San Juan County, Washington
County storm and disaster record · FIPS 53055 · population 17,695 · 174 sq mi
NOAA's Storm Events Database holds 127 records for San Juan County, Washington from 1950 through June 30, 2026, on 126 days; the most frequent are high wind and dust records (95 records). 122 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 18, 1996 heavy snow, filed for the forecast zone San Juan, which covers the county: 1 death and 4 injuries. FEMA has issued 12 declarations naming the county since 1980, 10 of them for natural hazards; the latest for a natural hazard was “Severe Storms, Straight-Line Winds, Flooding, Landslides, and Mudslides” on January 5, 2022.
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
- 127on 126 days, 1950 to June 30, 2026
- Deaths recorded
- 14 injuries
- Damage, 2025 dollars
- $7.8Mas filed (scale steps before 1993)
- FEMA declarations
- 12latest 2022
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 San Juan County most?
The most frequent records are high wind and dust records: 95 since 1996. 48% of its high wind and dust records since 1996 fell in November and December. 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 | 95 | 95 | 1996-2022 | 0 | 0 | $5.7M | 3 of 39 |
| Winter storms | 21 | 21 | 1996-2025 | 1 | 4 | $1.5M | 10 of 39 |
| Drought | 2 | 2 | 2001-2005 | 0 | 0 | – | 1 of 39 |
| Floods | 2 | 2 | 2012-2021 | 0 | 0 | $517K | 19 of 39 |
| Heat | 2 | 2 | 2021-2023 | 0 | 0 | – | 9 of 39 |
| Heavy rain | 2 | 2 | 2001-2015 | 0 | 0 | $12K | 4 of 39 |
| Hurricanes and tropical storms | 1 | 1 | 2003-2003 | 0 | 0 | $16K | 1 of 39 |
| Fog, smoke and funnel clouds | 1 | 1 | 2012-2012 | 0 | 0 | – | 6 of 39 |
| Severe thunderstorm wind | 1 | 1 | 2004-2004 | 0 | 0 | $39K | 15 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.
When was the last damaging storm in San Juan County?
The most recent record with damage, injuries or deaths is the November 15, 2021 flood ($517,000 in damage in 2025 dollars).
Heavy rain cause urban and small stream flooding, washing out some roads.
National Weather Service event narrative, NOAA Storm Events Database (search the full record, event 994500)
| Date | Record | Character | Killed | Injured | Damage |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025-02-03 | Winter WeatherSan Juan County · forecast zone San Juan | 0 | 0 | – | |
| 2021-11-15 | FloodDeer Harbor, San Juan County | 0 | 0 | $517K | |
| 2007-11-12 | High WindSan Juan County · forecast zone San Juan | 53 kt wind | 0 | 0 | $285K |
| 2006-12-14 | High WindSan Juan County · forecast zone San Juan | 52 kt wind | 0 | 0 | $1.5M |
| 2006-11-26 | Heavy SnowSan Juan County · forecast zone San Juan | 0 | 0 | $1.5M | |
| 2003-10-16 | High WindSan Juan County · forecast zone San Juan | 60 kt wind | 0 | 0 | $1.6M |
| 2003-03-12 | High WindSan Juan County · forecast zone San Juan | 40 kt wind | 0 | 0 | $1.6M |
| 2001-12-15 | High WindSan Juan County · forecast zone San Juan | 0 | 0 | $333K | |
| 1996-01-18 | Heavy SnowSan Juan County · forecast zone San Juan | 1 | 4 | – |
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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1996-01-18 | Heavy SnowSan Juan County · forecast zone San Juan Heavy snow fell in most of Puget Sound. Snowfall varied from 4 inches in Seattle to 9 in Port Orchard. There were several accidents, with two involving injuries or fatalities. About 20,000 people lost power. | 1 | 4 | – |
| Date | Record | Character | Killed | Injured | Damage |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2003-03-12 | High WindSan Juan County · forecast zone San Juan | 40 kt wind | 0 | 0 | $1.6M |
| 2003-10-16 | High WindSan Juan County · forecast zone San Juan | 60 kt wind | 0 | 0 | $1.6M |
| 2006-12-14 | High WindSan Juan County · forecast zone San Juan | 52 kt wind | 0 | 0 | $1.5M |
| 2021-11-15 | FloodDeer Harbor, San Juan County | 0 | 0 | $517K | |
| 2001-12-15 | High WindSan Juan County · forecast zone San Juan | 0 | 0 | $333K |
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 San Juan 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 | – | – | – | – | 9 | 18 | 65 z | 3 |
| Winter storms | – | – | – | – | 5 | 7 | 2 | 7 |
High wind and dust storms in the 2010s: 65 records against 18 in the decade before, 65 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 San Juan 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?
48% of its high wind and dust records since 1996 fell in November and December. The two busiest months are in violet.
The values, month by month
Jan 20 · Feb 18 · Mar 14 · Apr 5 · May 1 · Jun 2 · Jul 0 · Aug 2 · Sep 1 · Oct 8 · Nov 25 · Dec 31 (records).
Source: NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database, records by the month they began.
Federal disaster declarations for San Juan County
FEMA's register lists 12 declarations that include San Juan County: 10 major disasters, 2 emergencies and 0 fire management assistance declarations. Most were for flood (4) and severe storm (4).
| Declared | Number | Type | Title |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2022-01-05 | DR-4635 | Flood | Severe Storms, 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 |
| 2007-02-14 | DR-1682 | Severe Storm | Severe Winter Storm, 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 |
| 1997-01-17 | DR-1159 | Severe Storm | Severe Winter Storms, Land & Muds Slides,Flooding |
| 1991-03-08 | DR-896 | Flood | Severe Storms & High Tides |
| 1990-11-26 | DR-883 | Flood | Severe Storms & Flooding |
| 1980-05-21 | DR-623 | Volcanic Eruption | Volcanic Eruption, Mt. St. Helens |
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 San Juan County had?
NOAA's Storm Events Database holds 2 flood or flash flood records for San Juan County from 2012 to 2021, on 2 days, with 0 deaths. By flood insurance claims since 1978 (OpenFEMA, as of September 8, 2026), San Juan County ranks 2400th of 2,942 U.S. counties.
The National Flood Insurance Program has paid $140,000 on 9 claims filed in San Juan County; the most in one year was 2 in 2006. Claims count insured losses only: uninsured flood damage is not in this file.
The values, year by year
1995: 1 · 2006: 2 · 2010: 1 · 2018: 2 · 2020: 1 · 2021: 1 · 2022: 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 San Juan County
FEMA's National Risk Index rates San Juan County Very Low overall, with an expected annual loss of $9.9 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Earthquake | Relatively Low | $4.3M | once in about 52 years (modeled) |
| Winter Weather | Relatively Low | $79K | 4.8 a year (modeled) |
| Coastal Flooding | Relatively Low | $354K | 3.6 a year (modeled) |
| Riverine Flooding | Relatively Low | $4.6M | once in about 28 years (modeled) |
| Cold Wave | Relatively Low | $398K | once in about 2 years (modeled) |
| Landslide | Very Low | $3K | once in about 3 years (modeled) |
| Wildfire | Very Low | $25K | once in about 27,958 years (modeled) |
| Volcanic Activity | Very Low | $4 | once in about 10,000 years (modeled) |
Source: FEMA National Risk Index, county table, December 2025 release. FEMA's National Risk Index map.
Counties that share a border with San Juan County
Source: U.S. Census Bureau county adjacency file; NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database, records since 1950. The Census Bureau's adjacency file.
Next
- 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 San Juan CountyThe hazard risk calculator: 18 hazards beside the county's record
- Download San Juan County's FEMA declarations (CSV)12 rows: every declaration that named the county, for your own analysis