire | 94.6 | $4M | ||
| Landslide | 99.2 | $2M | ||
| Heat wave | 74.6 | $1M | ||
| Tornado | 18.6 | $242K | ||
| Drought | 51.6 | $183K | ||
| Lightning | 34.1 | $146K | ||
| Strong wind | 11.2 | $96K | ||
| Hail | 3.7 | $9K | ||
| Winter weather | 4.0 | $3K | ||
| Volcanic activity | 63.5 | $56 |
Scores are percentiles: a score of 90 means higher risk than about 90% of US counties for that hazard. Hazards FEMA does not rate here are left out. Social vulnerability is relatively low and community resilience is very high in FEMA's measures.
Federal disaster history
Recent disasters nationwide ›Declarations by decade
Federal declarations for natural events that included Marin County. 2020s bar runs to November 2026.
By type
Most recent
Show all 24
California also had 35 statewide declarations that did not name single counties.
Storm history since 1996
Tornado risk by county ›The National Weather Service has logged 167 storm reports in Marin County since 1996, with 2 deaths and 1 injury and about $225 million in reported damage. The strongest on record here was an F1 tornado on December 23, 1996 near Tomales.
Strongest tornadoes
| Date | Strength | Near | Hurt / killed |
|---|---|---|---|
| Dec 23, 1996 | F1 | Tomales | 0 / 0 |
Most damaging storms
| Date | Type | Near | Damage |
|---|---|---|---|
| Dec 31, 2005 | Flood | Countywide | $108M |
| Jan 1, 2006 | Flood | Countywide | $108M |
| Dec 11, 2014 | Flash Flood | Novato | $4M |
| Feb 6, 1998 | Flash Flood | South Portion | $2M |
| Dec 11, 2014 | Debris Flow | Tamalpais Vly | $1M |
| Dec 11, 2014 | Debris Flow | Marin City | $1M |
Source: NOAA Storm Events Database, county-based reports through Dec 25, 2025. Tornado records start in 1950, hail and wind in 1955, and floods and other storm types in 1996, so older decades undercount. Damage is in dollars of the year it happened and is often an estimate. Winter storms, heat and hurricanes are logged by forecast zone, not county, so they are not counted here.
Flood insurance in Marin County
Check your address flood zone ›National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP) records only; private flood policies are not included. Home counts as of Aug 3, 2026. Since 2021 NFIP prices each home separately under Risk Rating 2.0, so your price depends on the building, not the county. Ask an agent for a quote.
Homes in Marin County
Older homes and mobile homes usually suffer more damage in storms, floods and earthquakes, and can cost more to insure. If you are buying, ask about roof age, foundation bolting and any retrofits. Source: US Census Bureau, American Community Survey 2020 to 2024 5-year estimates; 112,116 housing units.
Compare in California
All 58 ›| Largest counties | Overall risk | Top hazard |
|---|---|---|
| Los Angeles County | Earthquake | |
| San Diego County | Inland flooding | |
| Orange County | Earthquake | |
| Riverside County | Inland flooding | |
| San Bernardino County | Inland flooding | |
| Santa Clara County | Earthquake | |
| Alameda County | Earthquake | |
| Sacramento County | Inland flooding |
Neighboring counties
| County | Overall risk | Declarations |
|---|---|---|
| Contra Costa County | 19 | |
| San Francisco County | 9 | |
| Sonoma County | 33 | |
| Solano County | 28 |
Cities in Marin County
Common questions about Marin County
What is the biggest natural hazard in Marin County?
Inland flooding has the highest expected yearly losses in Marin County, about $116 million a year in FEMA's estimate. Earthquake is second at $110 million.
How many federal disasters has Marin County had?
Marin County has been included in 24 federal disaster or emergency declarations for natural events since 1964, including 21 major disasters. The most recent was Severe Winter Storms, Straight-Line Winds, Flooding, Landslides, and Mudslides in April 2023.
Is Marin County a high-risk place to live?
Its overall rating is Relatively High, 27th highest of 58 in California. A county rating covers the whole area. Risk at one address can be much higher or lower, so check the FEMA flood map and ask about the home's history.
Do I need flood insurance in Marin County?
Standard home insurance does not cover flooding. About 1 in 19 homes in Marin County has federal flood insurance. Lenders require it in mapped high-risk zones, but many flood claims come from outside those zones.
How many tornadoes has Marin County had?
NOAA records list 1 tornadoes in Marin County since 1950. The strongest was an F1 tornado on December 23, 1996 near Tomales. The weather service has also logged 12 hail reports and 114 floods here.
Sources: FEMA National Risk Index (December 2025), OpenFEMA Disaster Declarations Summaries, and NFIP policy and claims data. Hazard Compass is independent and not affiliated with FEMA. These figures describe the whole county, not a single property, and are not insurance or safety advice. Report a problem.