FEMA Records
23
Above median
Washington · FEMA + NOAA + National Risk Index
Cowlitz County, WA
23 FEMA disaster declarations (1965-2026), with a FEMA National Risk Index rating of Relatively Moderate. Most common hazard: Flood.
- 23
- FEMA declarations
- 21
- Major disasters
- 90
- NRI risk · Relatively Moderate
- Flood
- Top hazard
The verdict
Cowlitz County has a nationally busy FEMA history: 23 declarations, more than 62% of counties in this registry. But the state comparison tempers that reading: the total is 8% below the Washington county mean. FEMA's separate National Risk Index places the county in the riskiest 10%; that score models loss and vulnerability rather than counting declarations.
- Riskiest 10%
- of U.S. counties for FEMA National Risk Index score
- Relatively Moderate
- FEMA National Risk Index rating
- 23
- FEMA declarations vs 21 national county avg
- 684
- NFIP flood insurance claims filed
FEMA's National Risk Index and its declaration registry are separate measures. This county's registry includes Major Disaster (DR) and Emergency (EM) records; an EM authorizes a narrower set of federal assistance than a DR.
How does Cowlitz County compare?
Cowlitz County vs. all counties in this dataset
FEMA disaster declarations, all-time
23 Top 38% higher than 62% of 3,266 counties
Each bar is a band; taller bars hold more counties. The dashed line + filled bar mark this entry. Hover or tap any bar for its full count, share, and where it sits relative to this entry.
Source FEMA Disaster Declarations Summaries v2 · 2026-08-03
Cowlitz County's FEMA Risk Index score
FEMA National Risk Index composite score vs. the Washington county average
Which hazard drives modeled loss here?
FEMA's modeled annual dollar loss for Cowlitz County is led by Earthquake (about $39.0M Expected Annual Loss, Historical Loss Ratio Very High), while Volcanic Activity carries the highest National Risk Index rating (Relatively High). EAL and risk score use different inputs; they need not agree.
Source: FEMA National Risk Index (December 2025 release) - Expected Annual Loss vs composite risk rating by hazard.
What does Cowlitz County's hazard record show?
Reading the federal records together
FEMA's NFIP table contains a substantial paid-claim history for this county: 684 claims and $14.9M in payments. PlainHazard labels 500 or more claims a heavy registry record; that is a reporting bucket, not an official FEMA risk grade. The average paid claim was $21.8K. NFIP totals exclude uninsured flood losses and do not measure how many properties currently carry a policy.
Start with the state benchmark: a Washington county averages 24.9 federal declaration records, while Cowlitz County has 23. The gap is 8% below that mean. Fewer entries indicate a quieter history of recorded federal actions, not immunity from a hazard and not a prediction about what happens next.
FEMA National Risk Index
This county sits among the highest-risk counties nationally on FEMA's National Risk Index, a composite score of 90.3/100 (Relatively Moderate). Expected Annual Loss is rated Relatively Moderate (roughly $88.2M in annualized losses). Social vulnerability reads Relatively Low and community resilience Relatively Moderate, both critical modifiers of realized harm here. Of the 18 hazards FEMA models, Volcanic Activity stands out as the sharpest exposure here, rated Relatively High. FEMA's modeled frequency puts that hazard at roughly once every 81 years here, based on 6 historical events on record.
Declaration frequency
Nationally, Cowlitz County's 23 FEMA records form a high-volume history; within Washington, however, the count is 8% below the county mean. 21 entries carry the Major Disaster classification. The largest incident group is Flood, appearing 11 times. The full 61-year record averages 0.4 declarations annually. A DR label alone does not say whether Individual Assistance, Public Assistance, or both followed.
70 /100
Historical Activity Index
High historical activity
Cowlitz County, WA · PlainHazard-derived composite from federal records
This 0–100 index is an explicit PlainHazard composite from FEMA declaration history only on the county surface (this DB has no county-level NOAA damage row) . It is not FEMA's National Risk Index, not a forecast, and not a safety, insurance, or preparedness rating. Open the calculator · Methodology
FEMA Declarations (1953–present) High
17/30
23 OpenFEMA declarations, full ingest window (1.1x national county average)
County Disaster Density Moderate
12/25
23 declarations (0.9x state county average of 25)
Major Disaster Share Very High
23/25
21 of 23 declarations are major disasters (91%)
Hazard Diversity Very High
18/20
7 different disaster types declared in Cowlitz County
Historical Declaration Activity
Activity Band
High
vs. Washington Avg
-8%
State avg: 24.9
vs. National Avg
+11%
National avg: 20.7
Avg Per Year
0.4
Over 61 years
FEMA NRI 8-hazard radar - Cowlitz County
How to read this radar
Each axis: NRI risk rating (Very Low-Very High) on a 0-100 scale. Rounder = broad exposure; spiky = one or two hazards dominate.
Major Disaster share
91%
Mostly major
NRI risk score
90
Relatively Moderate
Source: FEMA National Risk Index Per-county per-hazard ratings, December 2025 release
How often does each hazard strike Cowlitz County?
FEMA's National Risk Index models a historical event count and an annualized frequency for each hazard type. Most hazards are expressed as modeled occurrences per year; FEMA expresses drought and heat-wave frequency as event-days per year. These modeled frequencies are not forecasts.
| Hazard | NRI Risk Rating | Recurrence |
|---|---|---|
| Volcanic Activity | Relatively High | roughly once every 81 years |
| Earthquake | Relatively Moderate | roughly once every 57 years |
| Heat Wave | Relatively Moderate | 5 modeled event-days per year |
| Riverine Flooding | Relatively Moderate | roughly once every 1 years |
| Landslide | Relatively Low | an average of 2.3 times per year |
| Cold Wave | Relatively Moderate | roughly once every 4 years |
| Wildfire | Very Low | roughly once every 14,274 years |
| Coastal Flooding | Relatively Low | an average of 1.6 times per year |
| Winter Weather | Relatively Low | an average of 21 times per year |
| Strong Wind | Relatively Low | roughly once every 25 years |
| Ice Storm | Relatively Low | roughly once every 3 years |
| Avalanche | Very Low | roughly once every 100 years |
| Lightning | Very Low | an average of 6.1 times per year |
| Tornado | Very Low | roughly once every 11 years |
| Hail | Very Low | roughly once every 20 years |
Source: FEMA National Risk Index Modeled annualized frequency; drought and heat wave use event-days/year, December 2025 release
Disaster Types
Flood 11
Severe Storm 6
Biological 2
Coastal Storm 1
Earthquake 1
Mud/Landslide 1
Volcanic Eruption 1
What Flood declarations mean here
Flood is the most frequent declaration type on Cowlitz County's record, 48% of its declarations. Federal flood declarations cover two mechanisms that behave very differently: riverine flooding, which builds over days as a watershed drains and is usually forecast well in advance, and flash flooding, which can arrive in under an hour from rainfall that fell somewhere upstream.
Flood is also the one hazard class where a second federal dataset exists for the same events. The National Flood Insurance Program records what was actually paid on insured losses, so it measures a narrower thing than the declaration count: uninsured damage, and flooding outside mapped special flood hazard areas, never enters it. Reading the two together is more informative than either alone.
Declaration counts describe past federal action. They are a record of what was declared, not a forecast of future hazard probability.
Declaration Types
What DR / EM / FM mean
FEMA categorizes declarations as Major Disasters (DR), Emergencies (EM), or Fire Management Assistance (FM).
Major Disaster - 21 91.3%
of all 23 declarations
Emergency - 2 8.7%
of all 23 declarations
FEMA Declarations Timeline
| Year | Declarations | |
|---|---|---|
| 2026 | 1 | |
| 2024 | 1 | |
| 2022 | 1 | |
| 2021 | 1 | |
| 2020 | 2 | |
| 2016 | 1 | |
| 2009 | 2 | |
| 2007 | 1 | |
| 2005 | 1 | |
| 2001 | 1 | |
| 1999 | 1 | |
| 1997 | 1 | |
| 1996 | 2 | |
| 1987 | 1 | |
| 1986 | 1 | |
Show 5 earlier declaration years
| 1980 | 1 | |
| 1978 | 1 | |
| 1976 | 1 | |
| 1972 | 1 | |
| 1965 | 1 | |
Disaster Declarations
How the 23 FEMA declarations break into federal action codes (DR / EM / FM). Same DISTINCT grain as the table below.
Download these 23 declarations as CSV . FEMA source data is public domain; our derived presentation is CC0.
| DR# | Title | Type | Incident | Date |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 4906 | SEVERE STORMS, STRAIGHT-LINE WINDS, FLOODING, LANDSLIDES, AND MUDSLIDES | DR | Flood | 2026-04-07 |
| 4775 | SEVERE WINTER STORMS, STRAIGHT-LINE WINDS, FLOODING, LANDSLIDES, AND MUDSLIDES | DR | Severe Storm | 2024-04-28 |
| 4650 | SEVERE WINTER STORMS, SNOWSTORMS, STRAIGHT-LINE WINDS, FLOODING | DR | Flood | 2022-03-29 |
| 4593 | SEVERE WINTER STORM, STRAIGHT-LINE WINDS, FLOODING, LANDSLIDES, AND MUDSLIDES | DR | Severe Storm | 2021-04-08 |
| 4481 | COVID-19 PANDEMIC | DR | Biological | 2020-03-22 |
| 3427 | COVID-19 | EM | Biological | 2020-03-13 |
| 4253 | SEVERE WINTER STORM, STRAIGHT-LINE WINDS, FLOODING, LANDSLIDES, MUDSLIDES, AND A T | DR | Flood | 2016-02-02 |
| 1825 | SEVERE WINTER STORM AND RECORD AND NEAR RECORD SNOW | DR | Severe Storm | 2009-03-02 |
| 1817 | SEVERE WINTER STORM, LANDSLIDES, MUDSLIDES, AND FLOODING | DR | Flood | 2009-01-30 |
| 1671 | SEVERE STORMS, FLOODING, LANDSLIDES, AND MUDSLIDES | DR | Severe Storm | 2006-12-12 |
| 3227 | HURRICANE KATRINA EVACUATION | EM | Coastal Storm | 2005-09-07 |
| 1361 | EARTHQUAKE | DR | Earthquake | 2001-03-01 |
| 1255 | WA LANDSLIDE 3/6/98 | DR | Mud/Landslide | 1998-10-16 |
| 1159 | SEVERE WINTER STORMS, LAND & MUDS SLIDES,FLOODING | DR | Severe Storm | 1997-01-17 |
| 1100 | HIGH WINDS, SEVERE STORMS AND FLOODING | DR | Flood | 1996-02-09 |
| 1079 | SEVERE STORMS, HIGH WIND, AND FLOODING | DR | Severe Storm | 1996-01-03 |
| 784 | SEVERE STORMS & FLOODING | DR | Flood | 1986-12-15 |
| 762 | HEAVY RAINS, LANDSLIDES & FLOODING | DR | Flood | 1986-03-19 |
| 623 | VOLCANIC ERUPTION, MT. ST. HELENS | DR | Volcanic Eruption | 1980-05-21 |
| 545 | SEVERE STORMS,MUDSLIDES, & FLOODING | DR | Flood | 1977-12-10 |
Show 3 earlier declaration records
| DR# | Title | Type | Incident | Date |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 492 | SEVERE STORMS & FLOODING | DR | Flood | 1975-12-13 |
| 322 | SEVERE STORMS & FLOODING | DR | Flood | 1972-02-01 |
| 185 | HEAVY RAINS & FLOODING | DR | Flood | 1964-12-29 |
Storm Events in Washington
Statewide NOAA context only. PlainHazard does not currently attribute these state totals to Cowlitz County.
| Storm Type | Events | Fatalities | Injuries | Property Damage |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Heavy Snow | 1,700 | 5 | 7 | $2.3M |
| High Wind | 614 | 15 | 6 | $1.1B |
| Wildfire | 299 | 4 | 4 | $1.8B |
| Winter Weather | 259 | 9 | 62 | $1.1M |
| Flood | 231 | 4 | 0 | $391.2M |
Source: NOAA Storm Events Database State-level aggregated data, 2015-2025
NFIP Flood Insurance Claims
Total Claims
684
Total Paid
$14.9M
Avg Per Claim
$21.8K
Source: FEMA National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP) OpenFEMA Claims Data
FEMA National Risk Index
Overall Risk
Relatively Moderate
Score: 90.3/100
Expected Annual Loss
Relatively Moderate
$88.2M/year
Social Vulnerability
Relatively Low
Community Resilience
Relatively Moderate
Hazard Risk Breakdown
Volcanic Activity Relatively High
Earthquake Relatively Moderate
Heat Wave Relatively Moderate
Riverine Flooding Relatively Moderate
Landslide Relatively Low
Cold Wave Relatively Moderate
Wildfire Very Low
Coastal Flooding Relatively Low
Winter Weather Relatively Low
Strong Wind Relatively Low
Ice Storm Relatively Low
Avalanche Very Low
Lightning Very Low
Tornado Very Low
Hail Very Low
Drought No Rating
Source: FEMA National Risk Index (NRI) Ratings reflect relative scores among all US counties. Data: hazards.fema.gov/nri
The model's sharpest exposure here: Volcanic Activity
Volcanic Activity is the rarest hazard in the model and the most locally determined. Its modeled exposure follows proximity to specific known systems rather than any regional pattern.
Worth noting for Cowlitz County: the model and the federal record do NOT point at the same hazard. Volcanic Activity carries the highest modeled rating (Relatively High), while the county's declaration history is led by Flood. That is not a contradiction, the two measure genuinely different things. Declarations record federal ACTION, which requires damage costly enough to exceed state and local capacity; the Risk Index models EXPECTED annual loss across all 18 hazards whether or not any declaration ever followed. A hazard can be the county's largest modeled exposure and never once have driven a declaration.
National Risk Index ratings are modeled estimates of expected annual loss, not predictions of what will happen in any given year.
Data-matched county comparisons
Cowlitz County's closest FEMA peer: Howard County, NE
Comparisons use published FEMA declaration fields plus the National Risk Index composite for Cowlitz County. Record similarity, not a safety rating.
Closest declaration profiles
Cowlitz County shows 23 FEMA declarations, led by Flood.
Similar Major-disaster share
Cowlitz County: 21 of 23 of its declarations are Major.
Similar modeled NRI score
Cowlitz County: NRI composite 90.3 (Relatively Moderate).
How these peers are chosen
Cohort: Published U.S. county equivalents outside the source state or territory. Each metric keeps six ETL candidates; three unique destinations are shown after de-duplicating across axes. Declaration-volume ranking combines count and Major-disaster share and prefers a different leading incident type; Major-share ranks the Major fraction adjusted for volume; NRI ranks the modeled composite score only.
Retained FEMA snapshot feed for Cowlitz County - capture-dated entries only.
Further reading for this county
Understanding disaster data
Cowlitz County's NFIP claims file (684 claims) and FEMA declaration history measure different federal records - this guide separates them from modeled NRI risk.
More PlainHazard guides
- Most disaster-prone counties - U.S. counties ranked by FEMA declaration totals.
- Understanding disaster data - declarations vs storm events vs NRI scores.
- Preparing for natural disasters - household checklist (not county-specific advice).
Related
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the most common disaster type in Cowlitz County?
The most common disaster type in Cowlitz County is Flood, with 11 declarations. Other disaster types include Severe Storm (6), Biological (2), Coastal Storm (1).
How does Cowlitz County's FEMA declaration record compare with the Washington average?
The typical Washington county has 24.9 FEMA declaration records; Cowlitz County has 23, or 8% fewer. Against the national county mean of 20.7, this county's total is 11% higher. The comparison is historical and says nothing about the probability of a future event.
How many major FEMA disaster declarations has Cowlitz County received?
Cowlitz County has received 21 major disaster declarations, representing 91% of all 23 disaster declarations.
How many flood insurance claims has Cowlitz County filed?
Cowlitz County has 684 National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP) claims totaling $14.9M in payments, with an average of $21.8K per claim.
Does FEMA's top risk-rated hazard match the highest Expected Annual Loss in Cowlitz County?
No. In Cowlitz County, Volcanic Activity has the highest National Risk Index rating (Relatively High), while Earthquake leads Expected Annual Loss at about $39.0M. FEMA's risk score and dollar-loss model use different inputs, so the leaders often differ.
What was the worst year for disasters in Cowlitz County?
The most active year for disaster declarations in Cowlitz County was 1996, with 2 declarations. The county has FEMA disaster data spanning 1965 to 2026.
What is the FEMA National Risk Index score for Cowlitz County?
According to the FEMA National Risk Index, Cowlitz County, Washington has an overall risk score of 90.3 out of 100 (Relatively Moderate). The county's social vulnerability rating is Relatively Low and community resilience is Relatively Moderate. The Expected Annual Loss (EAL) score is Relatively Moderate, representing $88.2M in annualized losses.
Which natural hazard poses the greatest risk to Cowlitz County?
FEMA's NRI data points to Cowlitz County is Volcanic Activity (risk rating: Relatively High). Other significant hazards include Earthquake (Relatively Moderate) and Heat Wave (Relatively Moderate). FEMA's modeled event frequency puts volcanic activity here at roughly once every 81 years, drawn from 6 historical events on record. The underlying methodology weighs historical event frequency against exposed assets and community vulnerability.
Data Sources & Methodology
Disaster declaration data comes from the FEMA OpenFEMA Disaster Declarations Summaries v2 API, which includes all federally declared disasters, emergencies, and fire management assistance grants.
Storm event data is sourced from the NOAA Storm Events Database (2015-2025), which tracks significant weather events including thunderstorms, tornadoes, floods, and winter storms.
Flood insurance data comes from the FEMA National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP) OpenFEMA claims dataset.
This data is provided for informational purposes only. FEMA disaster declarations represent federal response actions and may not capture all local emergencies or weather events.
What this means for Cowlitz County
Against a Washington county mean of 25 declarations, Cowlitz County, WA records 23, or 8% fewer. PlainHazard classifies that historical total as high activity.
- Major Disaster is the largest group (21 of 23) in a declaration history that remains below its state benchmark; frequency here is not a forecast. Washington overview
- Nationally the county exceeds 62% of recorded county totals, but its own Washington benchmark is higher. The ranking keeps those two contexts separate. Most-disaster rankings
- The large NFIP claims file and FEMA declaration history measure different federal records; the guide explains where they overlap and where they do not. Disaster-data guide
A below-average federal record is not a safety guarantee. Use National Weather Service alerts and local emergency-management notices for present conditions, not this historical comparison.
PlainHazard derives this profile from FEMA's Disaster Declarations Summaries and National Risk Index data. The declaration comparison covers 3,266 U.S. counties and county equivalents in this database, refreshed as of 2026-08-03. Read our methodology - how this data is sourced, computed, and verified.
All federal data sources used on this page
- FEMA OpenFEMA, Disaster Declarations Summaries v2 - all federally-declared disasters for this county. fema.gov/openfema/disaster-declarations
- FEMA National Risk Index (NRI) - per-county per-hazard risk ratings and expected annual loss. hazards.fema.gov/nri
- NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database - state-level storm/severe-weather event records, 2015-2025. ncdc.noaa.gov/stormevents
Data sourced from official public datasets. See our methodology for details. Retrieved and formatted by PlainHazard Editorial
Verify with FEMA → · Verify with FEMA NRI → · Verify with NOAA →
Every figure on PlainHazard is rendered directly from FEMA federal disaster data, no number is typed in by an editor. See our editorial standards & corrections policy, the methodology behind these numbers, or national statistics report, the data & editorial changelog, or report a data error.