Flood Claims Map

California

Flood insurance claims in Santa Barbara County, California

FEMA records 1,309 National Flood Insurance Program claims in Santa Barbara County, California, since 1978, with $31.4 million paid in total. The year with the most claims was 1995, with 339. As of 3 August 2026, 1.9% of homes here had an NFIP policy, and 27.4% of homes in the high-risk flood zone did.

NFIP claims on record1,309
Total paid$31.4 million
Claims with a payment799
Homes with NFIP policy1.9%
High-risk zone homes insured27.4%
Residential policies in force2,383

Claims by year of loss

1978: 4219781979: 31980: 321981: 161982: 219821983: 1191984: 21985: 11986: 419861987: 01988: 31989: 01990: 119901991: 151992: 191993: 121994: 219941995: 3391996: 31997: 51998: 18219981999: 12000: 132001: 162002: 220022003: 12004: 72005: 402006: 120062007: 02008: 12009: 22010: 620102011: 62012: 02013: 02014: 620142015: 02016: 102017: 202018: 18320182019: 222020: 02021: 32022: 1020222023: 1282024: 202025: 82026: 12026339

NFIP claims by year of loss, Santa Barbara County, California

1978: $37,22719781979: $10,3001980: $97,0311981: $49,8571982: $59019821983: $1.6 million1984: $01985: $2501986: $019861987: $01988: $4,0251989: $01990: $50019901991: $18,1521992: $7,4431993: $14,2991994: $019941995: $3.8 million1996: $6,6931997: $01998: $1.2 million19981999: $02000: $60,3572001: $122,8902002: $1,52320022003: $02004: $28,9672005: $668,5482006: $020062007: $02008: $4,4422009: $14,7542010: $39,31420102011: $17,2612012: $02013: $02014: $93,50720142015: $02016: $100,3092017: $687,9572018: $16.6 million20182019: $382,4232020: $02021: $53,1392022: $121,04020222023: $4.0 million2024: $1.5 million2025: $33,2702026: $02026$16.6 million

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

Named flood events with the most claims

Event (FEMA name)Claims
Flooding469
Mid-Winter California Flooding177
Pineapple Express - Southern175
California Atmospheric River114
December California Flooding14
February California Atmospheric River4

ZIP codes with the most claims

ZIP code (as reported)Claims
93108480
93013167
93101156
93103153
9311783
9310582
9344132
9311026
9346025
9310918

638 of the claims were on properties rated in a high-risk flood zone (zones starting A or V). Building $28.8 million, contents $2.6 million, increased cost of compliance $0.

Flood insurance take-up

HomesWith NFIP policyShare
High-risk flood zone4,4221,21327.4%
All homes123,0222,3831.9%

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.