Is Del Norte County, CA in a flood zone?
FEMA's National Risk Index puts Del Norte County's flood hazard at the 77.8th percentile nationally — a middling flood hazard by national standards — driven by inland rivers and flash flooding rather than the coast — FEMA's model puts a flood event here at about once every 3 years. County-wide, not parcel-specific: FEMA's real flood-zone map is queried live, never shipped as a download.
Del Norte County's flood-insurance compliance gap
15.8% of the homes FEMA requires to carry flood insurance in Del Norte County — those inside the mapped Special Flood Hazard Area — actually have a policy in force: 52 policies against 329 mandated structures, which means a meaningful share of legally-required coverage simply isn't there. Across all residential structures in Del Norte County, not just the ones FEMA mandates, 0.9% carry an NFIP policy — most flood damage nationally happens outside the mapped high-risk zone, so that broader number matters too.
How Del Norte County compares nationally
Del Norte County sits at rank 729 of 3144 counties on FEMA's flood hazard scale (1 is worst) and rank 1542 of 3144 by population (1 is biggest). About 27,009 people live in Del Norte County, California, spread over 1,006.202 square miles.
What to do next if you own or are buying in Del Norte County
FEMA counts 9,977 residential structures in Del Norte County overall, 85 of them carrying some form of NFIP coverage — but a lender or insurer cares about one parcel, not that county total.
More on how this number was built
The methodology guide shows exactly which FEMA and Census tables feed Del Norte County's numbers. The guide to what the Special Flood Hazard Area actually means explains why the mandatory-insurance rule exists and who it applies to.