Largest City in France

2026 ranking · natural disaster declarations

The towns in France with the most officially recognized natural disasters

Nice (Alpes-Maritimes) has had the most natural disaster declarations in France: 83 declarations since 1982. Next come Cagnes-sur-Mer (Alpes-Maritimes, 65 declarations) and Gennes-Val-de-Loire (Maine-et-Loire, 55 declarations).

34,875 towns ranked

Nice, 1stThe next 19

The podium

  1. 1stNice 83since 1982 Alpes-Maritimes
  2. 2ndCagnes-sur-Mer 65since 1982 Alpes-Maritimes
  3. 3rdGennes-Val-de-Loire 55since 1982 Maine-et-Loire

Photos: © Olivier Cleynen, CC BY 4.0

This ranking covers all 34,875 towns in France. The table is split into pages of 100 towns. At the other end of the ranking, Majastres (Alpes-de-Haute-Provence) comes last with 0 declarations.

In France, a commune is the smallest unit of local government, from large cities to tiny villages. Paris, Lyon and Marseille are ranked as whole communes: their arrondissements (districts) have no rank of their own.

The ranking: most natural disaster declarations in France

Rank Town Department Declarations since 1982 Proportional bar Population
1 Nice Alpes-Maritimes (06) 83 360,710
2 Cagnes-sur-Mer Alpes-Maritimes (06) 65 53,819
3 Gennes-Val-de-Loire Maine-et-Loire (49) 55 8,592
4 tied Antibes Alpes-Maritimes (06) 52 78,612
4 tied Cannes Alpes-Maritimes (06) 52 75,105
6 Marseille Bouches-du-Rhône (13) 51 892,391
7 Bordeaux Gironde (33) 50 271,552
8 Toulouse Haute-Garonne (31) 48 519,940
9 Doué-en-Anjou Maine-et-Loire (49) 45 11,303
10 tied Mérignac Gironde (33) 43 78,946
10 tied Villeneuve-Loubet Alpes-Maritimes (06) 43 17,758
10 tied Bassillac et Auberoche Dordogne (24) 43 4,443
13 tied Grasse Alpes-Maritimes (06) 42 51,830
13 tied Èze Alpes-Maritimes (06) 42 2,180
15 tied Saint-Laurent-du-Var Alpes-Maritimes (06) 41 32,366
15 tied Contes Alpes-Maritimes (06) 41 7,993
17 tied Montauban Tarn-et-Garonne (82) 39 64,523
17 tied Le Bouscat Gironde (33) 39 25,441
17 tied Brissac Loire Aubance Maine-et-Loire (49) 39 11,161
17 tied Falicon Alpes-Maritimes (06) 39 2,232
21 tied Mandelieu-la-Napoule Alpes-Maritimes (06) 38 21,845
21 tied Orthez Pyrénées-Atlantiques (64) 38 11,531
23 tied Menton Alpes-Maritimes (06) 37 31,012
23 tied Pégomas Alpes-Maritimes (06) 37 8,342
25 tied Montpellier Hérault (34) 36 313,712
25 tied Castres Tarn (81) 36 43,800
25 tied Bègles Gironde (33) 36 32,221
25 tied Vallauris Alpes-Maritimes (06) 36 29,509
25 tied Saumur Maine-et-Loire (49) 36 27,096
30 tied Narbonne Aude (11) 35 58,669
30 tied Villenave-d'Ornon Gironde (33) 35 42,858
30 tied Mougins Alpes-Maritimes (06) 35 20,142
30 tied Roquebrune-sur-Argens Var (83) 35 15,660
30 tied La Trinité Alpes-Maritimes (06) 35 10,667
30 tied Brantôme en Périgord Dordogne (24) 35 3,835
36 tied Fréjus Var (83) 34 60,503
36 tied Chemillé-en-Anjou Maine-et-Loire (49) 34 22,615
36 tied Vence Alpes-Maritimes (06) 34 20,253
36 tied Castelsarrasin Tarn-et-Garonne (82) 34 14,579
36 tied Thouars Deux-Sèvres (79) 34 14,178
36 tied Artigues-près-Bordeaux Gironde (33) 34 8,765
42 tied Gradignan Gironde (33) 33 27,379
42 tied Plaisance-du-Touch Haute-Garonne (31) 33 21,443
42 tied Mauges-sur-Loire Maine-et-Loire (49) 33 19,159
42 tied Cadaujac Gironde (33) 33 6,973
46 tied Pessac Gironde (33) 32 68,102
46 tied Boulazac Isle Manoire Dordogne (24) 32 11,105
46 tied La Gaude Alpes-Maritimes (06) 32 7,384
46 tied Carignan-de-Bordeaux Gironde (33) 32 4,436
46 tied Mimet Bouches-du-Rhône (13) 32 4,336
51 tied Nîmes Gard (30) 31 154,017
51 tied Metz Moselle (57) 31 124,396
51 tied Muret Haute-Garonne (31) 31 26,618
51 tied Lormont Gironde (33) 31 26,158
51 tied Loire-Authion Maine-et-Loire (49) 31 17,361
51 tied Moissac Tarn-et-Garonne (82) 31 13,697
51 tied Villeneuve-lès-Maguelone Hérault (34) 31 11,010
51 tied Biot Alpes-Maritimes (06) 31 10,845
51 tied Caussade Tarn-et-Garonne (82) 31 7,028
51 tied Beaumont-de-Lomagne Tarn-et-Garonne (82) 31 3,990
51 tied Latresne Gironde (33) 31 3,849
51 tied Portiragnes Hérault (34) 31 3,592
63 tied Argenteuil Val-d'Oise (95) 30 106,546
63 tied Thionville Moselle (57) 30 43,398
63 tied Apt Vaucluse (84) 30 10,359
63 tied Esbly Seine-et-Marne (77) 30 6,126
63 tied Crécy-la-Chapelle Seine-et-Marne (77) 30 5,030
63 tied Sospel Alpes-Maritimes (06) 30 3,879
63 tied Saint-Paul-de-Vence Alpes-Maritimes (06) 30 3,272
70 tied Le Mans Sarthe (72) 29 148,876
70 tied Segré-en-Anjou Bleu Maine-et-Loire (49) 29 18,379
70 tied Saint-Orens-de-Gameville Haute-Garonne (31) 29 14,869
70 tied La Colle-sur-Loup Alpes-Maritimes (06) 29 8,349
70 tied Longué-Jumelles Maine-et-Loire (49) 29 6,665
70 tied Le Blanc Indre (36) 29 6,401
70 tied Saint-André-de-la-Roche Alpes-Maritimes (06) 29 5,937
70 tied Tresses Gironde (33) 29 5,350
70 tied Bazas Gironde (33) 29 5,147
70 tied Salies-de-Béarn Pyrénées-Atlantiques (64) 29 4,861
70 tied Les Garennes sur Loire Maine-et-Loire (49) 29 4,774
70 tied Rochecorbon Indre-et-Loire (37) 29 3,299
70 tied Cénac Gironde (33) 29 2,233
83 tied Aix-en-Provence Bouches-du-Rhône (13) 28 152,854
83 tied Chelles Seine-et-Marne (77) 28 54,900
83 tied Aubagne Bouches-du-Rhône (13) 28 47,920
83 tied Talence Gironde (33) 28 47,340
83 tied Carcassonne Aude (11) 28 47,153
83 tied Tremblay-en-France Seine-Saint-Denis (93) 28 38,519
83 tied Saint-Raphaël Var (83) 28 37,704
83 tied Les Pennes-Mirabeau Bouches-du-Rhône (13) 28 22,791
83 tied Bruges Gironde (33) 28 20,233
83 tied Lattes Hérault (34) 28 17,540
83 tied Baugé-en-Anjou Maine-et-Loire (49) 28 11,939
83 tied L'Isle-Jourdain Gers (32) 28 9,806
83 tied Marseillan Hérault (34) 28 8,495
83 tied Bon-Encontre Lot-et-Garonne (47) 28 6,649
83 tied Noyant-Villages Maine-et-Loire (49) 28 5,541
83 tied Villefranche-sur-Mer Alpes-Maritimes (06) 28 5,042
83 tied Sanilhac Dordogne (24) 28 4,856
83 tied Fleury Aude (11) 28 4,284

Source: French Ministry for the Ecological Transition, Géorisques (GASPAR database); natural disaster declarations by event and hazard since 1982. Tied values share the same rank. Data sources.

FAQ

Most natural disaster declarations in France: FAQ

Which town in France has had the most natural disaster declarations?

Nice (Alpes-Maritimes) has had the most natural disaster declarations in France: 83 declarations since 1982.

What are the 10 towns in France with the most natural disaster declarations?

In order: Nice (83 declarations), Cagnes-sur-Mer (65 declarations), Gennes-Val-de-Loire (55 declarations), Antibes (52 declarations), Cannes (52 declarations), Marseille (51 declarations), Bordeaux (50 declarations), Toulouse (48 declarations), Doué-en-Anjou (45 declarations), and Mérignac (43 declarations).

How many towns in France are ranked?

All of them: the 34,875 towns in France appear in this ranking.

What does this ranking count?

Each interministerial order recognizing a state of natural disaster for one event and one type of hazard (flood, mudslide, drought, ground movement, storm…) counts as one, since 1982. Recognition allows insured losses to be compensated. The count also depends on the requests filed by each commune, so on its own it does not measure exposure to hazards, which Géorisques details address by address.

This website uses cookies to give you the best possible experience. Read the privacy policy