Clallam County, Washington
County storm and disaster record · FIPS 53009 · population 77,054 · 1,739 sq mi
NOAA's Storm Events Database holds 324 records for Clallam County, Washington from 1950 through June 30, 2026, on 235 days; the most frequent are high wind and dust records (145 records). 302 of them are forecast-zone records, which the National Weather Service files once per zone: a county covered by several zones receives each one, so a single storm can add several records on the same day. The deadliest single record is the February 12, 1997 high surf, filed for the forecast zone North Coast, which covers the county: 3 deaths. FEMA has issued 30 declarations naming the county since 1979, 27 of them for natural hazards; the latest for a natural hazard was “Severe Storms, Straight-Line Winds, Flooding, Landslides, and Mudslides” on April 7, 2026.
The record, 1950 to 2026
Storm records filed for the county each year (2026 to June 30, 2026). Before 1996 NOAA recorded only tornadoes (from 1950), thunderstorm wind and hail (from 1955).
- recorded, no damage figure
- under $100,000
- $100,000 or more
- $1 million or more
- $10 million or more, or a death
- $100 million or more, or 10 deaths
- a year's colour: its recorded damage or deaths
- a year with a death
- 1955: wind and hail recorded from 1955
- 1996: all 48 event types from 1996
- Storm records
- 324on 235 days, 1950 to June 30, 2026
- Deaths recorded
- 85 injuries
- Damage, 2025 dollars
- $34Mas filed (scale steps before 1993)
- FEMA declarations
- 30latest 2026
Source: NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database, records through June 30, 2026 (file revision 20260918); damage converted to 2025 dollars with the BLS CPI-U. Search the record at NCEI. BLS consumer price index.
What hazards hit Clallam County most?
The most frequent records are high wind and dust records: 145 since 1996. 41% of its high wind and dust records since 1996 fell in November and December. The rank column places the county among Washington's counties by days with a record per 1,000 square miles of land over each hazard's complete period.
| Hazard | Records | Days | First, last | Killed | Injured | Damage | Rank in state |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| High wind and dust storms | 145 | 101 | 1996-2025 | 2 | 2 | $14M | 17 of 39 |
| Winter storms | 101 | 77 | 1996-2025 | 1 | 1 | $2.8M | 32 of 39 |
| Heat | 26 | 23 | 2021-2025 | 0 | 0 | – | 7 of 39 |
| Floods | 19 | 16 | 2001-2024 | 0 | 0 | $7.9M | 26 of 39 |
| Heavy rain | 14 | 14 | 1999-2025 | 0 | 0 | $8.5M | 10 of 39 |
| Drought | 8 | 2 | 2001-2005 | 0 | 0 | – | 12 of 39 |
| Extreme cold | 3 | 3 | 1996-2024 | 1 | 0 | – | 24 of 39 |
| Landslides and avalanches | 3 | 3 | 1996-2011 | 0 | 2 | $7K | 25 of 39 |
| Fog, smoke and funnel clouds | 2 | 2 | 1998-2012 | 1 | 0 | – | 24 of 39 |
| Rip currents and high surf | 1 | 1 | 1997-1997 | 3 | 0 | – | 9 of 39 |
| Hurricanes and tropical storms | 1 | 1 | 2003-2003 | 0 | 0 | – | 9 of 39 |
| Lightning | 1 | 1 | 2010-2010 | 0 | 0 | $68K | 26 of 39 |
Source: NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database (county and forecast-zone records attributed to the county; a zone record shows its own totals on each county it covers). Days: dates with at least one record of the hazard in the county. Ranks: days with a record per 1,000 square miles of land (Census Bureau 2024 Gazetteer), since 1950 for tornadoes, 1955 for hail and thunderstorm wind, 1996 for the rest.
When was the last damaging storm in Clallam County?
The most recent record with damage, injuries or deaths is the November 28, 2021 flood ($653,000 in damage in 2025 dollars).
Heavy rain of 5 to 10 inches caused flooding on many rivers, including the Bogachiel, Nooksack, Samish, Skagit, Skokomish, Stillaguamish Rivers. There was urban and small stream flooding as well. The heavy rain also triggered landslides throughout the area. Significant flooding on the Nooksack River, for the second time this month, overflowed at the City of Everson to the degree that flood waters flowed north along an old Nooksack floodway and Johnson Creek where it flooded the cities of Everson and Nooksack, WA, then combined with flooding from the Sumas River and flooded the City of Sumas, WA. Damages are reported and estimated; not all damages have been identified. Crop damages are unknown. Much of the reported damage amounts were for the episodes in November and some of the amounts for this episode were an estimated proportion for the month.
National Weather Service event narrative, NOAA Storm Events Database (search the full record, event 993341)
| Date | Record | Character | Killed | Injured | Damage |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025-08-11 | HeatClallam County and Jefferson County · forecast zone Northern Washington Coast | 0 | 0 | – | |
| 2025-02-24 | Heavy RainForks, Clallam County | 0 | 0 | – | |
| 2025-02-24 | Strong WindClallam County · forecast zone Eastern Strait Of Juan De Fuca | 43 kt wind | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2025-02-24 | High WindClallam County and Jefferson County · forecast zone North Coast | 54 kt wind | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2025-02-03 | Winter WeatherClallam County and Jefferson County · forecast zone North Coast | 0 | 0 | – | |
| 2025-02-03 | Winter WeatherClallam County · forecast zone Western Strait Of Juan De Fuca | 0 | 0 | – | |
| 2025-02-02 | Winter WeatherClallam County and Jefferson County · forecast zone North Coast | 0 | 0 | – | |
| 2025-02-01 | Winter WeatherClallam County and Jefferson County · forecast zone North Coast | 0 | 0 | – | |
| 2021-11-28 | FloodLa Push, Clallam County | 0 | 0 | $653K | |
| 2021-11-14 | FloodMt Pleasant, Clallam County | 0 | 0 | $6.0M | |
| 2021-01-12 | High WindClallam County · forecast zone Eastern Strait Of Juan De Fuca | 48 kt wind | 0 | 0 | $762K |
| 2012-09-28 | Dense FogClallam County and Jefferson County · forecast zone North Coast | 1 | 0 | – |
Source: NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database; every record of 2025-2026 is listed, earlier ones when they caused deaths, injuries or $250,000 of damage (2025 dollars), and every tornado.
The deadliest and costliest records
| Date | Record | Character | Killed | Injured | Damage |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1997-02-12 | High SurfClallam County and Jefferson County · forecast zone North Coast Three Coast Guard crew men were killed when their boat overturned in rough seas. They were on a search and rescue mission off the Quillayute River Bar when their boat capsized throwing all four of the crew overboard. One survived. It was the first fatal capsizing for that type of rescue boat in its 35 year history. | 3 | 0 | – | |
| 2011-02-23 | Heavy SnowClallam County · forecast zone Eastern Strait Of Juan De Fuca Snowfall amounts ranged from 4 to 9 inches. A few flights were canceled into the Port Angeles airport. Bus service was cut back to hourly from every 1/2 hour. Several vehicles slid off highway 101 and there was a two car collision that killed an 83 year old man. Schools in Sequim closed the next day. | 1 | 1 | – | |
| 2012-09-28 | Dense FogClallam County and Jefferson County · forecast zone North Coast A man was presumed dead following a fishing boat collision off of La Push in thick fog. | 1 | 0 | – | |
| 2009-11-18 | Strong WindClallam County · forecast zone Eastern Strait Of Juan De Fuca A tree branch broke in strong winds near Port Angeles but remained in the tree. A few hours later, that branch fell striking and killing a Washington State DOT worker while he was clearing another tree that had fallen along U.S. Hwy 101 8 miles west of Port Angeles. | 37 kt wind | 1 | 0 | – |
| 2001-11-28 | High WindClallam County and Jefferson County · forecast zone W Clallam/W Jefferson Brief high wind occurred along the Washington coast. One man died when a falling tree hit his vehicle. | 52 kt wind | 1 | 0 | – |
| 1996-01-28 | Cold/Wind ChillClallam County · forecast zone Eastern Strait Of Juan De Fuca In Pasco, a woman froze to death after her pickup truck ran off the road and down a ravine. | 1 | 0 | – | |
| 2007-12-03 | High WindClallam County and Jefferson County · forecast zone North Coast Three homes in Forks received severe damage from fallen trees. Several road in and around Forks were closed as was the local schools. Two power utility linemen were injured by wind and debris during the event. | 67 kt wind | 0 | 2 | $4.3M |
| 1996-05-19 | AvalancheClallam County and 3 more · forecast zone Olympics Two men were injured when caught in an avalanche near Red Mountain in the Snoqualmie summit area of the Cascades. | 0 | 2 | – |
| Date | Record | Character | Killed | Injured | Damage |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2021-11-14 | FloodMt Pleasant, Clallam County | 0 | 0 | $6.0M | |
| 2009-01-07 | Heavy RainPysht, Clallam County | 0 | 0 | $5.5M | |
| 2007-12-03 | High WindClallam County and Jefferson County · forecast zone North Coast | 67 kt wind | 0 | 2 | $4.3M |
| 2006-11-15 | High WindClallam County · forecast zone Western Strait Of Juan De Fuca | 76 kt wind | 0 | 0 | $1.5M |
| 2006-11-26 | Heavy SnowClallam County · forecast zone Eastern Strait Of Juan De Fuca | 0 | 0 | $1.5M | |
| 2006-01-05 | Heavy RainCountywide, Clallam County | 0 | 0 | $878K | |
| 2003-12-04 | High WindClallam County · forecast zone Eastern Strait Of Juan De Fuca | 57 kt wind | 0 | 0 | $802K |
| 2021-01-12 | High WindClallam County · forecast zone Eastern Strait Of Juan De Fuca | 48 kt wind | 0 | 0 | $762K |
Source: NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database: deaths and injuries direct and indirect; damage is property plus crops as estimated by the National Weather Service, converted to 2025 dollars.
Is it getting more frequent?
Records per decade for Clallam County's most frequent hazards. Counts rose everywhere after 1996, when NOAA began recording every event type, so compare decades within a hazard's complete period only (the shaded cells come before it).
| Hazard | 1950s | 1960s | 1970s | 1980s | 1990s | 2000s | 2010s | 2020-26 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| High wind and dust storms | – | – | – | – | 16 | 70 | 51 | 8 |
| Winter storms | – | – | – | – | 7 | 31 | 38 | 25 |
| Heat | – | – | – | – | 0 | 0 | 0 | 26 |
| Floods | – | – | – | – | 0 | 14 | 1 | 4 |
| Heavy rain | – | – | – | – | 3 | 5 | 1 | 5 |
Source: NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database, records per calendar decade; zone records from the CZ_TYPE field (Z).
What time of year?
41% of its high wind and dust records since 1996 fell in November and December. The two busiest months are in violet.
The values, month by month
Jan 63 · Feb 36 · Mar 37 · Apr 6 · May 7 · Jun 3 · Jul 5 · Aug 3 · Sep 6 · Oct 27 · Nov 57 · Dec 74 (records).
Source: NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database, records by the month they began.
Federal disaster declarations for Clallam County
FEMA's register lists 30 declarations that include Clallam County: 27 major disasters, 3 emergencies and 0 fire management assistance declarations. Most were for severe storm (14) and flood (10).
| Declared | Number | Type | Title |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2026-04-07 | DR-4906 | Flood | Severe Storms, Straight-Line Winds, Flooding, Landslides, and Mudslides |
| 2025-12-12 | EM-3629 | Flood | Severe Storms, Straight-Line Winds, Flooding, Landslides, and Mudslides |
| 2024-04-28 | DR-4775 | Severe Storm | Severe Winter Storms, Straight-Line Winds, Flooding, Landslides, and Mudslides |
| 2023-01-12 | DR-4682 | Severe Storm | Severe Winter Storm, Straight-Line Winds, Flooding, Landslides, and Mudslides |
| 2022-03-29 | DR-4650 | Flood | Severe Winter Storms, Snowstorms, Straight-Line Winds, Flooding |
| 2022-01-05 | DR-4635 | Flood | Severe Storms, Straight-Line Winds, Flooding, Landslides, and Mudslides |
| 2021-04-08 | DR-4593 | Severe Storm | Severe Winter Storm, Straight-Line Winds, Flooding, Landslides, and Mudslides |
| 2020-03-22 | DR-4481 | Biological | Covid-19 Pandemic |
| 2020-03-13 | EM-3427 | Biological | Covid-19 |
| 2019-03-04 | DR-4418 | Severe Storm | Severe Winter Storms, Straight-Line Winds, Flooding, Landslides, Mudslides, Tornado |
| 2016-02-02 | DR-4253 | Flood | Severe Winter Storm, Straight-Line Winds, Flooding, Landslides, Mudslides, and A T |
| 2016-01-15 | DR-4249 | Severe Storm | Severe Storms, Straight-Line Winds, Flooding, Landslides, and Mudslides |
| 2015-10-15 | DR-4242 | Severe Storm | Severe Windstorm |
| 2012-03-05 | DR-4056 | Severe Storm | Severe Winter Storm, Flooding, Landslides, and Mudslides |
| 2009-03-02 | DR-1825 | Severe Storm | Severe Winter Storm and Record and Near Record Snow |
| 2009-01-30 | DR-1817 | Flood | Severe Winter Storm, Landslides, Mudslides, and Flooding |
| 2007-12-08 | DR-1734 | Severe Storm | Severe Storms, Flooding, Landslides, and Mudslides |
| 2007-02-14 | DR-1682 | Severe Storm | Severe Winter Storm, Landslides, and Mudslides |
| 2006-05-17 | DR-1641 | Severe Storm | Severe Storms, Flooding, Tidal Surge, Landslides, and Mudslides |
| 2005-09-07 | EM-3227 | Coastal Storm | Hurricane Katrina Evacuation |
| 2003-11-07 | DR-1499 | Severe Storm | Severe Storms and Flooding |
| 2001-03-01 | DR-1361 | Earthquake | Earthquake |
| 1997-04-02 | DR-1172 | Flood | Heavy Rains, Snow Melt, Flooding, Land & Mud Slides |
| 1997-01-17 | DR-1159 | Severe Storm | Severe Winter Storms, Land & Muds Slides,Flooding |
| 1996-01-03 | DR-1079 | Severe Storm | Severe Storms, High Wind, and Flooding |
| 1994-08-02 | DR-1037 | Fishing Losses | The El Nino (the Salmon Industry) |
| 1990-11-26 | DR-883 | Flood | Severe Storms & Flooding |
| 1986-02-15 | DR-757 | Flood | Severe Storms & Flooding |
| 1980-05-21 | DR-623 | Volcanic Eruption | Volcanic Eruption, Mt. St. Helens |
| 1979-12-31 | DR-612 | Flood | Storms, High Tides, Mudslides & Flooding |
Source: FEMA OpenFEMA Disaster Declarations Summaries (v2), declarations through October 2, 2026; one declaration is counted once however many areas it names. OpenFEMA dataset page.
How many floods has Clallam County had?
NOAA's Storm Events Database holds 19 flood or flash flood records for Clallam County from 2001 to 2024, on 16 days, with 0 deaths. By flood insurance claims since 1978 (OpenFEMA, as of September 8, 2026), Clallam County ranks 1300th of 2,942 U.S. counties.
The National Flood Insurance Program has paid $1.2 million on 101 claims filed in Clallam County; the most in one year was 9 in 1990. Claims count insured losses only: uninsured flood damage is not in this file.
The values, year by year
1979: 8 · 1982: 2 · 1986: 6 · 1987: 1 · 1990: 9 · 1991: 4 · 1992: 3 · 1993: 1 · 1995: 3 · 1996: 4 · 1997: 8 · 1998: 2 · 1999: 9 · 2000: 1 · 2001: 3 · 2002: 3 · 2003: 4 · 2006: 7 · 2007: 6 · 2009: 9 · 2010: 2 · 2012: 1 · 2015: 1 · 2020: 2 · 2021: 2; the other years: 0.
Source: FEMA OpenFEMA NFIP Redacted Claims, as of September 8, 2026; claims by year of loss, payments in the dollars of the year paid. OpenFEMA dataset page.
FEMA's modeled risk for Clallam County
FEMA's National Risk Index rates Clallam County Relatively Moderate overall, with an expected annual loss of $63.1 million. These are FEMA's model estimates of future loss from 18 hazards, not a count of what happened; they can differ from the record above.
| Hazard | Risk rating | Expected annual loss | Modeled frequency |
|---|---|---|---|
| Winter Weather | Relatively High | $352K | 13 a year (modeled) |
| Earthquake | Relatively Moderate | $39M | once in about 26 years (modeled) |
| Tsunami | Relatively Moderate | $10M | once in about 8 years (modeled) |
| Riverine Flooding | Relatively Moderate | $12M | once in about 5 years (modeled) |
| Landslide | Relatively Low | $29K | 7.2 a year (modeled) |
| Ice Storm | Relatively Low | $88K | once in about 9 years (modeled) |
| Coastal Flooding | Relatively Low | $244K | 3.6 a year (modeled) |
| Heat Wave | Relatively Low | $194K | 1.1 modeled event-days a year |
Source: FEMA National Risk Index, county table, December 2025 release. FEMA's National Risk Index map.
Counties that share a border with Clallam County
Source: U.S. Census Bureau county adjacency file; NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database, records since 1950. The Census Bureau's adjacency file.
Next
- High wind and dust storms in WashingtonThe state's high wind and dust records, by county, year and month
- The Washington recordEvery hazard in the state, its deadliest events and its federal declarations
- FEMA's risk rating for each hazard in Clallam CountyThe hazard risk calculator: 18 hazards beside the county's record
- Download Clallam County's FEMA declarations (CSV)30 rows: every declaration that named the county, for your own analysis