King County, Washington
County storm and disaster record · FIPS 53033 · population 2,268,178 · 2,116 sq mi
NOAA's Storm Events Database holds 574 records for King County, Washington from 1950 through June 30, 2026, on 423 days; the most frequent are winter storm records (238 records). 491 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 day on its record was December 14, 2006: high wind and flash flood records filed for King County that day count 9 deaths across 2 records. FEMA has issued 35 declarations naming the county since 1964, 33 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
- 574on 423 days, 1950 to June 30, 2026
- Deaths recorded
- 73413 injuries
- Damage, 2025 dollars
- $386Mas filed (scale steps before 1993)
- Tornadoes
- 5strongest F3
- 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 King County most?
The most frequent records are winter storm records: 238 since 1996. 47% 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 | 238 | 186 | 1996-2025 | 9 | 24 | $14M | 19 of 39 |
| High wind and dust storms | 135 | 95 | 1996-2025 | 25 | 320 | $110M | 24 of 39 |
| Landslides and avalanches | 44 | 39 | 1996-2022 | 27 | 30 | $22M | 4 of 39 |
| Heat | 40 | 30 | 2008-2025 | 4 | 14 | – | 5 of 39 |
| Floods | 32 | 25 | 1996-2022 | 2 | 0 | $79M | 18 of 39 |
| Heavy rain | 23 | 22 | 1996-2023 | 1 | 16 | $131M | 7 of 39 |
| Lightning | 22 | 22 | 1996-2015 | 0 | 8 | $1.7M | 1 of 39 |
| Fog, smoke and funnel clouds | 12 | 10 | 1997-2020 | 0 | 0 | – | 8 of 39 |
| Severe thunderstorm wind | 7 | 7 | 1956-2013 | 0 | 0 | $108K | 24 of 39 |
| Drought | 6 | 2 | 2001-2005 | 0 | 0 | $18M | 17 of 39 |
| Extreme cold | 5 | 4 | 2021-2024 | 5 | 0 | – | 22 of 39 |
| Tornadoes | 5 | 5 | 1962-2001 | 0 | 1 | $4.6M | 12 of 39 |
| Hail | 4 | 4 | 1972-2008 | 0 | 0 | – | 25 of 39 |
| Wildfires | 1 | 1 | 2017-2017 | 0 | 0 | $5.4M | 35 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 King County had?
NOAA records 5 tornadoes in King County from 1962 to 2001, the strongest rated F3, with 0 deaths and 1 injury recorded in the county. That is 12th 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 5 tornadoes whose track touched King County since 1950 (NOAA's county records number 5, the same count); along their whole tracks they killed 0 people.
| Date | Tornado | Rating | Path | Killed |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1969-12-12 16:15, as SPC files it | Seattle | F3 | 3.8 mi | 0 |
Map of the strongest tornado tracks in Washington.
Every tornado record filed for King County (5)
| Date | Place | Character | Killed | Injured | Damage |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2001-06-11 | Seattle, King County | F0 | 0 | 0 | – |
| 1971-12-22 | King County | 0 | 0 | $25K step | |
| 1969-12-12 | King County | F3 3.8 mi x 100 yd | 0 | 1 | $250K step |
| 1964-08-18 | King County | F0 5.2 mi x 30 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 1962-09-28 | King County | F1 | 0 | 0 | $250K 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 King County?
The most recent record with damage, injuries or deaths is the November 19, 2024 high wind (1 death).
A woman died when a tree fell on her home 3 miles southeast of Kirkland.
National Weather Service event narrative, NOAA Storm Events Database (search the full record, event 1226565)
| Date | Record | Character | Killed | Injured | Damage |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025-08-12 | HeatKing County · forecast zone City Of Seattle | 0 | 0 | – | |
| 2025-02-25 | Strong WindKing County · forecast zone Seattle And Vicinity | 45 kt wind | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2025-02-25 | High WindKing County · forecast zone Seattle And Vicinity | 52 kt wind | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2025-02-25 | High WindKing County and Snohomish County · forecast zone Cascades Of Snohomish And King Counties | 62 kt wind | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2025-02-15 | Heavy SnowKing County and Snohomish County · forecast zone Cascades Of Snohomish And King Counties | 0 | 0 | – | |
| 2025-02-05 | Winter WeatherKing County and 2 more · forecast zone East Puget Sound Lowlands | 0 | 0 | – | |
| 2025-02-04 | Winter WeatherKing County and Snohomish County · forecast zone Bellevue And Vicinity | 0 | 0 | – | |
| 2025-02-04 | Winter WeatherKing County · forecast zone Seattle And Vicinity | 0 | 0 | – | |
| 2025-02-03 | Winter WeatherKing County and 2 more · forecast zone East Puget Sound Lowlands | 0 | 0 | – | |
| 2024-11-19 | High WindKing County and Snohomish County · forecast zone Bellevue And Vicinity | 50 kt wind | 1 | 0 | – |
| 2024-01-12 | Cold/Wind ChillKing County · forecast zone Seattle And Vicinity | 5 | 0 | – | |
| 2023-01-09 | Strong WindKing County and 2 more · forecast zone East Puget Sound Lowlands | 39 kt wind | 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006-12-14 | High WindKing County and Kitsap County · forecast zone Seattle/Bremerton Area More than 100 flights were canceled or delayed at Sea-tac airport. The Seattle PI failed to produce a print edition of their newspaper for the first time since 1936. There were eight indirect fatalities from carbon monoxide poisoning following the wind storm as a result of inproper or indoor use of barbeques or power ... | 64 kt wind | 8 | 290 | $25M |
| 2024-01-12 | Cold/Wind ChillKing County · forecast zone Seattle And Vicinity Here's an article excerpt taken from the Seattle Times 01/18/24. At least five people have died from hypothermia in Seattle since Jan. 11, during a stretch of days that saw temperatures plummet well below freezing, according to the King County medical examiner’s office. Authorities have not said whether any of them ... | 5 | 0 | – | |
| 2002-05-29 | BlizzardKing County and 2 more · forecast zone E King/E Pierce/E Lewis 3 climbers lost their lives near the top of Mt Rainier when high winds destroyed their tents and collapsed their snow caves. | 3 | 1 | – | |
| 2012-02-19 | AvalancheKing County and 2 more · forecast zone West Slopes Central Cascades And Passes Outside of the Stevens Pass ski area, a skier triggered an avalanche which killed 3. | 3 | 0 | – | |
| 2007-12-01 | AvalancheKing County and 2 more · forecast zone West Slopes Central Cascades And Passes Three snowboarders were presumed dead near Crystal Mountain. They were found in mid June 2008 in their sleeping bags once the snow had melted enough. It is presumed they were buried in an avalanche during the night of Dec 1 or early morning of Dec 2. | 3 | 0 | – | |
| 1997-01-11 | AvalancheKing County and 2 more · forecast zone Central Cascade Foothills An avalanche killed 3 hikers. The hikers left on Dec. 27th, didn't return on the 29th as expected and weren't found until Jan 11th. They were found buried in an avalanche near Index. | 3 | 0 | – | |
| 2008-05-17 | HeatKing County and 2 more · forecast zone East Puget Sound Lowlands There were two indirect fatalities due to the heat. Both are missing and likely drowned. One kayaker spilled into the Green River and disappeared. One of 4 rafters, who where thrown into the Green River when their raft flipped, disappeared (King County). The Green river was well below flood stage. | 2 | 14 | – | |
| 2007-12-02 | AvalancheKing County and 2 more · forecast zone West Slopes Central Cascades And Passes Two hikers were killed, and one injured, by an avalanche near Snoqualmie Pass. | 2 | 1 | – |
| Date | Record | Character | Killed | Injured | Damage |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1996-12-29 | Heavy RainSeattle-Tacoma, King County | 0 | 0 | $59M | |
| 2017-02-09 | Heavy RainFremont, King County | 0 | 0 | $40M | |
| 1997-01-01 | FloodKing County · forecast zone Seattle Metropolitan Area | 1 | 0 | $37M | |
| 2006-12-14 | High WindKing County and Kitsap County · forecast zone Seattle/Bremerton Area | 64 kt wind | 8 | 290 | $25M |
| 2003-12-04 | High WindKing County and 2 more · forecast zone Central Cascade Foothills | 69 kt wind | 0 | 3 | $20M |
| 2009-01-07 | FloodSnoqualmie, King County | 0 | 0 | $19M | |
| 2005-03-10 | DroughtKing County and 2 more · forecast zone Central Cascade Foothills | 0 | 0 | $18M | |
| 2007-12-03 | Heavy RainBothell, King County | 0 | 0 | $17M |
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 $250K, in the dollars of the day) holds: December 12, 1969 (tornado, King County); September 28, 1962 (tornado, King 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 King 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 | – | – | – | – | 12 | 67 | 92 | 67 |
| High wind and dust storms | – | – | – | – | 16 | 49 | 51 | 19 |
| Landslides and avalanches | – | – | – | – | 3 | 13 | 27 | 1 |
| Heat | – | – | – | – | 0 | 3 | 1 | 36 |
| Floods | – | – | – | – | 6 | 21 | 3 | 2 |
| Heavy rain | – | – | – | – | 3 | 11 | 4 | 5 |
Source: NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database, records per calendar decade; zone records from the CZ_TYPE field (Z).
What time of year?
47% 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 103 · Feb 79 · Mar 57 · Apr 24 · May 12 · Jun 16 · Jul 17 · Aug 17 · Sep 14 · Oct 36 · Nov 71 · Dec 128 (records).
Source: NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database, records by the month they began.
Federal disaster declarations for King County
FEMA's register lists 35 declarations that include King County: 31 major disasters, 3 emergencies and one fire management assistance declaration. Most were for flood (17) and severe storm (11).
| 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 |
| 2022-09-10 | FM-5455 | Fire | Bolt Creek Fire |
| 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 |
| 2012-03-05 | DR-4056 | Severe Storm | Severe Winter Storm, Flooding, Landslides, and Mudslides |
| 2011-03-25 | DR-1963 | 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 |
| 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 |
| 1993-03-04 | DR-981 | Severe Storm | Severe Storms & High Wind |
| 1991-03-08 | DR-896 | Flood | Severe Storms & High Tides |
| 1990-11-26 | DR-883 | Flood | Severe Storms & Flooding |
| 1990-01-18 | DR-852 | Flood | Severe Storms & Flooding |
| 1986-12-15 | DR-784 | 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 |
| 1977-12-10 | DR-545 | Flood | Severe Storms,Mudslides, & Flooding |
| 1975-12-13 | DR-492 | Flood | Severe Storms & Flooding |
| 1972-03-24 | DR-328 | Flood | Heavy Rains & Flooding |
| 1965-05-11 | DR-196 | Earthquake | Earthquake |
| 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 King County had?
NOAA's Storm Events Database holds 32 flood or flash flood records for King County from 1996 to 2022, on 25 days, with 2 deaths. By flood insurance claims since 1978 (OpenFEMA, as of September 8, 2026), King County ranks 124th of 2,942 U.S. counties.
The National Flood Insurance Program has paid $66.6 million on 3,384 claims filed in King County; the most in one year was 668 in 2009. Claims count insured losses only: uninsured flood damage is not in this file.
The values, year by year
1978: 11 · 1979: 23 · 1980: 27 · 1981: 20 · 1982: 23 · 1983: 15 · 1984: 9 · 1985: 1 · 1986: 130 · 1987: 8 · 1988: 4 · 1989: 10 · 1990: 408 · 1991: 22 · 1992: 6 · 1993: 5 · 1994: 6 · 1995: 241 · 1996: 298 · 1997: 52 · 1998: 22 · 1999: 17 · 2000: 2 · 2001: 16 · 2002: 4 · 2003: 27 · 2004: 6 · 2005: 11 · 2006: 447 · 2007: 75 · 2008: 57 · 2009: 668 · 2010: 60 · 2011: 21 · 2012: 40 · 2013: 20 · 2014: 26 · 2015: 75 · 2016: 15 · 2017: 23 · 2018: 4 · 2019: 18 · 2020: 108 · 2021: 18 · 2022: 49 · 2023: 17 · 2024: 6 · 2025: 212 · 2026: 1.
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 King County
FEMA's National Risk Index rates King County Very High overall, with an expected annual loss of $1.7 billion. 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Earthquake | Very High | $1.2B | once in about 21 years (modeled) |
| Riverine Flooding | Very High | $417M | once in about 4 years (modeled) |
| Avalanche | Very High | $11M | 1.1 a year (modeled) |
| Landslide | Relatively High | $1.7M | 4.3 a year (modeled) |
| Heat Wave | Relatively High | $19M | 3.8 modeled event-days a year |
| Volcanic Activity | Relatively High | $1.9M | once in about 81 years (modeled) |
| Winter Weather | Relatively High | $815K | 27 a year (modeled) |
| Ice Storm | Relatively High | $1.3M | about once 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 King 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 King CountyThe hazard risk calculator: 18 hazards beside the county's record
- Download King County's FEMA declarations (CSV)35 rows: every declaration that named the county, for your own analysis