Is Plumas County, CA in a flood zone?
FEMA's National Risk Index puts Plumas County's flood hazard at the 87.9th 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 2 years. This describes the county, not any one street — FEMA only publishes exact parcel zones through a live map service.
Who actually carries the flood insurance FEMA requires
Out of 517 homes FEMA counts inside Plumas County's mapped flood zone, 57 carry the flood policy federal law requires there — 11% compliance, short of full coverage. Across all residential structures in Plumas County, not just the ones FEMA mandates, 0.5% carry an NFIP policy — most flood damage nationally happens outside the mapped high-risk zone, so that broader number matters too.
Plumas County against the rest of the country
Plumas County sits at rank 401 of 3144 counties on FEMA's flood hazard scale (1 is worst) and rank 1887 of 3144 by population (1 is biggest). Plumas County, California is home to about 18,834 people across 2,553.062 square miles of land.
Checking a specific address in Plumas County
FEMA counts 14,909 residential structures in Plumas County overall, 77 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 Plumas 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.