Flood Claims Map

California

Flood insurance claims in Kern County, California

FEMA records 280 National Flood Insurance Program claims in Kern County, California, since 1978, with $1.5 million paid in total. The year with the most claims was 1998, with 76. As of 3 August 2026, 1.1% of homes here had an NFIP policy, and 19.7% of homes in the high-risk flood zone did.

NFIP claims on record280
Total paid$1.5 million
Claims with a payment142
Homes with NFIP policy1.1%
High-risk zone homes insured19.7%
Residential policies in force2,955

Claims by year of loss

1978: 119781979: 11980: 31981: 01982: 319821983: 241984: 281985: 01986: 019861987: 01988: 21989: 11990: 019901991: 11992: 41993: 31994: 119941995: 71996: 11997: 61998: 7619981999: 32000: 12001: 22002: 220022003: 22004: 32005: 122006: 220062007: 12008: 12009: 22010: 1020102011: 22012: 12013: 12014: 220142015: 22016: 62017: 142018: 220182019: 82020: 62021: 22022: 120222023: 222024: 52025: 376

NFIP claims by year of loss, Kern County, California

1978: $3,00919781979: $01980: $1,1881981: $01982: $18,93519821983: $121,4011984: $137,0121985: $01986: $019861987: $01988: $1,9781989: $4951990: $019901991: $01992: $4,5531993: $4521994: $019941995: $12,6031996: $01997: $66,2761998: $391,93119981999: $5,8172000: $02001: $1,0302002: $4,51420022003: $02004: $6,8902005: $147,2742006: $5,32020062007: $02008: $02009: $02010: $19,25920102011: $02012: $02013: $02014: $1,08320142015: $82,9052016: $02017: $136,1872018: $020182019: $64,8312020: $45,8662021: $02022: $48,51120222023: $152,4572024: $10,4942025: $23,203$391,931

Paid on claims by year of loss (building, contents and increased cost of compliance), Kern County, California

Named flood events with the most claims

Event (FEMA name)Claims
Pineapple Express - Southern65
Flooding31
California Atmospheric River15
Tropical Storm Hilary4
February California Atmospheric River3

ZIP codes with the most claims

ZIP code (as reported)Claims
9324140
9325032
9355529
9356023
9320322
9330718
9330116
9322513
9331110
9350110

157 of the claims were on properties rated in a high-risk flood zone (zones starting A or V). Building $1.4 million, contents $118,586, increased cost of compliance $0.

Flood insurance take-up

HomesWith NFIP policyShare
High-risk flood zone12,8512,52719.7%
All homes259,6352,9551.1%

FEMA counts residential structures and NFIP residential policies in force as of 3 August 2026. Private flood policies are not counted. A share is shown as n/a where FEMA counts no homes or more policies than homes.

Flood insurance basics. Most standard homeowners policies do not cover flood damage. NFIP policies are sold through insurance agents and through FEMA's FloodSmart site, which also explains waiting periods (usually 30 days before cover starts). Check your property's flood zone on the FEMA Flood Map Service Center.

Sources

  1. FEMA, OpenFEMA FIMA NFIP Redacted Claims (v2 dataset, API v3 NfipClaims), 2,725,989 claim records, retrieved 29 October 2026
  2. FEMA, OpenFEMA NFIP Residential Penetration Rates, as of 3 August 2026

Checked 29 October 2026. Claims are NFIP claims only. Private flood insurance claims and uninsured losses are not included. Recent events can take months to be fully reflected.