FEMA NRI 1.19.0Updated Nov 2023 · Coverage 2014–2023Methodology

Washington Disaster Risk

Natural disaster risk data for all 39 counties.

Avg FEMA Rating

Relatively Low

Avg Percentile

70th

Counties with Data

of 39 total

County risk atlas

Washington hazard exposure by county

A compact 2.5D surface of FEMA National Risk Index percentiles. Toggle composite, flood, wildfire, hurricane, tornado, and earthquake risk to see which counties carry the highest relative exposure without loading the full national explorer dataset.

Counties

39/39

Avg composite

70th

Risk layers

Highest Risk Counties

King County

Very High

100th percentile

Pierce County

Relatively High

99th percentile

Snohomish County

Relatively High

98th percentile

Grays Harbor County

Relatively High

97th percentile

Thurston County

Relatively High

94th percentile

Lowest Risk Counties

Garfield County

Very Low

2th percentile

Columbia County

Very Low

9th percentile

Asotin County

Very Low

18th percentile

Wahkiakum County

Very Low

19th percentile

Adams County

Very Low

23th percentile

All Washington Counties

County	Percentile	FEMA Rating	Flood	Wildfire	Tornado	Earthquake
King County	100th	Very High	99.5	79.5	73.2	99.9
Pierce County	99th	Relatively High	96.2	76.8	41.2	99.6
Snohomish County	98th	Relatively High	95.7	61.5	38.8	99.3
Grays Harbor County	97th	Relatively High	99.0	33.9	13.2	98.1
Thurston County	94th	Relatively High	90.8	57.1	25.0	98.9
Yakima County	94th	Relatively Moderate	92.9	98.9	19.5	97.4
Pacific County	93th	Relatively Moderate	75.0	27.7	7.3	95.1
Kitsap County	92th	Relatively Moderate	79.4	39.9	23.7	98.7
Clark County	92th	Relatively Moderate	92.6	69.6	31.3	97.6
Whatcom County	91th	Relatively Moderate	88.9	61.7	13.1	97.8
Chelan County	91th	Relatively Moderate	91.3	99.6	9.3	88.8
Cowlitz County	90th	Relatively Moderate	88.3	61.3	20.5	97.5
Spokane County	90th	Relatively Moderate	91.6	96.6	42.7	85.9
Clallam County	90th	Relatively Moderate	75.0	39.7	12.0	98.1
Lewis County	90th	Relatively Moderate	90.9	76.7	17.4	97.3
Okanogan County	89th	Relatively Moderate	89.1	99.3	6.6	86.2
Kittitas County	89th	Relatively Moderate	74.8	99.7	7.4	93.9
Skagit County	89th	Relatively Moderate	91.4	52.5	11.2	97.0
Benton County	87th	Relatively Moderate	89.7	96.7	19.6	93.1
Mason County	85th	Relatively Moderate	79.3	44.1	13.8	97.2
Island County	78th	Relatively Low	73.4	35.4	11.3	96.3
Grant County	77th	Relatively Low	77.2	95.8	15.5	89.2
Douglas County	74th	Relatively Low	82.1	94.7	6.7	81.6
Klickitat County	74th	Relatively Low	66.6	98.4	6.3	78.4
Franklin County	72th	Relatively Low	83.5	84.6	12.5	80.7
Jefferson County	64th	Relatively Low	64.4	23.5	9.5	95.0
Walla Walla County	60th	Relatively Low	64.8	83.5	11.8	90.6
Stevens County	60th	Relatively Low	68.6	96.5	12.5	43.0
Lincoln County	55th	Relatively Low	50.0	96.7	7.6	63.0
Ferry County	52th	Relatively Low	52.3	97.4	4.4	45.1
Skamania County	50th	Relatively Low	49.8	93.9	5.6	87.1
Whitman County	40th	Very Low	58.8	68.3	10.4	55.1
San Juan County	35th	Very Low	58.4	41.3	4.4	89.4
Pend Oreille County	28th	Very Low	54.3	76.9	5.9	27.7
Adams County	23th	Very Low	34.3	85.2	7.2	64.6
Wahkiakum County	19th	Very Low	70.4	12.2	3.9	75.2
Asotin County	18th	Very Low	38.5	89.4	6.9	32.7
Columbia County	9th	Very Low	30.7	73.3	3.2	34.0
Garfield County	2th	Very Low	10.3	69.2	2.1	18.9

Frequently Asked Questions

Which county in Washington has the highest natural disaster risk?

King County has the highest natural disaster risk in Washington, rated Very High (100th percentile nationally), based on FEMA National Risk Index data.

Which county in Washington is the safest from natural disasters?

Garfield County has the lowest natural disaster risk in Washington, rated Very Low (2th percentile nationally), based on FEMA NRI data.

What natural disasters are most common in Washington?

Washington counties face varying levels of risk from floods, wildfires, tornadoes, earthquakes, and hurricanes. The FEMA National Risk Index scores each county across 18 hazard types. See individual county pages for detailed hazard breakdowns.

How is natural disaster risk measured by county?

The FEMA National Risk Index (NRI) measures natural disaster risk using expected annual loss, social vulnerability, and community resilience. Scores are normalized nationally, with ratings from Very Low to Very High across 18 natural hazard types.

Prepare your household for natural disasters

FEMA's Ready.gov provides county-specific preparedness checklists and emergency planning guides.

FEMA Ready Guide →

Data Source

Risk data sourced from the FEMA National Risk Index (NRI). Risk scores are relative rankings (0–100) across all US counties — not absolute risk measures. Higher scores indicate higher relative risk compared to other counties.

Disclaimer: This data is informational only. It is not financial, insurance, or legal advice. Always consult a qualified professional before making insurance or real estate decisions.

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