Check recent earthquakes near Downey, then explore long-term risk, official hazard maps, and local preparedness. FEMA rates earthquake risk for Los Angeles County as very high.
USGS earthquake activity
Long-term risk ↓Reported earthquakes within 100 km (62 miles) of the city center in the past 24 hours. Distances are straight-line; small events may not be felt.
USGS feed updated Oct 19, 7:39 PM PDT. Checks every five minutes while this page is open.
Oct 19, 3:01 PM PDT · 9.8 miles from Downey
Oct 19, 8:27 AM PDT · 51.6 miles from Downey
Oct 19, 8:24 AM PDT · 51.8 miles from Downey
Oct 18, 11:36 PM PDT · 50.7 miles from Downey
Oct 18, 11:30 PM PDT · 41.7 miles from Downey
Oct 18, 9:08 PM PDT · 17.2 miles from Downey
USGS reports can be revised. This activity list is not an earthquake warning or forecast.
Official maps for an address
Use the state map to check mapped fault-rupture, liquefaction, and earthquake-induced landslide zones. These layers answer different questions from the FEMA county risk score.
Open California EQ Zapp ↗Source: California Geological Survey · reviewed September 21, 2026. Site-specific investigations may still be needed for construction or retrofit decisions. The location map farther down this page does not show these hazard zones.
FEMA summary
FEMA's profile for Los Angeles County reports modeled annual probability of 0.98% per year for earthquake. FEMA's relative risk rating for the area is very high; the annualized frequency is a separate measure.
Hazard metrics cover FEMA county-equivalent geographies rather than individual addresses or parcels. Use local or state hazard maps before making a property, insurance, retrofit, or evacuation decision.
Select a hazard to inspect FEMA's figures for Los Angeles County.
Earthquake
FEMA combines its area-wide loss estimate and community data in this relative rating. Event frequency appears separately below.
Relative FEMA score
100.0/100
FEMA models earthquake annualized frequency as the probability of a qualifying occurrence in a given year across the FEMA geography shown.
The area loss estimate combines FEMA's modeled losses to buildings, population, and agriculture across Los Angeles County. It is not an estimate for a home or address.
Local context
Downey’s FEMA-approved 2025–2030 Hazard Mitigation Plan evaluates earthquakes using historical events, regional data, probability, and local vulnerability. The city cites the 1987 Whittier Narrows earthquake as a local example of damaging Los Angeles County shaking away from the rupture itself.
For a Downey household, the most useful follow-up is building-specific: identify the structural system and construction era, look for unpermitted alterations or a weak first story, secure utilities and heavy contents, and plan for delayed emergency response after a region-wide event. Downey offers local CERT training for residents who want more than a supply checklist.
For homeowners and movers
Preparedness actions
Living in Downey? Learn how to handle water storage, sanitation, and security in a small space.
The map shows Downey. All FEMA figures on this page cover Los Angeles County.
The FEMA figures cover Los Angeles County. Address-level conditions require local maps, building records, and property details.
FEMA rates relative earthquake risk for Los Angeles County as very high. Its modeled annual probability is 0.98% per year. Damage at a specific address also depends on the building, soil, elevation, and exact hazard zone.
Among 111 California cities covered by this directory, Downey is Tied #1 for relative earthquake risk based on FEMA's score for Los Angeles County. 22 covered cities share this rank because they use the same FEMA geography. Homes within Downey can have different soil, elevation, construction, and hazard-zone conditions.
In FEMA's data for Los Angeles County, the highest relative ratings are Earthquake (Very High), Wildfire (Very High), and Heat Wave (Relatively High). FEMA uses estimated losses and community data along with event frequency when assigning these ratings.
The hazard numbers cover Los Angeles County. For an individual home, check local fault, flood, fire, evacuation, and building records for the exact address.
FEMA gives Los Angeles County an overall relative risk rating of very high. Conditions at a specific home depend on its hazard zones, building type, maintenance, insurance, and access to evacuation routes and emergency services.
Start with this step: Check whether your home has an unbraced cripple wall, an unbolted foundation, or an unsecured water heater; use a qualified local professional for retrofit decisions. Secure tall furniture and heavy objects that could fall where people sleep or sit. Use Ready.gov Earthquakes and local emergency guidance for a complete plan.
Distances are measured between city coordinates.
| City | Distance | Earthquake rating | Relative score |
|---|---|---|---|
| Norwalk, CA | 3 mi | Very High | 100.0 |
| South Gate, CA | 4 mi | Very High | 100.0 |
| Compton, CA | 6 mi | Very High | 100.0 |
| Whittier, CA | 7 mi | Very High | 100.0 |
| East Los Angeles, CA | 7 mi | Very High | 100.0 |
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View productHazard metrics come from FEMA National Risk Index v1.19.0 (March 2023). City population and coordinates come from SimpleMaps US Cities Database. For current conditions, use official local maps, warnings, inspections, and professional advice.