Grays Harbor County, Washington
County storm and disaster record · FIPS 53027 · population 75,462 · 1,901 sq mi
NOAA's Storm Events Database holds 298 records for Grays Harbor County, Washington from 1950 through June 30, 2026, on 236 days; the most frequent are high wind and dust records (144 records). 267 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 January 6, 2022 flood: 2 deaths and $3.4 million in damage in 2025 dollars. FEMA has issued 35 declarations naming the county since 1964, 32 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
- 298on 236 days, 1950 to June 30, 2026
- Deaths recorded
- 1018 injuries
- Damage, 2025 dollars
- $85Mas filed (scale steps before 1993)
- Tornadoes
- 3strongest EF1
- FEMA declarations
- 35latest 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 Grays Harbor County most?
The most frequent records are high wind and dust records: 144 since 1996. 43% of its high wind and dust 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| High wind and dust storms | 144 | 113 | 1996-2025 | 5 | 16 | $63M | 15 of 39 |
| Winter storms | 71 | 60 | 1996-2025 | 0 | 0 | $480K | 37 of 39 |
| Floods | 25 | 23 | 1996-2024 | 3 | 0 | $10M | 16 of 39 |
| Heat | 15 | 14 | 2021-2024 | 0 | 0 | – | 15 of 39 |
| Heavy rain | 13 | 13 | 1997-2025 | 0 | 0 | $7.9M | 11 of 39 |
| Drought | 6 | 2 | 2001-2005 | 0 | 0 | – | 14 of 39 |
| Extreme cold | 6 | 6 | 2021-2024 | 0 | 0 | – | 15 of 39 |
| Hurricanes and tropical storms | 4 | 4 | 1999-2003 | 0 | 0 | $1.9M | 4 of 39 |
| Severe thunderstorm wind | 4 | 3 | 1970-2010 | 0 | 0 | – | 28 of 39 |
| Landslides and avalanches | 3 | 3 | 1996-2015 | 0 | 2 | $374K | 27 of 39 |
| Tornadoes | 3 | 3 | 1997-2020 | 0 | 0 | – | 19 of 39 |
| Rip currents and high surf | 2 | 2 | 2014-2021 | 2 | 0 | – | 4 of 39 |
| Hail | 1 | 1 | 1969-1969 | 0 | 0 | – | 31 of 39 |
| Wildfires | 1 | 1 | 2015-2015 | 0 | 0 | $996K | 32 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 Grays Harbor County had?
NOAA records 3 tornadoes in Grays Harbor County from 1997 to 2020, the strongest rated EF1, with 0 deaths and 0 injuries recorded in the county. That is 19th 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 3 tornadoes whose track touched Grays Harbor County since 1950 (NOAA's county records number 3, the same count); along their whole tracks they killed 0 people.
Map of the strongest tornado tracks in Washington.
Every tornado record filed for Grays Harbor County (3)
| Date | Place | Character | Killed | Injured | Damage |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2020-10-10 | Neilton, Grays Harbor County | EF1 0.5 mi x 30 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 1997-12-22 | Westport, Grays Harbor County | F0 0.3 mi x 15 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 1997-08-26 | Elma, Grays Harbor County | F0 0.5 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 Grays Harbor County?
The most recent record with damage, injuries or deaths is the January 6, 2022 flood (2 deaths and $3.4 million in damage in 2025 dollars).
Heavy rainfall of 6 to 10 inches, along with melting of remaining snow at lower elevations, lead to river flooding, significant urban and small stream flooding, and landslides. The peak of the rainfall was January 5 through January 7. Major flooding occurred on the Chehalis River and moderate flooding on the Satsop River. A motorist was stranded trying to cross a flooded road along the Chehalis River and was swept away when he left his vehicle. He was missing and presumed dead. Another man fatality occurred when an man tried to move his car out of flood danger and the car was swept away by flooding on the North River. Damages are reported and estimated; not all damages have been identified. Crop damages are unknown.
National Weather Service event narrative, NOAA Storm Events Database (search the full record, event 1005540)
| Date | Record | Character | Killed | Injured | Damage |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025-02-24 | Heavy RainQuinault, Grays Harbor County | 0 | 0 | – | |
| 2025-02-24 | High WindGrays Harbor County · forecast zone Central Coast | 61 kt wind | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2025-02-03 | Winter WeatherGrays Harbor County · forecast zone Central Coast | 0 | 0 | – | |
| 2022-01-06 | FloodIndependence, Grays Harbor County | 2 | 0 | $3.4M | |
| 2021-01-13 | Coastal FloodGrays Harbor County · forecast zone Central Coast | 0 | 0 | $1.1M | |
| 2021-01-10 | High SurfGrays Harbor County · forecast zone Central Coast | 1 | 0 | – | |
| 2020-11-15 | Coastal FloodGrays Harbor County · forecast zone Central Coast | 0 | 0 | $2.3M | |
| 2020-10-10 | TornadoNeilton, Grays Harbor County | EF1 0.5 mi x 30 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2017-11-13 | High WindGrays Harbor County · forecast zone Central Coast | 56 kt wind | 0 | 0 | $277K |
| 2015-07-31 | WildfireGrays Harbor County and Mason County · forecast zone Lower Chehalis Valley Area | 0 | 0 | $996K | |
| 2015-01-05 | Debris FlowBowerman Field Ho, Grays Harbor County | 0 | 0 | $374K | |
| 2014-10-25 | High WindGrays Harbor County · forecast zone Central Coast | 43 kt wind | 0 | 0 | $312K |
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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2022-01-06 | FloodIndependence, Grays Harbor County Heavy rainfall of 6 to 10 inches, along with melting of remaining snow at lower elevations, lead to river flooding, significant urban and small stream flooding, and landslides. The peak of the rainfall was January 5 through January 7. Major flooding occurred on the Chehalis River and moderate flooding on the Satsop ... | 2 | 0 | $3.4M | |
| 2007-12-02 | High WindGrays Harbor County · forecast zone Central Coast Power was out for about 30,000 customers in Grays Harbor county. For the first time ever, all of the main power transmission lines coming into the county were severed. Two line men were injured while trying to repair power lines. Several locations along many highways were closed due to fallen trees and power lines. ... | 70 kt wind | 1 | 10 | $28M |
| 2011-11-22 | High WindGrays Harbor County · forecast zone Central Coast Hoquiam recorded 45 mph sustained wind. A Central Park man was killed by a falling tree when he walked out onto his open air porch. About 10,000 people in Grays Harbor county lost power. Trees were knocked down over roadways and one man was injured when a car he was driving hit a downed tree. | 39 kt wind | 1 | 1 | $66K |
| 2006-12-14 | High WindGrays Harbor County and Mason County · forecast zone Lower Chehalis Valley Area A McCleary man was killed when a tree fell onto a trailer he was sleeping in. A roof blew off a 3 story building in Montesano. | 78 kt wind | 1 | 1 | $1.5M |
| 2021-01-10 | High SurfGrays Harbor County · forecast zone Central Coast The Grays Harbor County Sheriff's Office reported a fatality near the Pacific Beach State Park around 10:30 AM on January 10. A 54 year old woman from Oak Harbor, Washington was killed after being struck by a log on the beach. She and her husband were walking on the beach when a large set of waves came in and they ... | 1 | 0 | – | |
| 2014-07-26 | Rip CurrentGrays Harbor County · forecast zone Central Coast A group of eight people were caught in a rip current near Ocean Shores. All escaped to shore but one went back in to help others, was swept out to sea, became missing after a US Coast Guard and other authority search, and presumed dead. | 1 | 0 | – | |
| 2007-12-02 | High WindGrays Harbor County and Mason County · forecast zone Lower Chehalis Valley Area Several roads were blocked by fallen trees west of Montesano. One man died in Montesano when his oxygen supply failed because of a power outage. | 56 kt wind | 1 | 0 | $2.8M |
| 2000-01-16 | High WindGrays Harbor County and 3 more · forecast zone Thurston T X Se/Sw Mason/C&Se Grays Harbor/W Lewis Sustained winds of 40 to 45 mph blew through most of western Washington knocking out power to 300,000 homes. One man was killed as a tree was blown onto his pickup truck. Ferry service was distrupted and the 520 bridge across Lake Washington was closed for nearly 12 hours. There were dozens of trees downed, some of ... | 66 kt wind | 1 | 0 | $4.8M |
| Date | Record | Character | Killed | Injured | Damage |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2007-12-02 | High WindGrays Harbor County · forecast zone Central Coast | 70 kt wind | 1 | 10 | $28M |
| 2006-02-03 | High WindGrays Harbor County · forecast zone Central Coast | 52 kt wind | 0 | 0 | $11M |
| 1999-03-02 | High WindGrays Harbor County · forecast zone W Grays Harbor | 0 | 0 | $5.3M | |
| 2000-01-16 | High WindGrays Harbor County and 3 more · forecast zone Thurston T X Se/Sw Mason/C&Se Grays Harbor/W Lewis | 66 kt wind | 1 | 0 | $4.8M |
| 2006-01-05 | Heavy RainCountywide, Grays Harbor County | 0 | 0 | $4.2M | |
| 2022-01-06 | FloodIndependence, Grays Harbor County | 2 | 0 | $3.4M | |
| 2007-12-02 | High WindGrays Harbor County and Mason County · forecast zone Lower Chehalis Valley Area | 56 kt wind | 1 | 0 | $2.8M |
| 2006-12-14 | High WindGrays Harbor County · forecast zone Central Coast | 78 kt wind | 0 | 1 | $2.3M |
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 Grays Harbor 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 | – | – | – | – | 21 | 58 | 57 | 8 |
| Winter storms | – | – | – | – | 8 | 20 | 27 | 16 |
| Floods | – | – | – | – | 4 | 14 | 1 | 6 |
| Heat | – | – | – | – | 0 | 0 | 0 | 15 |
| Heavy rain | – | – | – | – | 3 | 6 | 1 | 3 |
Source: NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database, records per calendar decade; zone records from the CZ_TYPE field (Z).
What time of year?
43% of its high wind and dust records since 1996 fell in December and January. The two busiest months are in violet.
The values, month by month
Jan 59 · Feb 31 · Mar 38 · Apr 5 · May 5 · Jun 2 · Jul 4 · Aug 5 · Sep 4 · Oct 23 · Nov 45 · Dec 77 (records).
Source: NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database, records by the month they began.
Federal disaster declarations for Grays Harbor County
FEMA's register lists 35 declarations that include Grays Harbor County: 32 major disasters, 3 emergencies and 0 fire management assistance declarations. Most were for flood (16) and severe storm (13).
| 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 |
| 2022-03-29 | DR-4650 | Flood | Severe Winter Storms, Snowstorms, Straight-Line Winds, Flooding |
| 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 |
| 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 |
| 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 |
| 2006-12-12 | DR-1671 | Severe Storm | Severe Storms, Flooding, 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 |
| 1996-02-09 | DR-1100 | Flood | High Winds, Severe Storms and 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 |
| 1990-01-18 | DR-852 | 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 |
| 1977-12-10 | DR-545 | Flood | Severe Storms,Mudslides, & Flooding |
| 1975-12-13 | DR-492 | Flood | Severe Storms & Flooding |
| 1972-02-01 | DR-322 | Flood | Severe Storms & 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 Grays Harbor County had?
NOAA's Storm Events Database holds 25 flood or flash flood records for Grays Harbor County from 1996 to 2024, on 23 days, with 3 deaths. By flood insurance claims since 1978 (OpenFEMA, as of September 8, 2026), Grays Harbor County ranks 347th of 2,942 U.S. counties.
The National Flood Insurance Program has paid $14.0 million on 921 claims filed in Grays Harbor County; the most in one year was 281 in 2015. Claims count insured losses only: uninsured flood damage is not in this file.
The values, year by year
1978: 3 · 1979: 12 · 1980: 3 · 1981: 58 · 1982: 11 · 1983: 4 · 1986: 8 · 1990: 41 · 1992: 2 · 1993: 4 · 1994: 12 · 1995: 4 · 1996: 69 · 1997: 38 · 1998: 10 · 1999: 35 · 2000: 1 · 2001: 7 · 2002: 3 · 2003: 16 · 2005: 3 · 2006: 31 · 2007: 102 · 2008: 11 · 2009: 71 · 2010: 3 · 2011: 4 · 2012: 6 · 2013: 1 · 2014: 7 · 2015: 281 · 2016: 3 · 2017: 3 · 2018: 1 · 2021: 6 · 2022: 44 · 2023: 2 · 2025: 1; 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 Grays Harbor County
FEMA's National Risk Index rates Grays Harbor County Relatively High overall, with an expected annual loss of $212 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Tsunami | Very High | $121M | once in about 8 years (modeled) |
| Coastal Flooding | Very High | $24M | 10 a year (modeled) |
| Earthquake | Relatively High | $47M | once in about 43 years (modeled) |
| Ice Storm | Relatively High | $604K | once in about 2 years (modeled) |
| Landslide | Relatively Moderate | $113K | 12 a year (modeled) |
| Riverine Flooding | Relatively Moderate | $19M | once in about 5 years (modeled) |
| Heat Wave | Relatively Low | $451K | 2 modeled event-days a year |
| Winter Weather | Relatively Low | $36K | 6.8 a year (modeled) |
Source: FEMA National Risk Index, county table, December 2025 release. FEMA's National Risk Index map.
Counties that share a border with Grays Harbor 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
- 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 Grays Harbor CountyThe hazard risk calculator: 18 hazards beside the county's record
- Download Grays Harbor County's FEMA declarations (CSV)35 rows: every declaration that named the county, for your own analysis