Ferry County, Washington
County storm and disaster record · FIPS 53019 · population 7,149 · 2,203 sq mi
NOAA's Storm Events Database holds 359 records for Ferry County, Washington from 1950 through June 30, 2026, on 250 days; the most frequent are winter storm records (205 records). 275 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 most damaging was the September 2, 2025 wildfire ($25.0 million in 2025 dollars). FEMA has issued 24 declarations naming the county since 1974, 22 of them for natural hazards; the latest for a natural hazard was “Wildfires” on August 3, 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
- 359on 250 days, 1950 to June 30, 2026
- Deaths recorded
- 02 injuries
- Damage, 2025 dollars
- $195Mas filed (scale steps before 1993)
- Tornadoes
- 1strongest EF0
- FEMA declarations
- 24latest 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 Ferry County most?
The most frequent records are winter storm records: 205 since 1996. 50% of its winter storm records since 1996 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 | 205 | 133 | 1996-2026 | 0 | 0 | – | 26 of 39 |
| Wildfires | 49 | 36 | 1998-2025 | 0 | 0 | $178M | 15 of 39 |
| Severe thunderstorm wind | 33 | 20 | 1992-2023 | 0 | 0 | $1.5M | 12 of 39 |
| Floods | 25 | 23 | 1998-2023 | 0 | 0 | $14M | 22 of 39 |
| High wind and dust storms | 14 | 14 | 2002-2026 | 0 | 0 | $400K | 39 of 39 |
| Hail | 10 | 10 | 1992-2023 | 0 | 2 | – | 13 of 39 |
| Landslides and avalanches | 10 | 10 | 2011-2023 | 0 | 0 | $7K | 15 of 39 |
| Heavy rain | 3 | 3 | 1998-2022 | 0 | 0 | $9K | 31 of 39 |
| Fog, smoke and funnel clouds | 3 | 1 | 2018-2018 | 0 | 0 | – | 30 of 39 |
| Extreme cold | 2 | 2 | 2004-2013 | 0 | 0 | – | 31 of 39 |
| Lightning | 2 | 2 | 1997-2024 | 0 | 0 | $38K | 21 of 39 |
| Rip currents and high surf | 1 | 1 | 2016-2016 | 0 | 0 | – | 15 of 39 |
| Heat | 1 | 1 | 2021-2021 | 0 | 0 | – | 33 of 39 |
| Tornadoes | 1 | 1 | 2008-2008 | 0 | 0 | – | 27 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 Ferry County had?
NOAA records 1 tornado in Ferry County from 2008 to 2008, the strongest rated EF0, with 0 deaths and 0 injuries recorded in the county. 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 1 tornado whose track touched Ferry County since 1950 (NOAA's county records number 1, the same count); along their whole tracks they killed 0 people.
Map of the strongest tornado tracks in Washington.
Every tornado record filed for Ferry County (1)
| Date | Place | Character | Killed | Injured | Damage |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2008-04-25 | Inchelium, Ferry County | EF0 0.1 mi x 20 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
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 Ferry County?
The most recent record with damage, injuries or deaths is the March 11, 2026 high wind ($20,000 in damage in 2025 dollars).
| Date | Record | Character | Killed | Injured | Damage |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026-03-11 | High WindFerry County and Okanogan County · forecast zone Okanogan Highlands | 63 kt wind | 0 | 0 | $20K |
| 2026-02-16 | Heavy SnowFerry County and Okanogan County · forecast zone Okanogan Highlands | 0 | 0 | – | |
| 2025-12-17 | High WindFerry County and Okanogan County · forecast zone Okanogan Highlands | 51 kt wind | 0 | 0 | $5K |
| 2025-10-01 | WildfireFerry County and Okanogan County · forecast zone Okanogan Highlands | 0 | 0 | $25M | |
| 2025-10-01 | WildfireFerry County and Okanogan County · forecast zone Okanogan Highlands | 0 | 0 | $200K | |
| 2025-09-02 | WildfireFerry County and Okanogan County · forecast zone Okanogan Highlands | 0 | 0 | $25M | |
| 2025-09-01 | WildfireFerry County and Okanogan County · forecast zone Okanogan Highlands | 0 | 0 | $19M | |
| 2025-09-01 | WildfireFerry County and Okanogan County · forecast zone Okanogan Highlands | 0 | 0 | $200K | |
| 2025-09-01 | WildfireFerry County and Okanogan County · forecast zone Okanogan Highlands | 0 | 0 | $18M | |
| 2025-08-30 | WildfireFerry County and Okanogan County · forecast zone Okanogan Highlands | 0 | 0 | $18M | |
| 2025-08-01 | WildfireFerry County and Okanogan County · forecast zone Okanogan Highlands | 0 | 0 | $4K | |
| 2025-08-01 | WildfireFerry County and Okanogan County · forecast zone Okanogan Highlands | 0 | 0 | $2.7M |
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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1992-06-27 | HailFerry County | 1.50 in hail | 0 | 2 | – |
| Date | Record | Character | Killed | Injured | Damage |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025-09-02 | WildfireFerry County and Okanogan County · forecast zone Okanogan Highlands | 0 | 0 | $25M | |
| 2025-10-01 | WildfireFerry County and Okanogan County · forecast zone Okanogan Highlands | 0 | 0 | $25M | |
| 2025-09-01 | WildfireFerry County and Okanogan County · forecast zone Okanogan Highlands | 0 | 0 | $19M | |
| 2025-08-30 | WildfireFerry County and Okanogan County · forecast zone Okanogan Highlands | 0 | 0 | $18M | |
| 2025-09-01 | WildfireFerry County and Okanogan County · forecast zone Okanogan Highlands | 0 | 0 | $18M | |
| 2024-07-17 | WildfireFerry County and Okanogan County · forecast zone Okanogan Highlands | 0 | 0 | $18M | |
| 2024-08-01 | WildfireFerry County and Okanogan County · forecast zone Okanogan Highlands | 0 | 0 | $18M | |
| 2018-08-11 | WildfireFerry County and Okanogan County · forecast zone Okanogan Highlands | 0 | 0 | $15M |
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 Ferry 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 | – | – | – | – | 8 | 51 | 102 | 44 |
| Wildfires | – | – | – | – | 1 | 5 | 17 z | 26 |
| Severe thunderstorm wind | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 4 | 3 | 20 | 6 |
| Floods | – | – | – | – | 2 | 3 | 18 | 2 |
| High wind and dust storms | – | – | – | – | 0 | 5 | 3 | 6 |
| Hail | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 4 | 2 | 2 | 2 |
Wildfires in the 2010s: 17 records against 5 in the decade before, 17 of them forecast-zone records. Cells marked z rose mostly through zone records. The local National Weather Service office files these once per forecast zone, so a change in how it draws its zones or splits a storm into records moves this count as much as the weather does; read it beside the Ferry County days with a record above.
Source: NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database, records per calendar decade; zone records from the CZ_TYPE field (Z).
What time of year?
50% of its winter storm records since 1996 fell in December and January. The two busiest months are in violet.
The values, month by month
Jan 64 · Feb 32 · Mar 27 · Apr 11 · May 25 · Jun 17 · Jul 37 · Aug 28 · Sep 18 · Oct 18 · Nov 39 · Dec 43 (records).
Source: NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database, records by the month they began.
Federal disaster declarations for Ferry County
FEMA's register lists 24 declarations that include Ferry County: 12 major disasters, 5 emergencies and 7 fire management assistance declarations. Most were for fire (12) and severe storm (5).
| Declared | Number | Type | Title |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2026-08-03 | EM-3650 | Fire | Wildfires |
| 2026-07-30 | FM-5653 | Fire | Modrite Fire |
| 2024-07-24 | FM-5518 | Fire | Swawilla Fire |
| 2024-04-28 | DR-4775 | Severe Storm | Severe Winter Storms, Straight-Line Winds, Flooding, Landslides, and Mudslides |
| 2021-02-04 | DR-4584 | Fire | Wildfires and Straight-Line Winds |
| 2020-03-22 | DR-4481 | Biological | Covid-19 Pandemic |
| 2020-03-13 | EM-3427 | Biological | Covid-19 |
| 2018-08-13 | FM-5273 | Fire | Boyd's Fire |
| 2017-04-21 | DR-4309 | Flood | Severe Winter Storms, Flooding, Landslides, Mudslides |
| 2015-10-20 | DR-4243 | Fire | Wildfires and Mudslides |
| 2015-08-21 | EM-3372 | Fire | Wildfires |
| 2015-08-21 | FM-5108 | Fire | Renner Fire |
| 2015-08-15 | FM-5101 | Fire | Stickpin Fire |
| 2015-08-15 | FM-5104 | Fire | Okanagan County Fire Complex |
| 2012-09-25 | DR-4083 | Severe Storm | Severe Storm, Straight-Line Winds, and Flooding |
| 2009-03-02 | DR-1825 | Severe Storm | Severe Winter Storm and Record and Near Record Snow |
| 2005-09-07 | EM-3227 | Coastal Storm | Hurricane Katrina Evacuation |
| 2001-08-17 | FM-2378 | Fire | Wa - Mt Leona Fire Complex - 2378 |
| 1998-10-05 | DR-1252 | Severe Storm | Wa Storms & Flooding 5/26/98 |
| 1997-01-17 | DR-1159 | Severe Storm | Severe Winter Storms, Land & Muds Slides,Flooding |
| 1991-11-13 | DR-922 | Fire | Fires |
| 1980-05-21 | DR-623 | Volcanic Eruption | Volcanic Eruption, Mt. St. Helens |
| 1977-03-31 | EM-3037 | Drought | Drought |
| 1974-01-25 | DR-414 | Flood | Severe Storms, Snowmelt & 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 Ferry County had?
NOAA's Storm Events Database holds 25 flood or flash flood records for Ferry County from 1998 to 2023, on 23 days, with 0 deaths. By flood insurance claims since 1978 (OpenFEMA, as of September 8, 2026), Ferry County ranks 2636th of 2,942 U.S. counties.
The National Flood Insurance Program has paid $54,000 on 4 claims filed in Ferry County; the most in one year was 2 in 2018. Claims count insured losses only: uninsured flood damage is not in this file.
The values, year by year
1998: 1 · 2017: 1 · 2018: 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 Ferry County
FEMA's National Risk Index rates Ferry County Relatively Low overall, with an expected annual loss of $10.5 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 Moderate | $5.2M | once in about 99 years (modeled) |
| Landslide | Relatively Moderate | $165K | 1.7 a year (modeled) |
| Riverine Flooding | Relatively Low | $4.4M | about once a year (modeled) |
| Cold Wave | Relatively Low | $482K | about once a year (modeled) |
| Volcanic Activity | Very Low | $11 | once in about 1,000 years (modeled) |
| Earthquake | Very Low | $129K | once in about 429 years (modeled) |
| Avalanche | Very Low | $103 | once in about 100 years (modeled) |
| Heat Wave | Very Low | $88K | 3.6 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 Ferry 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 Ferry CountyThe hazard risk calculator: 18 hazards beside the county's record
- Download Ferry County's FEMA declarations (CSV)24 rows: every declaration that named the county, for your own analysis