Does West Adams flood?
West Adams, Los Angeles, CA · ZIP codes 90016 and 90035: the ZIP codes on most of the flood insurance claims counted here. ZIP codes do not follow neighborhood lines.
Yes. Insured properties in and around West Adams have filed flood claims. About 14% of West Adams’s mapped area is inside FEMA’s Special Flood Hazard Area; the rest is in moderate or minimal-hazard Zone X. NFIP flood insurance records list 46 claims from the Census block groups that cover West Adams, from 1980 through 2026. 9 of them received a payment, totaling $117,459 (not adjusted for inflation). The busiest years were 1998 (7 claims), 2004 (4 claims), 1995 (4 claims).
Past claims do not predict future flooding, and a neighborhood figure cannot tell you about one building. Look up the exact address on the FEMA Flood Map Service Center and get flood insurance quotes before you sign a lease or a contract.
Check a specific address in West Adams
Neighborhood figures are averages. Our address check looks up the FEMA flood zone and California’s fire hazard severity zone at one address, from the same public maps: check if your address is in a flood zone.
Flood zones street by street in West Adams
The named streets in West Adams, longest first, with how much of each street’s length inside West Adams lies in FEMA’s high-risk flood zones (the Special Flood Hazard Area, zones A and V). Length is the part inside West Adams; the main zone is the FEMA zone covering most of that length. A street can cross several zones, so the zone at one address can differ from the street’s main zone: check the address above for that. 37 shorter streets are not listed.
| Street | Length | In high-risk zones | Main zone |
|---|---|---|---|
| Santa Monica Fwy | 3.7 mi | 0.0% | X (unshaded, minimal) (86%) |
| W Jefferson Blvd | 2.3 mi | 61% | AE (61%) |
| W Adams Blvd | 2.0 mi | 22% | X (unshaded, minimal) (60%) |
| Westhaven St | 4,900 ft | 3.0% | X (unshaded, minimal) (57%) |
| S La Brea Ave | 4,600 ft | 14% | X (unshaded, minimal) (72%) |
| S Victoria Ave | 4,390 ft | 25% | X (unshaded, minimal) (75%) |
| Buckingham Rd | 4,240 ft | 24% | X (unshaded, minimal) (70%) |
| Wellington Rd | 4,220 ft | 30% | X (unshaded, minimal) (64%) |
| West Blvd | 4,190 ft | 17% | X (unshaded, minimal) (74%) |
| Vineyard Ave | 4,180 ft | 36% | X (unshaded, minimal) (39%) |
| S Harcourt Ave | 4,170 ft | 17% | X (unshaded, minimal) (74%) |
| Virginia Rd | 4,130 ft | 32% | X (unshaded, minimal) (58%) |
| Hillcrest Dr | 4,000 ft | 25% | X (unshaded, minimal) (57%) |
| S Rimpau Blvd | 3,890 ft | 20% | X (unshaded, minimal) (74%) |
| S Palm Grove Ave | 3,660 ft | 26% | X (unshaded, minimal) (50%) |
| W 30th St | 3,590 ft | 54% | AE (54%) |
| Blackwelder St | 3,590 ft | 0.0% | X (unshaded, minimal) (91%) |
| S West View St | 3,520 ft | 21% | X (unshaded, minimal) (79%) |
| Somerset Dr | 3,490 ft | 35% | X (unshaded, minimal) (64%) |
| S Redondo Blvd | 3,470 ft | 12% | X (unshaded, minimal) (80%) |
| Smiley Dr | 3,380 ft | 0.0% | X (shaded, 0.2% annual chance) (59%) |
| S Orange Dr | 3,340 ft | 19% | X (unshaded, minimal) (67%) |
| Exposition Blvd | 3,330 ft | 0.0% | X (unshaded, minimal) (74%) |
| S Sycamore Ave | 3,260 ft | 22% | X (unshaded, minimal) (65%) |
| W 29th St | 3,200 ft | 0.0% | X (unshaded, minimal) (100%) |
Streets: U.S. Census Bureau TIGERweb, Transportation (primary, secondary and local roads). Flood zones: FEMA National Flood Hazard Layer (NFHL), Flood Hazard Zones and FIRM Panels, retrieved October 24, 2026. Each street is clipped to the neighborhood boundary and measured in an equal-area projection. Street lengths are rounded.
Flood zones in West Adams
Share of West Adams’s mapped area (about 3.841 km²) in each FEMA flood zone, from FEMA National Flood Hazard Layer (NFHL), Flood Hazard Zones and FIRM Panels. Effective date of the FIRM panel(s) covering it (06037C1595G, 06037C1611G, 06037C1612G, 06037C1613G, 06037C1614G): December 21, 2018.
| FEMA zone | Share of area |
|---|---|
| X (unshaded, minimal) | 70% |
| X (shaded, 0.2% annual chance) | 16% |
| AE | 13% |
| AO | 1.0% |
| A | 0.1% |
What the zones mean
- Zone AE (and A, AH, AO)
- High-risk: part of the Special Flood Hazard Area (SFHA), the area FEMA maps as having a 1-percent chance of flooding in any given year (the “100-year” or base flood). AE areas have a mapped base flood elevation.
- Zone VE (and V)
- High-risk coastal areas, also in the SFHA, where the base flood is expected to bring additional hazards from storm waves.
- Zone X (shaded)
- Moderate hazard: between the limits of the 1-percent and the 0.2-percent-annual-chance (“500-year”) flood.
- Zone X (unshaded)
- Minimal hazard: outside the SFHA and higher than the 0.2-percent-annual-chance flood elevation. Minimal is not zero: flood claims are filed from X zones too.
Source: FEMA Glossary: Flood Zones.
Flood insurance claims over time
Claims filed under the National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP) from the 2010 Census block groups that cover West Adams. About 90% of the combined area of those block groups lies inside West Adams. Only insured properties appear, so these counts understate total flooding.
By decade
| Decade | Claims | Paid |
|---|---|---|
| 1980s | 8 | $552 |
| 1990s | 17 | $87,015 |
| 2000s | 10 | $19,895 |
| 2010s | 7 | $9,996 |
| 2020s | 4 | $0 |
By year of loss
Named flood events with the most claims
- Flooding: 7 claims
- Pineapple Express - Southern: 6 claims
- California Atmospheric River: 1 claims
- Winter storm: 1 claims
FEMA labels some events only as “Flooding”. Claims by the flood zone the property was rated in:
- A/AE/AH/AO (high risk): 34
- X/B/C (moderate or minimal): 6
- Not reported: 5
- Other (D): 1
How much is flood insurance in West Adams?
The typical National Flood Insurance Program policy on single-family homes in West Adams costs $1,309 a year: the median of 175 policies that started between August 1, 2025 and July 31, 2026. Half of them cost between $1,244 and $1,569. That is the full amount paid for the year, the premium plus FEMA’s fees and surcharges, and every one of these policies is priced under Risk Rating 2.0. A quote for one building can be far from this: its elevation, foundation, age, coverage and deductible all change the price. Private flood insurance is not included.
Source: FEMA OpenFEMA Dataset: FIMA NFIP Redacted Policies - v3, computed October 24, 2026.
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Extreme heat in West Adams
FEMA’s National Risk Index rates heat wave risk for the census tracts that cover West Adams as: “Very Low” for 60%; “Relatively Low” for 40% of the area. Their heat wave risk scores range from 5 to 24 out of 100 (national percentiles). The index weighs how often heat waves happen, what they are expected to cost, and how vulnerable and resilient the community is, so a dense area can rate differently from a nearby one (FEMA National Risk Index, Census Tracts feature layer, Version 1.20.0 (December 2025)).
Trees shade streets and buildings and cool the air around them (U.S. EPA: Using Trees and Vegetation to Reduce Heat Islands). In the USDA Forest Service’s 2025 satellite-based tree canopy map, trees cover about 1.5% of West Adams’s area on average, compared with 8.6% for Los Angeles as a whole (the 114 Los Angeles areas on this site combined) (USDA Forest Service. 2026. USFS NLCD Percent Tree Canopy CONUS v2025-6 (2025 map). Salt Lake City, UT).
During a heat advisory, follow the National Weather Service: Heat Safety guidance. Neighborhood averages cannot tell you how hot a particular home, block or unit gets.
Fire hazard severity zones in West Adams
California’s 2025 Fire Hazard Severity Zone maps do not place any of West Adams in a moderate, high or very high zone (CAL FIRE Office of the State Fire Marshal, Fire Hazard Severity Zones). Wildfire smoke and wind-blown embers can still reach areas outside the zones.
Fire hazard data: CAL FIRE Office of the State Fire Marshal. CAL FIRE does not endorse this site.
This product uses the Federal Emergency Management Agency’s National Risk Index dataset API or downloadable datasets but is not endorsed by FEMA. The Federal Government or FEMA cannot vouch for the data or analyses derived from these data after the data have been retrieved from the Agency's website(s). FEMA: “The National Risk Index data are meant for planning purposes only. This National Risk Index dataset was created for broad nationwide comparisons and is not a substitute for localized risk assessment analysis.”
Before you rent or buy in West Adams
- Look up the exact address on the FEMA Flood Map Service Center; a neighborhood can mix high-risk and minimal-hazard zones.
- Ask the landlord or seller about past flooding and flood insurance claims at the property.
- Get a flood insurance quote early: new NFIP policies usually take 30 days to start (FloodSmart (NFIP): Buy a Flood Insurance Policy).
- Ask which floor the unit is on and where parking, storage and mechanical equipment sit.
- Hiring movers? Check the moving company’s federal license and insurance first with the free Los Angeles mover check.
Living in West Adams
Flood maps are only one part of choosing a neighborhood. For what day-to-day life in West Adams is like, from parks to errands, see Living in West Adams, Los Angeles on StrollPlace.
Buyer and renter FAQ
Does West Adams flood?
Yes. Insured properties in and around West Adams have filed flood claims. About 14% of West Adams’s mapped area is inside FEMA’s Special Flood Hazard Area; the rest is in moderate or minimal-hazard Zone X. NFIP flood insurance records list 46 claims from the Census block groups that cover West Adams, from 1980 through 2026. 9 of them received a payment, totaling $117,459 (not adjusted for inflation). The busiest years were 1998 (7 claims), 2004 (4 claims), 1995 (4 claims). Past claims do not predict future flooding, and conditions vary street by street, so check the specific address.
Is West Adams in a flood zone?
About 14% of West Adams’s mapped area is inside FEMA’s Special Flood Hazard Area; the rest is in moderate or minimal-hazard Zone X. Shares by zone: X (unshaded, minimal) 70%; X (shaded, 0.2% annual chance) 16%; AE 13%; AO 1.0%; A 0.1%. The FIRM panel(s) covering it took effect December 21, 2018.
Which streets in West Adams are in a high-risk flood zone?
Most of the length of W Jefferson Blvd and W 30th St lies in FEMA high-risk zones (the Special Flood Hazard Area). Less than 10% of Santa Monica Fwy, Westhaven St, Blackwelder St, Smiley Dr, Exposition Blvd and W 29th St does. Zones can change along a street, so check the exact address.
What ZIP code is West Adams in?
West Adams is in Los Angeles, CA. ZIP codes 90016 and 90035: the ZIP codes on most of the flood insurance claims counted here. ZIP codes do not follow neighborhood lines. Check the specific address for its own flood zone.
Do renters need flood insurance?
Standard renters policies usually do not cover flood. Renters in a community that participates in the NFIP can buy contents-only flood coverage, up to $100,000 for belongings.
How long does a new flood policy take to start?
A new NFIP policy generally takes effect 30 days after purchase. Exceptions include no wait when the policy is bought while making, increasing, extending or renewing a mortgage, and a one-day wait in a newly designated high-risk zone within 12 months of the map change.
How much coverage can NFIP provide?
For a one-to-four family home, NFIP building coverage goes up to $250,000 and contents coverage up to $100,000. You can buy flood insurance even if you are not in a high-risk zone, as long as your community participates in the NFIP.
How much is flood insurance in West Adams?
The typical NFIP flood insurance policy on single-family homes in West Adams cost $1,309 a year: the median of 175 policies that started between August 1, 2025 and July 31, 2026. Half cost between $1,244 and $1,569. One building’s quote can be far from this; its elevation, foundation, age, coverage and deductible all change the price.
FAQ sources: FloodSmart (NFIP): Buy a Flood Insurance Policy; FEMA Fact Sheet: Think you don’t need flood insurance? Think again (Jan. 21, 2025); 44 CFR 61.11, Effective date and time of coverage.
Nearby neighborhoods
- Does Baldwin Hills/Crenshaw flood?
- Jefferson Park – living in Jefferson Park (StrollPlace)
- Does Mid-City flood?
- Leimert Park – living in Leimert Park (StrollPlace)
- Arlington Heights – living in Arlington Heights (StrollPlace)
- Palms – living in Palms (StrollPlace)
How these numbers were made
Neighborhood boundary: Los Angeles Times Neighborhood Boundaries, published by the City of Los Angeles (DataLA), licensed CC BY 4.0 (CC BY 4.0). Flood zone shares: the neighborhood polygon intersected with FEMA National Flood Hazard Layer (NFHL), Flood Hazard Zones and FIRM Panels, area computed in an equal-area projection; retrieved October 24, 2026. Claims: OpenFEMA NFIP Redacted Claims v3 records for Los Angeles County (county code 06037), dataset as of September 8, 2026, retrieved October 24, 2026. A 2010 Census block group is counted for a neighborhood when at least 25% of the block group lies inside the neighborhood, or at least 25% of the neighborhood lies inside the block group. Block groups used: 060372199011 (100.0% of the block group is inside West Adams), 060372200002 (99.8% of the block group is inside West Adams), 060372200004 (100.0% of the block group is inside West Adams), 060372197002 (100.0% of the block group is inside West Adams), 060372199013 (100.0% of the block group is inside West Adams), 060372199023 (100.0% of the block group is inside West Adams), 060372187021 (61.7% of the block group is inside West Adams), 060372199012 (100.0% of the block group is inside West Adams), 060372199022 (97.1% of the block group is inside West Adams), 060372198003 (100.0% of the block group is inside West Adams), 060372198002 (100.0% of the block group is inside West Adams), 060372200001 (99.8% of the block group is inside West Adams), 060372200003 (100.0% of the block group is inside West Adams), 060372200005 (100.0% of the block group is inside West Adams), 060372198001 (100.0% of the block group is inside West Adams), 060372199021 (100.0% of the block group is inside West Adams), 060372197001 (100.0% of the block group is inside West Adams), 060372197003 (56.1% of the block group is inside West Adams). Neighboring pages can share a block group, so their counts can overlap. Paid totals add building, contents and Increased Cost of Compliance payments and are not adjusted for inflation; a claim whose FEMA record shows a negative payment (an adjustment) counts as zero. Tree canopy: the mean of the 2025 NLCD Tree Canopy Cover values (0–100%, 30 m cells in an equal-area projection) for cells whose center lies inside the polygon. Fire hazard severity zones: the 2025 zone polygons (Local and State Responsibility Areas) intersected with the neighborhood polygon in an equal-area projection; the share of area in each class. FEMA National Risk Index: census tracts intersected with the polygon in an equal-area projection; each rating’s share is the share of the polygon covered by tracts with that rating (tracts covering less than 1% are left out; together the tracts used cover 98%). We do not compute a new score. Tracts used: 06037220000 (25%), 06037219700 (21%), 06037219902 (20%), 06037219901 (14%), 06037219800 (12%), 06037218702 (3.8%), 06037220100 (1.9%). See the methodology.
Sources
- Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), FEMA OpenFEMA Dataset: FIMA NFIP Redacted Claims - v3. Retrieved on October 24, 2026.
- FEMA National Flood Hazard Layer (NFHL), Flood Hazard Zones and FIRM Panels. Retrieved on October 24, 2026.
- Los Angeles Times Neighborhood Boundaries, published by the City of Los Angeles (DataLA), licensed CC BY 4.0 (CC BY 4.0).
- U.S. Census Bureau TIGERweb, 2010 Census Block Groups.
- FEMA Glossary: Flood Zones.
- FloodSmart (NFIP): Buy a Flood Insurance Policy.
- FEMA Fact Sheet: Think you don’t need flood insurance? Think again (Jan. 21, 2025).
- 44 CFR 61.11, Effective date and time of coverage.
- OpenFEMA Terms and Conditions.
- USDA Forest Service. 2026. USFS NLCD Percent Tree Canopy CONUS v2025-6 (2025 map). Salt Lake City, UT (30 m cells; read October 24, 2026).
- National Weather Service: Heat Safety.
- U.S. EPA: Using Trees and Vegetation to Reduce Heat Islands.
- CAL FIRE Office of the State Fire Marshal, Fire Hazard Severity Zones (2025 maps; read October 24, 2026).
- FEMA National Risk Index, Census Tracts feature layer, Version 1.20.0 (December 2025) (retrieved October 24, 2026).
- FEMA OpenFEMA Dataset: FIMA NFIP Redacted Policies - v3.
- U.S. Census Bureau TIGERweb, Transportation (primary, secondary and local roads).
Data as of September 8, 2026 (FEMA claims) and October 24, 2026 (flood zones); hazard data computed October 24, 2026. Page last updated October 24, 2026.