Whatcom County Disaster Risk

Whatcom County has a FEMA National Risk Index rating of Relatively Moderate, placing it in the 91th percentile nationally out of 3,144 counties. This composite score reflects the county's overall exposure to natural hazards including floods, wildfires, tornadoes, earthquakes, and hurricanes, weighted by expected annual loss and social vulnerability.

Whatcom County is evaluated for five major natural hazard types: earthquake (98th percentile), flooding (89th percentile), wildfire (62th percentile), tornado (13th percentile). The highest-risk hazard is earthquake at the 98th percentile nationally. These scores are derived from FEMA's National Risk Index, which analyzes expected annual loss, social vulnerability, and community resilience for each hazard type.

Whatcom County's composite risk percentile is 91th, compared to the Washington state average of 70th percentile. The state's overall risk rating is Relatively Low. This means Whatcom County faces higher natural disaster risk than the typical county in Washington.

Yes, Whatcom County's earthquake risk is at the 98th percentile nationally. This places it in the top quartile for this hazard type. For flooding specifically, Whatcom County is at the 89th percentile.

FEMA's National Risk Index (NRI) calculates risk scores for 18 natural hazard types across all U.S. counties and census tracts. The composite score combines Expected Annual Loss (estimated dollar losses from each hazard), Social Vulnerability (demographic factors affecting disaster impact), and Community Resilience (ability to recover). Percentile scores rank each county against all 3,144 U.S. counties, and risk ratings range from Very Low to Very High.

Whatcom County's composite risk score of 91th percentile is above the Washington state average of 70th percentile. This elevated risk is driven by earthquake exposure (98th percentile), along with flooding and wildfire risk. Geographic location, terrain, climate patterns, and proximity to flood zones or fault lines all influence a county's risk profile.