Washington Environment & Hazard Risk
5 counties rated high or very high risk. 9,862 storm events since 1996, #44 among states.
- Expected yearly loss
- $4.72B
- $613 per person
- Storm events since 1996
- 9,862
- Most often heavy snow
- Flood insurance policies
- 23,122
- $367M in claims paid
- Superfund sites
- 69
- 301 toxic release facilities
Risk by county
FEMA National Risk Index rating, highest risk first
| County | Overall risk | Top hazard | Flood policies | Flood claims paid |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| King County | Very High | Earthquake | 4,529 | $66.56M |
| Pierce County | High | Earthquake | 2,101 | $25.97M |
| Snohomish County | High | Landslide | 1,769 | $37.09M |
| Grays Harbor County | High | Tsunami | 1,364 | $13.96M |
| Thurston County | High | Landslide | 703 | $6.51M |
| Yakima County | Moderate | Wildfire | 721 | $2.78M |
| Pacific County | Moderate | Tsunami | 393 | $4.14M |
| Kitsap County | Moderate | Landslide | 795 | $4.18M |
| Clark County | Moderate | Earthquake | 608 | $2.33M |
| Whatcom County | Moderate | Avalanche | 1,497 | $53.15M |
| Chelan County | Moderate | Wildfire | 469 | $2.98M |
| Cowlitz County | Moderate | Volcanic activity | 839 | $14.93M |
| Spokane County | Moderate | Cold wave | 244 | $1.8M |
| Clallam County | Moderate | Earthquake | 281 | $1.2M |
| Lewis County | Moderate | Earthquake | 1,035 | $82.65M |
| Okanogan County | Moderate | Wildfire | 183 | $479K |
| Kittitas County | Moderate | Wildfire | 491 | $3.36M |
| Skagit County | Moderate | Volcanic activity | 2,457 | $22.68M |
| Benton County | Moderate | Wildfire | 188 | $1.5M |
| Mason County | Moderate | Landslide | 419 | $6.4M |
| Island County | Low | Landslide | 906 | $4.11M |
| Grant County | Low | Wildfire | 182 | $80.82K |
| Douglas County | Low | Wildfire | 29 | $50.03K |
| Klickitat County | Low | Wildfire | 30 | $286K |
| Franklin County | Low | Heat wave | 14 | - |
| Jefferson County | Low | Landslide | 193 | $623K |
| Walla Walla County | Low | Earthquake | 145 | $1.85M |
| Stevens County | Low | Wildfire | 55 | $61.43K |
| Lincoln County | Low | Wildfire | 33 | $38.77K |
| Ferry County | Low | Wildfire | 16 | $53.74K |
| Skamania County | Low | Volcanic activity | 25 | $334K |
| Whitman County | Very Low | Landslide | 41 | $661K |
| San Juan County | Very Low | Earthquake | 95 | $140K |
| Pend Oreille County | Very Low | Landslide | 88 | $1.58M |
| Adams County | Very Low | Wildfire | 9 | $9,901 |
| Wahkiakum County | Very Low | Landslide | 110 | $1.78M |
| Asotin County | Very Low | Wildfire | 12 | $54.48K |
| Columbia County | Very Low | Wildfire | 40 | $501K |
| Garfield County | Very Low | Wildfire | 13 | $95 |
Costliest hazards
Expected annual loss in Washington, all counties combined
- Earthquake$2.53B/yr · 6 counties high
- Tsunami$231M/yr · 2 counties high
- Wildfire$173M/yr · 5 counties high
- Cold wave$117M/yr · 5 counties high
- Heat wave$99.47M/yr · 3 counties high
- Coastal flooding$46.53M/yr · 2 counties high
- Avalanche$43.33M/yr · 9 counties high
- Landslide$39.85M/yr · 8 counties high
- Volcanic activity$22.63M/yr · 5 counties high
- Ice storm$18.29M/yr · 11 counties high
Storm events by type
Since 1996: 327 deaths, $5.34B in property and crop damage
- Heavy Snow3,207 · 17 deaths
- High Wind1,790 · 59 deaths
- Flood584 · 10 deaths
- Wildfire555 · 11 deaths
- Thunderstorm Wind540 · 5 deaths
- Winter Weather411 · 24 deaths
- Hail351 · 1 death
- Strong Wind316 · 27 deaths
- Winter Storm282 · 5 deaths
- Heavy Rain239 · 2 deaths
- Flash Flood202 · 2 deaths
- Debris Flow188 · 48 deaths
Events per year
Most damaging storms
Since 2017, ranked by deaths, injuries and damage
- High Wind58 kt wind09/08/2020
South Washington Cascades
$950M damage
What happened
The Three Corner Rock RAWS (TRKW1) recorded a max sustained wind of 37 mph, and a peak gust of 67 mph.
- Flood09/18/2020
Longview, Cowlitz County
$250M damage
What happened
Widespread street flooding in Longview resulting in several businesses in the downtown area experiencing flooding. The first floor of the local Hospital also flooded due to heavy rain. Several videos received from the emergency manager and also noted from broadcast media reports.
- Wildfire10/01/2022
Central Chelan County
$115M damage
What happened
Minnow Ridge Fire started on September 9 by undetermined factor. It burned through October. It is located 10 miles NE of Lake Wenatchee, WA. It burned 5350 acres rugged, steep timber terrain. Due to its proximity, it was grouped with White River and Irving Peak fires.
- Wildfire09/09/2022
Central Chelan County
$115M damage
What happened
Minnow Ridge Fire started on September 9 by undetermined factor. It is located 10 miles NE of Lake Wenatchee, WA. It burned 5350 acres rugged, steep timber terrain. Due to its proximity, it was grouped with White River and Irving Peak fires.
- Wildfire07/01/2024
Central Chelan County
$100M damage
What happened
The Pioneer Fire continued through the month of July. It started on June 8. It burned 38735 acres of timber and short grass while active. The cost of the fire is estimated.
- Wildfire10/01/2024
Central Chelan County
$100M damage
What happened
The Pioneer Fire continued through the month of September. It started on June 8. It is located 10 miles Southeast of Stehekin, Washington. It burned 38735 acres of timber and short grass while active. The cost of the fire is estimated.
Flood insurance
National Flood Insurance Program policies and claims
23,122 homes in Washington have flood insurance, about 0.9% of residential buildings. In high-risk flood zones, 16,014 of 39,781 homes (40%) are insured.
- Flooding$58.48M · 3,605 claims
- Winter storm$52.36M · 1,031 claims
- 2025-12-AtmosphericRiver$48.31M · 824 claims
- Torrential rain$28.34M · 1,091 claims
- Mt. St. Helens Eruption$3.95M · 182 claims
Drinking water
2,309 community water systems serve about 9,565,771 people
Since 2021, 151 systems reported 564 health-based violations. 65 systems had a violation of any kind still open at last report. These had the most:
- Orient Water CompanyServes 167 · Surface water · Private32 health violations+27 monitoring or reporting
- Devries Road Community AssnServes 76 · Groundwater · Private22 health violations+2 monitoring or reporting
- Arrowhead Beach Coop Water AssocServes 168 · Groundwater · Private18 health violations
- Campbells GlenServes 62 · Groundwater · Private17 health violations+32 monitoring or reporting
- Penn Cove Water and Sewer DistrictServes 460 · Groundwater · Local government16 health violations+2 monitoring or reporting
- Spring Point Homeowners AssociationServes 85 · Surface water · Private16 health violations
- Beverly Beach Improvement ClubServes 56 · Groundwater · Private16 health violations
- Ridgeview Estates Community Assn.Serves 75 · Groundwater · Private15 health violations+2 monitoring or reporting
Select a county above to see every system that serves it.
Climate in the largest cities
1991-2020 normals from the nearest NOAA weather station
Pollution sites
69 Superfund sites and 301 toxic release facilities
Superfund sites
- American Lake Gardens/Mcchord AFBFinal NPL Site, Tacoma
- Bangor Naval Submarine BaseFinal NPL Site, Silverdale
- Bangor Ordnance Disposal (Usnavy)Final NPL Site, Bremerton
- Boomsnub/AircoFinal NPL Site, Vancouver
- Bremerton GasworksFinal NPL Site, Bremerton
- Centralia Municipal LandfillFinal NPL Site, Centralia
- Colbert LandfillFinal NPL Site, Spokane
- Commencement Bay, Near Shore/Tide FlatsFinal NPL Site, Tacoma
Largest toxic releases
- Lamb Weston Inc Richland Facility3.3 million lbs, Richland
- Mccain Foods USA Inc2.2 million lbs, Othello
- Westrock Longview LLC1.1 million lbs, Longview
- Boise White Paper LLC999,286 lbs, Wallula
- Nutrien US LLC954,838 lbs, Kennewick
- Nippon Dynawave Packaging Co.755,076 lbs, Longview
- US Navy Psns & IMF - Bremerton Site & Naval Base Kitsap459,988 lbs, Bremerton
- Port Townsend Paper Corp416,724 lbs, Port Townsend
Facilities in Washington reported 16.1 million lbs of toxic releases in 2024, 5.0 million lbs of it into the air.
Frequently asked questions
- What is the biggest natural hazard in Washington?
- By expected annual loss, earthquake costs the most in Washington ($2.53B a year), according to FEMA's National Risk Index.
- How many storms hit Washington each year?
- NOAA recorded 9,862 storm events in Washington since 1996, about 318 a year. The most common type is heavy snow.
- How many homes in Washington have flood insurance?
- 23,122 residential flood insurance policies are in force in Washington. Since 1978 the National Flood Insurance Program has paid $367M on 15,931 claims here.
- How many Superfund sites are in Washington?
- Washington has 69 Superfund sites on or deleted from EPA's National Priorities List.
Source: FEMA, NOAA, EPA · Last updated 08/01/2026 · Storm counts include events in forecast zones that touch each county. This product uses the FEMA OpenFEMA API, but is not endorsed by FEMA.