Alpine County, CA Environment & Hazard Risk
Very Low natural hazard risk, led by avalanche. 1,107 storm events since 1996.
- Expected yearly loss
- $4.79M
- Very Low nationally
- Storm events since 1996
- 1,107
- Most often heavy snow
- Flood insurance policies
- 13
- 1.4% of homes
- Hurricanes nearby
- 0
- Since 1851
Natural hazard risk
FEMA National Risk Index, December 2025
Overall risk
Very Low
Score 10.6 of 100
Social vulnerability
Relatively Moderate
Score 44.1 of 100
Community resilience
Relatively Moderate
Score 53.9 of 100
Community resilience runs the other way: a higher rating means a community can recover faster.
Building value exposed: $967M · Agriculture value exposed: $2.56M · Risk-adjusted yearly loss: $5.19M
Risk by hazard
- AvalancheRelatively High$1.83M/yr expected annual loss, about once every 3 years
- WildfireRelatively Moderate$1.16M/yr expected annual loss, about once every 98 years
- LandslideRelatively Low$4,111/yr expected annual loss, about 2.1 events a year
- EarthquakeVery Low$309K/yr expected annual loss, about once every 26 years
- Winter weatherRelatively Low$61.43K/yr expected annual loss, about 39 events a year
- Volcanic activityVery Low$0/yr expected annual loss, about once every 1,429 years
- Heat waveVery Low$4,826/yr expected annual loss, about 1.3 events a year
- Strong windVery Low$20.03K/yr expected annual loss, about once every 10 years
- LightningVery Low$10.05K/yr expected annual loss, about 21 events a year
- HailVery Low$1,464/yr expected annual loss, about once every 7 years
- TornadoVery Low$197/yr expected annual loss, about once every 50 years
Bars show the national percentile score (0 to 100) for each hazard. Dollar figures are expected annual losses to buildings, people and crops. Not rated here: coastal flooding, cold wave, drought, hurricane, ice storm, riverine flooding, tsunami.
Flood risk and insurance
National Flood Insurance Program and FEMA flood maps
Check the flood zone for an address
- Homes with flood insurance
- 13 of 939 (1.4%)
- Homes in high-risk flood zones
- 0
- Flood claims since 1978
- 5
- Claims paid since 1978
- $46K
Flood claims paid per year
- Pineapple Express - Southern$33.51K · 3 claims
Storm history
Since 1996: 1,107 events, 26 deaths, $505M in damage
- Heavy Snow669 · 1 death
- High Wind214 · 1 death
- Winter Weather95 · 3 deaths
- Winter Storm35 · 2 deaths
- Heavy Rain26
- Avalanche17 · 17 deaths
- Debris Flow14
- Strong Wind12 · 1 death
- Hail5
- Dense Fog5
Events per year
Most damaging storms
Since 1996, ranked by deaths, injuries and damage
- Wildfire06/24/2007
Greater Lake Tahoe Area
3 injured, $500M damage
What happened
The human-caused Angora wildfire started on June 24th and continued to burn through the end of June. Strong winds gusting to 40 mph caused the wildfire to spread across 3,100 acres south of Lake Tahoe. A total of 254 houses and over 60 commercial structures were destroyed.
- Avalanche02/16/2026
Greater Lake Tahoe Area
9 deaths
What happened
Nevada Co Sheriff responded to a report of avalanche just north of Frog Lake near Castle Peak during the afternoon on the 17th. The avalanche caught a buried 15 backcountry skiers, resulting in 9 fatalities.
- Winter Storm12/21/1996
Greater Lake Tahoe Area
2 deaths, $75K damage
What happened
A powerful winter storm ravaged the Greater Lake Tahoe area over a two and a half day period. The main portion of the storm dumped heavy snow over the region from late Friday night (20th) into early Sunday morning (22nd). The cold moist flow continued into early Monday morning, but snowfall amounts were not as significant as on Saturday into early Sunday. Some noteworthy snowfall amounts over the 12-24 hour period from late Friday night into Saturday night were as follows: 30 inches of snow at Tahoe City, Donner Summit (7200 feet I-80), and Incline Village, 40-50 inches of snow at Kirkwood Ski Resort, 60 inches at Echo Summit, and 48-60 inches around the Truckee area. Storm totals ending early Monday morning (23rd) were phenomenal. Much of the region below 7000 feet received between 4 and 6 feet of snow. Some ski resorts reported record or near record snow amounts for the storm. Alpine Meadows reported a total of 100 inches at 9800 feet. In addition, the 81 inches of snow that had fallen at 7000 feet at Alpine Meadows broke 12, 24, 48, and 72 hour records. Finally, about 8 feet of snow fell at the Kirkwood Ski Resort in a 36 hour period, 6 inches shy of the 1982...
- Winter Weather10/10/2008
Greater Lake Tahoe Area
2 deaths, $10K damage
What happened
According to the Tahoe Daily Tribune, a couple from San Mateo, California were killed when their automobile slid across the centerline of Highway 89 near Sugar Pine State Park (on the west shore of Lake Tahoe) at around 11:20 am PDT on Friday, October 10th. The driver of the other vehicle was not injured. According to the newspaper, a spokesperson for the California Highway Patrol stated that it appeared that the couple were maybe going too quick for the road conditions, the snow and slush.
- Avalanche01/17/2020
Greater Lake Tahoe Area
1 death, 1 injured
What happened
A large avalanche occurred between the Scott Chute and the Promised Land at Alpine Meadows Resort. 2 individuals were involved with one fatal injury with the other skier having severe lower-body injuries. A strong winter storm had hit in the previous 12-24 hours with 25 inches at the summit and over 15 inches at the base. Weather was mostly cloudy with high clouds at the time of the avalanche and light winds.
- High Wind61 kt wind12/11/2014
Greater Lake Tahoe Area
1 death, $200K damage
What happened
Winds gusted to 60 and 70 mph at the Truckee and South Lake Tahoe airports, respectively, on the morning of the 11th. Over the Sierra ridges, winds gusted as high as 135 mph. Numerous trees and power lines were downed, along with damage to several homes and vehicles due to fallen trees. The power outages, some lasting up to 2 days, caused South Lake Tahoe schools to be closed through the 12th. Finally, winds downed a tree which caused the death of a teenager in a heavily wooded area. Damages from this event are a rough estimate.
Latest storm reports
Newest first
- Winter Weather04/21/2026
Greater Lake Tahoe Area
- Heavy Snow04/21/2026
Sierra Nevada of El Dorado-Amador-Northern Alpine Counties Above 5000 Ft Including Highway 50
- Heavy Snow04/21/2026
Sierra Nevada of Calaveras-Tuolumne-Southern Alpine Counties Above 5000 Ft
- Heavy Snow04/11/2026
Greater Lake Tahoe Area
- High Wind119 kt wind04/02/2026
Greater Lake Tahoe Area
- Heavy Snow04/01/2026
Greater Lake Tahoe Area
- High Wind58 kt wind02/24/2026
Greater Lake Tahoe Area
- Heavy Snow02/19/2026
Greater Lake Tahoe Area
Drinking water
5 community water systems serve about 3,217 people. Violations since 2021.
2 systems had health-based violations, such as a contaminant over the legal limit or a missed treatment step. 2 systems had a violation of any kind still open at last report.
- Kirkwood Meadows Public Utility DistrictServes 2,297 · Groundwater · Local governmentNo health violations+2 monitoring or reporting
- Lake Alpine Water CompanyServes 625 · Surface water · Private8 health violations
- Markleeville Water Co.Serves 175 · Surface water · PrivateNo health violations
- Sierra Pines Mobile Home ParkServes 70 · Groundwater · Private1 health violation+1 monitoring or reporting
- Woodfords Mutual Water CompanyServes 50 · Groundwater · PrivateNo health violations
Largest systems by population served. Monitoring and reporting violations mean required tests or notices were late or missing, not that the water was unsafe.
Climate
1991-2020 normals at Topaz Lake, 19 mi from the county center
Summer highs peak around 92°F in Jul and winter lows bottom out near 22°F in Dec. About 5.9 inches of rain falls in a typical year, with 18.3 inches of snow.
| Month | High | Low | Rain | Snow |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 47°F | 22°F | 0.59 in | 5.8 in |
| Feb | 51°F | 25°F | 0.44 in | 3.0 in |
| Mar | 58°F | 29°F | 1.13 in | 3.1 in |
| Apr | 63°F | 33°F | 0.35 in | 0.3 in |
| May | 72°F | 41°F | 0.60 in | - |
| Jun | 82°F | 48°F | 0.11 in | - |
| Jul | 92°F | 55°F | 0.33 in | - |
| Aug | 90°F | 53°F | 0.26 in | - |
| Sep | 82°F | 46°F | 0.19 in | - |
| Oct | 70°F | 36°F | 0.25 in | - |
| Nov | 56°F | 28°F | 0.67 in | 1.5 in |
| Dec | 46°F | 22°F | 1.00 in | 4.6 in |
| Year | 52°F average | 5.92 in | 18.3 in | |
Pollution sites
1 Superfund site and 0 toxic release facilities in Alpine County
Superfund sites
- Leviathan MineFinalMarkleeville
Toxic release facilities
None reporting in this county.
Superfund sitesToxic release facilitiesEPA inspections and enforcementAir toxics cancer risk2 historic places
Frequently asked questions
- How risky is Alpine County for natural disasters?
- FEMA rates Alpine County very low for overall natural hazard risk, with expected losses of $4.79M a year. The highest-rated hazards are avalanche (relatively high), wildfire (relatively moderate), landslide (relatively low).
- What storms are most common in Alpine County?
- Since 1996, NOAA recorded 1,107 storm events affecting Alpine County, most often heavy snow (669), high wind (214), winter weather (95).
- How many homes in Alpine County have flood insurance?
- 13 residential flood insurance policies are in force in Alpine County, covering about 1.4% of homes. The program has paid $46K on 5 claims here since 1978.
- What is the weather like in Alpine County?
- At Topaz Lake, average highs reach 92°F in Jul and lows fall to 22°F in Dec, with 5.9 inches of rain a year (1991-2020 normals).
Source: FEMA (National Risk Index, NFIP), NOAA (Storm Events, HURDAT2, Climate Normals), EPA · Last updated 08/01/2026 · Storm counts include events in forecast zones that touch the county. This product uses the FEMA OpenFEMA API, but is not endorsed by FEMA.