FEMA rates relative earthquake risk for Santa Clara County as very high and reports modeled annual probability of 0.98% per year for the area.
FEMA summary
FEMA's profile for Santa Clara 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 Santa Clara 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 Santa Clara County. It is not an estimate for a home or address.
City risk summary
For San Jose, FEMA rates earthquake risk for Santa Clara County as very high, with a relative score of 100.0/100. The next highest relative scores are heat wave at 97.4/100 and wildfire at 96.9/100.
Using FEMA data for Santa Clara County, San Jose is tied #23 among 111 covered California entries for earthquake risk; 5 entries share that score. Santa Clara is about 7.9 straight-line miles from the San Jose map point and uses the same FEMA geography.
For homeowners and movers
Preparedness actions
Living in San Jose? Learn how to handle water storage, sanitation, and security in a small space.
The map shows San Jose. All FEMA figures on this page cover Santa Clara County.
The FEMA figures cover Santa Clara County. Address-level conditions require local maps, building records, and property details.
FEMA rates relative earthquake risk for Santa Clara 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, San Jose is Tied #23 for relative earthquake risk based on FEMA's score for Santa Clara County. 5 covered cities share this rank because they use the same FEMA geography. Homes within San Jose can have different soil, elevation, construction, and hazard-zone conditions.
In FEMA's data for Santa Clara County, the highest relative ratings are Earthquake (Very High), Heat Wave (Relatively High), and Wildfire (Relatively High). FEMA uses estimated losses and community data along with event frequency when assigning these ratings.
The hazard numbers cover Santa Clara County. For an individual home, check local fault, flood, fire, evacuation, and building records for the exact address.
FEMA gives Santa Clara 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Santa Clara, CA | 8 mi | Very High | 100.0 |
| Sunnyvale, CA | 11 mi | Very High | 100.0 |
| Mountain View, CA | 14 mi | Very High | 100.0 |
| Fremont, CA | 17 mi | Very High | 99.9 |
| Santa Cruz, CA | 25 mi | Relatively High | 99.3 |
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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.