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Santa Cruz County Disaster Risk Profile
Population 268,571
87/100
Composite disaster-history score. Higher than 100% of U.S. counties. The California average is 67.
Our calculation — not a government figure. Method.
What goes into it
Federal disaster declarations34 since 1953
92th percentile of all counties
Severe storms (events & deaths)7 notable · 7 deaths
68th percentile of all counties
Earthquakes (M4.5+)24 · max M6.9
99th percentile of all counties
Large wildfires (1,000+ acres)4 · largest 7,783 ac
90th percentile of all counties
Weights: declarations 40%, storms 25%, earthquakes 20%, wildfires 15%. Each layer is scored by its percentile rank among all counties, on a log scale so a handful of counties with enormous counts do not flatten everyone else.
See the full event history for Santa Cruz County →
Counties in California with a similar score
This score summarises the past. It is not a forecast, an insurance rating, or a judgment about whether to live somewhere — for that, see FEMA's National Risk Index and current National Weather Service guidance. Sources: FEMA, USGS, NIFC, NOAA/NCEI.