Columbia County, Washington
County storm and disaster record · FIPS 53013 · population 3,947 · 869 sq mi
NOAA's Storm Events Database holds 285 records for Columbia County, Washington from 1950 through June 30, 2026, on 250 days; the most frequent are winter storm records (157 records). 259 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 July 25, 2010 excessive heat, filed for the forecast zone Blue Mountain Foothills, which covers the county: 1 death. FEMA has issued 16 declarations naming the county since 1964, 14 of them for natural hazards; the latest for a natural hazard was “Severe Winter Storm, Straight-Line Winds, Flooding, Landslides, and Mudslides” on April 8, 2021.
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
- 285on 250 days, 1950 to June 30, 2026
- Deaths recorded
- 11 injuries
- Damage, 2025 dollars
- $8.1Mas filed (scale steps before 1993)
- Tornadoes
- 2strongest F2
- FEMA declarations
- 16latest 2021
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 Columbia County most?
The most frequent records are winter storm records: 157 since 1998. 49% of its winter storm records since 1998 fell in December and January. 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Winter storms | 157 | 145 | 1998-2026 | 0 | 0 | $77K | 5 of 39 |
| High wind and dust storms | 56 | 49 | 1997-2024 | 0 | 1 | $7.8M | 18 of 39 |
| Extreme cold | 21 | 16 | 2002-2025 | 0 | 0 | – | 1 of 39 |
| Heat | 13 | 11 | 2002-2022 | 1 | 0 | – | 8 of 39 |
| Hail | 10 | 9 | 1991-2021 | 0 | 0 | – | 6 of 39 |
| Wildfires | 9 | 9 | 2005-2015 | 0 | 0 | – | 18 of 39 |
| Severe thunderstorm wind | 8 | 7 | 2000-2020 | 0 | 0 | $64K | 14 of 39 |
| Floods | 6 | 6 | 1997-2026 | 0 | 0 | – | 31 of 39 |
| Tornadoes | 2 | 2 | 1966-2000 | 0 | 0 | $194K | 13 of 39 |
| Drought | 1 | 1 | 1999-1999 | 0 | 0 | – | 11 of 39 |
| Heavy rain | 1 | 1 | 1998-1998 | 0 | 0 | – | 33 of 39 |
| Lightning | 1 | 1 | 2001-2001 | 0 | 0 | – | 19 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.
How many tornadoes has Columbia County had?
NOAA records 2 tornadoes in Columbia County from 1966 to 2000, the strongest rated F2, with 0 deaths and 0 injuries recorded in the county. That is 13th of 39 Washington counties by days with tornadoes per 1,000 square miles since 1950. A tornado that crossed a county line is counted in each county it touched, with the length of its path inside the county.
Counted as whole tornadoes rather than county records, the Storm Prediction Center's database holds 2 tornadoes whose track touched Columbia County since 1950 (NOAA's county records number 2, the same count); along their whole tracks they killed 0 people.
Map of the strongest tornado tracks in Washington.
Every tornado record filed for Columbia County (2)
| Date | Place | Character | Killed | Injured | Damage |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000-01-16 | Dayton, Columbia County | F1 1 mi x 50 yd | 0 | 0 | $171K |
| 1966-03-14 | Columbia County | F2 1 mi x 13 yd | 0 | 0 | $3K step |
A damage figure marked "step" is a record from before 1993: NOAA then filed damage by category, and the figure is the category as entered, in the dollars of that year, not an estimate of the loss.
Source: NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database, tornado records by county (path length in the county, maximum width); ratings as published: F scale before February 1, 2007, EF scale after. Whole-track figures: NOAA Storm Prediction Center tornado database (1950-2025). SPC severe weather database.
When was the last damaging storm in Columbia County?
The most recent record with damage, injuries or deaths is the July 25, 2010 excessive heat (1 death).
Temperatures topped 100 degrees for two successive days in Hanford, Pasco, Prosser, Basin City, Kennewick, Eltopia, Edna, Roosevelt, College Place, Whitman Mission, and Walla Walla. An 86 year old Walla Walla man died of heat stroke in his home.
National Weather Service event narrative, NOAA Storm Events Database (search the full record, event 236728)
| Date | Record | Character | Killed | Injured | Damage |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026-04-14 | Heavy SnowColumbia County and Walla Walla County · forecast zone Northwest Blue Mountains | 0 | 0 | – | |
| 2026-03-14 | FloodDayton, Columbia County | 0 | 0 | – | |
| 2026-03-11 | Heavy SnowColumbia County and Walla Walla County · forecast zone Northwest Blue Mountains | 0 | 0 | – | |
| 2026-01-06 | Heavy SnowColumbia County and Walla Walla County · forecast zone Northwest Blue Mountains | 0 | 0 | – | |
| 2025-04-17 | Frost/FreezeColumbia County and Walla Walla County · forecast zone Blue Mountain Foothills | 0 | 0 | – | |
| 2025-03-15 | Heavy SnowColumbia County and Walla Walla County · forecast zone Northwest Blue Mountains | 0 | 0 | – | |
| 2025-02-17 | Heavy SnowColumbia County and Walla Walla County · forecast zone Northwest Blue Mountains | 0 | 0 | – | |
| 2025-02-15 | Heavy SnowColumbia County and Walla Walla County · forecast zone Northwest Blue Mountains | 0 | 0 | – | |
| 2025-02-04 | Heavy SnowColumbia County and Walla Walla County · forecast zone Blue Mountain Foothills | 0 | 0 | – | |
| 2025-02-01 | Heavy SnowColumbia County and Walla Walla County · forecast zone Northwest Blue Mountains | 0 | 0 | – | |
| 2010-07-25 | Excessive HeatColumbia County and Walla Walla County · forecast zone Blue Mountain Foothills | 1 | 0 | – | |
| 2008-01-04 | High WindColumbia County and Walla Walla County · forecast zone Blue Mountain Foothills | 68 kt wind | 0 | 0 | $6.8M |
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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2010-07-25 | Excessive HeatColumbia County and Walla Walla County · forecast zone Blue Mountain Foothills Temperatures topped 100 degrees for two successive days in Hanford, Pasco, Prosser, Basin City, Kennewick, Eltopia, Edna, Roosevelt, College Place, Whitman Mission, and Walla Walla. An 86 year old Walla Walla man died of heat stroke in his home. | 1 | 0 | – | |
| 2002-02-07 | High WindColumbia County and Walla Walla County · forecast zone Blue Mountain Foothills High winds downed many trees, causing power outages across the area. The trees fell on two cars in Dayton. A tractor trailer overturned on U.S. Highway 12 west of Touchet at 10:25 p.m. with one minor injury. The wind also broke a store window and blew down street signs. The Walla Walla ASOS reported sustained winds of ... | 36 kt wind | 0 | 1 | $410K |
| Date | Record | Character | Killed | Injured | Damage |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2008-01-04 | High WindColumbia County and Walla Walla County · forecast zone Blue Mountain Foothills | 68 kt wind | 0 | 0 | $6.8M |
| 2002-02-07 | High WindColumbia County and Walla Walla County · forecast zone Blue Mountain Foothills | 36 kt wind | 0 | 1 | $410K |
| 2000-01-16 | TornadoDayton, Columbia County | F1 1 mi x 50 yd | 0 | 0 | $171K |
Before 1993 NOAA filed damage by category, not amount, so the list above starts in 1993. The highest category filed here before then (entered as $3K, in the dollars of the day) holds: March 14, 1966 (tornado, Columbia County).
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 Columbia 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Winter storms | – | – | – | – | 21 | 47 | 53 | 36 |
| High wind and dust storms | – | – | – | – | 7 | 27 | 15 | 7 |
| Extreme cold | – | – | – | – | 0 | 8 | 2 | 11 |
| Heat | – | – | – | – | 0 | 6 | 1 | 6 |
| Hail | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 2 | 5 | 1 |
Source: NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database, records per calendar decade; zone records from the CZ_TYPE field (Z).
What time of year?
49% of its winter storm records since 1998 fell in December and January. The two busiest months are in violet.
The values, month by month
Jan 42 · Feb 48 · Mar 26 · Apr 20 · May 6 · Jun 10 · Jul 14 · Aug 13 · Sep 6 · Oct 14 · Nov 27 · Dec 59 (records).
Source: NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database, records by the month they began.
Federal disaster declarations for Columbia County
FEMA's register lists 16 declarations that include Columbia County: 12 major disasters, 2 emergencies and 2 fire management assistance declarations. Most were for flood (7) and severe storm (3).
| Declared | Number | Type | Title |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2021-04-08 | DR-4593 | Severe Storm | Severe Winter Storm, Straight-Line Winds, Flooding, Landslides, and Mudslides |
| 2020-04-23 | DR-4539 | Flood | Severe Storms, Flooding, Landslides, and Mudslides |
| 2020-03-22 | DR-4481 | Biological | Covid-19 Pandemic |
| 2020-03-13 | EM-3427 | Biological | Covid-19 |
| 2017-04-21 | DR-4309 | Flood | Severe Winter Storms, Flooding, Landslides, 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 |
| 2006-08-22 | FM-2668 | Fire | Columbia Fire Complex |
| 2005-09-07 | EM-3227 | Coastal Storm | Hurricane Katrina Evacuation |
| 2005-08-07 | FM-2575 | Fire | School Fire |
| 1997-01-17 | DR-1159 | Severe Storm | Severe Winter Storms, Land & Muds Slides,Flooding |
| 1996-02-09 | DR-1100 | Flood | High Winds, Severe Storms and Flooding |
| 1980-05-21 | DR-623 | Volcanic Eruption | Volcanic Eruption, Mt. St. Helens |
| 1974-01-25 | DR-414 | Flood | Severe Storms, Snowmelt & Flooding |
| 1971-02-09 | DR-300 | Flood | Heavy Rains, Melting Snows & Flooding |
| 1964-12-29 | DR-185 | Flood | Heavy Rains & 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 Columbia County had?
NOAA's Storm Events Database holds 6 flood or flash flood records for Columbia County from 1997 to 2026, on 6 days, with 0 deaths. By flood insurance claims since 1978 (OpenFEMA, as of September 8, 2026), Columbia County ranks 1612th of 2,942 U.S. counties.
The National Flood Insurance Program has paid $501,000 on 56 claims filed in Columbia County; the most in one year was 28 in 1996. Claims count insured losses only: uninsured flood damage is not in this file.
The values, year by year
1978: 3 · 1979: 1 · 1982: 2 · 1996: 28 · 1997: 6 · 2017: 1 · 2020: 9 · 2023: 1 · 2026: 5; 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 Columbia County
FEMA's National Risk Index rates Columbia County Very Low overall, with an expected annual loss of $3.9 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Wildfire | Relatively Low | $204K | once in about 353 years (modeled) |
| Avalanche | Relatively Low | $4K | once in about 100 years (modeled) |
| Landslide | Relatively Low | $4K | 1.1 a year (modeled) |
| Ice Storm | Relatively Low | $56K | once in about 3 years (modeled) |
| Earthquake | Very Low | $94K | once in about 332 years (modeled) |
| Riverine Flooding | Very Low | $3.2M | once in about 6 years (modeled) |
| Heat Wave | Very Low | $92K | 4.8 modeled event-days a year |
| Cold Wave | Very Low | $138K | once in about 4 years (modeled) |
Source: FEMA National Risk Index, county table, December 2025 release. FEMA's National Risk Index map.
Counties that share a border with Columbia County
Source: U.S. Census Bureau county adjacency file; NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database, records since 1950. The Census Bureau's adjacency file.
Next
- Tornadoes in WashingtonEvery Washington tornado since 1950 and the counties with the most per square mile
- Winter storms in WashingtonThe state's winter storm 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 Columbia CountyThe hazard risk calculator: 18 hazards beside the county's record
- Download Columbia County's FEMA declarations (CSV)16 rows: every declaration that named the county, for your own analysis