FEMA Records
9
Total declarations
If you are in immediate danger, call 911.
The data below is historical (NOAA Storm Events / FEMA), not a live alert. For current warnings and evacuation orders, check the National Weather Service, Ready.gov, or FEMA.gov.
Washington · FEMA + NOAA + National Risk Index
Klickitat County, WA
9 FEMA disaster declarations (2012–2025), with a FEMA National Risk Index rating of Relatively Low. Most common hazard: Fire.
- 9
- FEMA declarations
- 4
- Major disasters
- 74
- NRI risk · Relatively Low
- Fire
- Top hazard
FEMA's National Risk Index places Klickitat County in the top 26% of U.S. counties for overall natural-hazard risk, and its FEMA disaster-declaration count is higher than 93% of all 2,729 counties tracked.
How does Klickitat County compare?
FEMA disaster declarations, this county versus the Washington county average and the national county average.
- Klickitat County
- 9
- Washington county avg
- 5.8
- National county avg
- 3.7
How disaster-prone is Klickitat County?
Klickitat County, Washington has recorded 9 FEMA disaster declarations between 2012 and 2025, of which 4 were classified as Major Disaster declarations (DR) requiring federal individual and public assistance. That puts the county's average at 0.7 declarations per year across a 13-year record, or roughly 55% above the Washington county average of 5.8 and 140% above the national county average of 3.7. Declaration counts reflect federal recognition of event severity, not pure hazard frequency, smaller incidents handled locally never appear in FEMA's ledger.
The dominant disaster type on record is Fire, with 5 of 9 declarations falling under this category. FEMA's National Risk Index assigns this county an overall risk rating of Relatively Low (composite score 73.9/100), driven by an Expected Annual Loss rating of Relatively Low equivalent to roughly $26.1M in annualized losses. Social vulnerability scores Relatively High and community resilience scores Relatively Low - two factors that modify raw hazard exposure into actual harm. The single highest-risk natural hazard identified for this county is Wildfire (Relatively High).
NFIP flood insurance claims data for this county is not present in the FEMA claims extract, which typically indicates either low historical flood activity or low policy penetration. Taken together, these indicators place Klickitat County at a moderate relative risk level for federally recognized disasters. Households should pair this historical lens with forward-looking hazard maps, flood zones, wildfire risk overlays, and seismic zones published by FEMA and state emergency management, before making preparedness, insurance, or relocation decisions.
Risk Assessment
How Klickitat County's disaster history compares to state and national averages.
Risk Level
Moderate
vs. Washington Avg
+55%
State avg: 5.8
vs. National Avg
+140%
National avg: 3.7
Avg Per Year
0.7
Over 13 years
FEMA NRI 8-hazard radar - Klickitat County
The radar plots Klickitat County's relative exposure to the eight headline natural hazards used by the FEMA National Risk Index. Each axis is the qualitative NRI risk rating (Very Low through Very High) re-expressed on a 0-100 scale so that the polygon shape lets you compare a county against another at a glance.
NRI Source
FEMA 2023
Latest NRI release
County FIPS
53039
WA state code
Source: FEMA National Risk Index FEMA National Risk Index Per-county per-hazard ratings, 2023 release
Disaster Types
Breakdown of 9 FEMA disaster declarations in Klickitat County by incident type.
Fire 5
Severe Storm 2
Flood 1
Biological 1
Declaration Types
FEMA categorizes declarations as Major Disasters (DR), Emergencies (EM), or Fire Management Assistance (FM).
Fire Management - 5 55.6%
of all 9 declarations
Major Disaster - 4 44.4%
of all 9 declarations
FEMA Declarations Timeline
Disaster declarations per year for Klickitat County.
| Year | Declarations | |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 1 | |
| 2024 | 1 | |
| 2023 | 1 | |
| 2022 | 1 | |
| 2021 | 1 | |
| 2020 | 1 | |
| 2015 | 2 | |
| 2012 | 1 | |
Disaster Declarations
All 9 FEMA disaster declarations for Klickitat County, Washington.
| DR# | Title | Type | Incident | Date |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 5601 | BURDOIN FIRE | FM | Fire | 2025-07-19 |
| 4775 | SEVERE WINTER STORMS, STRAIGHT-LINE WINDS, FLOODING, LANDSLIDES, AND MUDSLIDES | DR | Severe Storm | 2024-04-28 |
| 5470 | NEWELL ROAD FIRE | FM | Fire | 2023-07-23 |
| 4650 | SEVERE WINTER STORMS, SNOWSTORMS, STRAIGHT-LINE WINDS, FLOODIN | 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 |
| 5113 | HORSETHIEF BUTTE FIRE | FM | Fire | 2015-09-14 |
| 5094 | HIGHWAY 8 FIRE | FM | Fire | 2015-08-05 |
| 5011 | HIGHWAY 141 FIRE COMPLEX | FM | Fire | 2012-09-06 |
Storm Events in Washington
NOAA severe weather data for Washington (2015–2025). Storm event data is tracked at the state level.
| Storm Type | Events | Fatalities | Injuries | Property Damage |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Heavy Snow | 1,736 | 5 | 13 | $2.4M |
| High Wind | 647 | 15 | 6 | $1.1B |
| Wildfire | 337 | 4 | 4 | $2.3B |
| Winter Weather | 281 | 9 | 62 | $1.1M |
| Flood | 261 | 4 | 0 | $391.7M |
Source: NOAA Storm Events Database NOAA Storm Events Database State-level aggregated data, 2015–2025
FEMA National Risk Index
FEMA's composite risk score combining 18 natural hazard types, social vulnerability, and community resilience for Klickitat County.
Overall Risk
Relatively Low
Score: 73.9/100
Expected Annual Loss
Relatively Low
$26.1M/year
Social Vulnerability
Relatively High
Community Resilience
Relatively Low
Hazard Risk Breakdown
Risk rating for each of the 18 FEMA NRI natural hazard types in Klickitat County.
Wildfire Relatively High
Volcanic Activity Relatively Low
Ice Storm Relatively High
Landslide Relatively Low
Earthquake Relatively Low
Avalanche Relatively Low
Winter Weather Relatively Moderate
Lightning Relatively Low
Cold Wave Relatively Low
Heat Wave Relatively Low
Hail Very Low
Strong Wind Relatively Low
Drought Very Low
Tornado Very Low
Source: FEMA National Risk Index (NRI) FEMA National Risk Index (NRI) Ratings reflect relative scores among all US counties. Data: hazards.fema.gov/nri
Counties with Similar Risk in Washington
Other Washington counties with similar disaster declaration counts.
Disaster Preparedness Guides
Related
Frequently Asked Questions
How many natural disasters has Klickitat County, Washington had?
Klickitat County, Washington has received 9 FEMA disaster declarations from 2012 to 2025. Of these, 4 were major disaster declarations.
What is the most common disaster type in Klickitat County?
The most common disaster type in Klickitat County is Fire, with 5 declarations. Other disaster types include Severe Storm (2), Flood (1), Biological (1).
How does Klickitat County's disaster risk compare to the Washington average?
Klickitat County has 9 disaster declarations, which is 55% higher than the Washington county average of 5.8 declarations. Compared to the national county average of 3.7, it is 140% higher.
How many major FEMA disaster declarations has Klickitat County received?
Klickitat County has received 4 major disaster declarations, representing 44% of all 9 disaster declarations. Major disaster declarations typically involve significant damage requiring federal assistance.
What types of storms are most common in Washington?
The most common storm types in Washington include Heavy Snow (1,736 events), High Wind (647 events), Wildfire (337 events). NOAA storm event data covers severe weather from 2015 to 2025.
What was the worst year for disasters in Klickitat County?
The most active year for disaster declarations in Klickitat County was 2015, with 2 declarations. The county has FEMA disaster data spanning 2012 to 2025.
What is the overall disaster risk level for Klickitat County?
Based on FEMA declaration history, Klickitat County has a moderate disaster risk level with 9 total declarations. This county has a moderate number of disaster declarations.
What is the FEMA National Risk Index score for Klickitat County?
According to the FEMA National Risk Index, Klickitat County, Washington has an overall risk score of 73.9 out of 100 (Relatively Low). The county's social vulnerability rating is Relatively High and community resilience is Relatively Low. The Expected Annual Loss (EAL) score is Relatively Low, representing $26.1M in annualized losses.
Which natural hazard poses the greatest risk to Klickitat County?
Based on FEMA NRI data, the highest-risk natural hazard in Klickitat County is Wildfire (risk rating: Relatively High). Other significant hazards include Volcanic Activity (Relatively Low) and Ice Storm (Relatively High). These scores are based on FEMA's analysis of historical event frequency, 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.
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 Klickitat County
Klickitat County, WA has 9 FEMA disaster declarations on record, a moderate historical disaster load, 55% above the Washington county average.
- Its most common federal declaration type is fire management (5 of 9) - know the hazards most likely here before they happen. Washington overview
- See how this county ranks against the rest of the country for disaster frequency. Most-disaster rankings
- Read how to read FEMA declarations, NRI risk scores, and what they do and don't tell you. Disaster-data guide
Historical declaration counts describe past federal response, not a forecast. For current threats, follow the National Weather Service and local officials; in an emergency call 911.
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. This page draws directly on FEMA federal disaster data, no figure is typed in by an editor. See our editorial standards & corrections policy, the methodology behind these numbers, or report a data error.