Grant County, OR Environment & Hazard Risk
Very Low natural hazard risk, led by wildfire. 291 storm events since 1996.
- Expected yearly loss
- $7.45M
- Very Low nationally
- Storm events since 1996
- 291
- Most often heavy snow
- Flood insurance policies
- 38
- 1.0% of homes
- Hurricanes nearby
- 0
- Since 1851
Natural hazard risk
FEMA National Risk Index, December 2025
Overall risk
Very Low
Score 32.1 of 100
Social vulnerability
Relatively High
Score 80.0 of 100
Community resilience
Relatively Low
Score 30.3 of 100
Community resilience runs the other way: a higher rating means a community can recover faster.
Building value exposed: $2.3B · Agriculture value exposed: $31.07M · Risk-adjusted yearly loss: $10.81M
Risk by hazard
- WildfireRelatively Moderate$1.8M/yr expected annual loss, about once every 139 years
- LandslideRelatively Low$21.66K/yr expected annual loss, about 2.3 events a year
- LightningRelatively Moderate$439K/yr expected annual loss, about 20 events a year
- AvalancheRelatively Low$5,525/yr expected annual loss, about once every 100 years
- Volcanic activityVery Low$12/yr expected annual loss, about once every 385 years
- Winter weatherRelatively Low$46.35K/yr expected annual loss, about 15 events a year
- Heat waveVery Low$93.17K/yr expected annual loss, about 2.9 events a year
- EarthquakeVery Low$27.2K/yr expected annual loss, about once every 273 years
- Ice stormVery Low$6,962/yr expected annual loss, about once every 67 years
- Cold waveVery Low$105K/yr expected annual loss, about once every 8 years
- DroughtVery Low$146/yr expected annual loss, about 73 events a year
- HailVery Low$28.3K/yr expected annual loss, about once every 5 years
- Strong windVery Low$26.25K/yr expected annual loss, about once every 12 years
- TornadoVery Low$2,906/yr expected annual loss, about once every 14 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, hurricane, 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
- 38 of 3,808 (1.0%)
- Homes in high-risk flood zones
- 1
- Insured in high-risk zones
- 33 (0%)
- Flood claims since 1978
- 12
- Claims paid since 1978
- $52.56K
Flood claims paid per year
- Flooding$5,492 · 1 claim
Storm history
Since 1996: 291 events, 3 deaths, $2.16M in damage
- Heavy Snow112
- Wildfire57
- Hail31
- High Wind23 · 1 death
- Thunderstorm Wind13
- Excessive Heat10
- Extreme Cold/Wind Chill8
- Flood8
- Flash Flood5
- Heavy Rain4
Events per year
3 tornadoes on record (EF0 1, F0 1, F1 1).
Most damaging storms
Since 1996, ranked by deaths, injuries and damage
- Winter Weather11/04/2011
Southern Blue Mountains
2 deaths
What happened
Low pressure moving along a stalled cold front brought heavy snowfall to higher elevations of Grant County. Snowfall amounts in inches included 7 miles east southeast of John Day (6) and Blue Mountain Spring SnoTel (5). A car accident on slushy Highway 395 between Mount Vernon and Fox claimed two lives.
- High Wind52 kt wind09/08/2020
Ochoco-John Day Highlands
1 death
What happened
Tree fell on individual in the Ochoco National Forest.
- Flood04/08/2019
Monument Arpt, Grant County
$1.4M damage
What happened
The Silvies River overflowed its banks with widespread field and road flooding in and around Seneca. Canyon Creek flooded into fields above Highway 395. Through the town on Canyon City, the high water damaged one bridge over Canyon Creek and 2 homes. The high water on the John Day River caused several state highways to be closed between Dayville, Picture Gorge and Kimberly. Clyde Holliday Park on the outskirts of John Day was flooded. Other creeks and streams caused numerous road washouts across the county.
- Flood05/15/2011
Canyon City, Grant County
$688K damage
What happened
Low lying areas of Canyon City, John Day, Prairie City, and Mount Vernon were flooded along with other areas along the John Day River to the Picture Gorge area. The basement of the high school in Canyon City was flooded as were several businesses.
Latest storm reports
Newest first
- Extreme Cold/Wind Chill02/12/2025
Ochoco-John Day Highlands
- Extreme Cold/Wind Chill02/12/2025
Southern Blue Mountains
- Heavy Snow02/03/2025
Ochoco-John Day Highlands
- Flood01/04/2025
Prairie City, Grant County
- Heavy Snow12/25/2024
Ochoco-John Day Highlands
- Heavy Snow12/15/2024
Ochoco-John Day Highlands
- Frost/Freeze10/18/2024
John Day Basin
- Thunderstorm Wind57 kt wind07/24/2024
Prairie City, Grant County
Drinking water
8 community water systems serve about 4,277 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.
- John Day, City ofServes 1,617 · Groundwater · Local governmentNo health violations+4 monitoring or reporting
- Prairie CityServes 841 · Groundwater (surface influenced) · Local governmentNo health violations+30 monitoring or reporting
- Canyon City Water DepartmentServes 666 · Groundwater (surface influenced) · Local government1 health violation+15 monitoring or reporting
- Mount Vernon, City ofServes 510 · Groundwater · Local governmentNo health violations+1 monitoring or reporting
- Seneca, City ofServes 200 · Groundwater · Local governmentNo health violations+6 monitoring or reporting
- Long Creek, City ofServes 173 · Groundwater · Local governmentNo health violations+1 monitoring or reporting
- Dayville, City ofServes 155 · Groundwater · Local governmentNo health violations
- Monument, City ofServes 115 · Groundwater (surface influenced) · Local government2 health violations+35 monitoring or reporting
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 John Day, 4.5 mi from the county center
Summer highs peak around 86°F in Jul and winter lows bottom out near 21°F in Dec. About 12.3 inches of rain falls in a typical year, with 9.6 inches of snow.
| Month | High | Low | Rain | Snow |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 40°F | 21°F | 1.09 in | 3.5 in |
| Feb | 45°F | 23°F | 0.60 in | 1.4 in |
| Mar | 52°F | 26°F | 1.14 in | 1.2 in |
| Apr | 57°F | 30°F | 1.49 in | 0.3 in |
| May | 66°F | 37°F | 1.83 in | - |
| Jun | 75°F | 43°F | 1.30 in | - |
| Jul | 86°F | 48°F | 0.43 in | - |
| Aug | 86°F | 46°F | 0.50 in | - |
| Sep | 77°F | 39°F | 0.52 in | - |
| Oct | 62°F | 31°F | 1.04 in | 0.2 in |
| Nov | 48°F | 26°F | 1.19 in | 1.0 in |
| Dec | 39°F | 21°F | 1.14 in | 2.0 in |
| Year | 47°F average | 12.3 in | 9.6 in | |
Pollution sites
0 Superfund sites and 0 toxic release facilities in Grant County
No Superfund sites or toxic release facilities in Grant County in our data.
Superfund sitesToxic release facilitiesEPA inspections and enforcementAir toxics cancer risk5 historic places
Frequently asked questions
- How risky is Grant County for natural disasters?
- FEMA rates Grant County very low for overall natural hazard risk, with expected losses of $7.45M a year. The highest-rated hazards are wildfire (relatively moderate), landslide (relatively low), lightning (relatively moderate).
- What storms are most common in Grant County?
- Since 1996, NOAA recorded 291 storm events affecting Grant County, most often heavy snow (112), wildfire (57), hail (31).
- How many tornadoes have hit Grant County?
- 3 tornadoes have been recorded in Grant County since 1950.
- How many homes in Grant County have flood insurance?
- 38 residential flood insurance policies are in force in Grant County, covering about 1.0% of homes. The program has paid $52.56K on 12 claims here since 1978.
- What is the weather like in Grant County?
- At John Day, average highs reach 86°F in Jul and lows fall to 21°F in Dec, with 12.3 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.