Flood claims vs. the FEMA map in Los Angeles, CA
FEMA's flood map and the flood claims people have actually filed don't always line up. In Los Angeles, 24 neighborhoods with a digital FEMA map have under 10% of their area in FEMA's high-risk zones and at least 25 National Flood Insurance Program claims on record.
The neighborhoods
| Neighborhood | Area in high-risk zones | Claims on record | Rated outside high-risk zones | Claims since 2015 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Beverly Crest | 3.4% | 406 | 273 | 20 |
| Hollywood Hills West | 0.3% | 395 | 258 | 33 |
| Sherman Oaks | 0.0% | 370 | 238 | 29 |
| Brentwood | 0.7% | 329 | 196 | 37 |
| Encino | 2.6% | 324 | 240 | 18 |
| Pacific Palisades | 1.0% | 272 | 195 | 16 |
| Bel-Air | 1.8% | 245 | 165 | 23 |
| Woodland Hills | 0.0% | 232 | 170 | 21 |
| Studio City | 0.0% | 204 | 133 | 15 |
| Tarzana | 0.1% | 171 | 121 | 12 |
| Mid-City | 6.0% | 84 | 21 | 4 |
| Beverly Grove | 0.0% | 70 | 17 | 3 |
Beverly Crest has the most: 406 claims, with 3.4% of its area in high-risk zones. 273 of those claims, about 67%, were rated in zones X, B or C, FEMA's moderate and minimal categories, at the time of the policy. The largest single source there is Flooding, with 145 claims.
How to read this
- Claims are public only by census block group, so these counts describe the area around a home, not the home. Nearby neighborhoods can share block groups, so don't add the rows together.
- Flood maps get redrawn. The rated zone is the one on the policy when it was written, which may not be the zone on today's map.
- Past claims don't predict future flooding, and few claims can simply mean few policies. This does not label any place safe or unsafe.
Claims data as of 2026-09-08, from FEMA's OpenFEMA NFIP claims dataset. Flood zones from FEMA's National Flood Hazard Layer. Check the exact address below, and get a flood insurance quote before you close, because standard homeowners policies generally don't cover flood damage.
This site does not label any place safe or unsafe. Past claims do not predict future flooding. Always check the exact address.