Umatilla County, Oregon
County storm and disaster record · FIPS 41059 · population 79,888 · 3,215 sq mi
NOAA's Storm Events Database holds 756 records for Umatilla County, Oregon from 1950 through June 30, 2026, on 481 days; the most frequent are winter storm records (225 records). 493 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 November 3, 2011 winter weather, filed for the forecast zone Southern Blue Mountains, which covers the county: 2 deaths. FEMA has issued 15 declarations naming the county since 1964, 13 of them for natural hazards; the latest for a natural hazard was “Hagen Fire” on August 9, 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
- 756on 481 days, 1950 to June 30, 2026
- Deaths recorded
- 524 injuries
- Damage, 2025 dollars
- $74Mas filed (scale steps before 1993)
- Tornadoes
- 9strongest EF1
- FEMA declarations
- 15latest 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 Umatilla County most?
The most frequent records are winter storm records: 225 since 2000. 52% of its winter storm records since 2000 fell in December and January. The rank column places the county among Oregon'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 | 225 | 161 | 2000-2026 | 3 | 4 | $51K | 19 of 36 |
| High wind and dust storms | 145 | 101 | 1999-2026 | 1 | 8 | $3.8M | 22 of 36 |
| Severe thunderstorm wind | 110 | 57 | 1958-2026 | 0 | 5 | $506K | 2 of 36 |
| Hail | 89 | 55 | 1969-2024 | 0 | 0 | $2K | 3 of 36 |
| Wildfires | 43 | 41 | 1998-2025 | 0 | 3 | $2.6M | 17 of 36 |
| Extreme cold | 40 | 21 | 2002-2025 | 0 | 0 | – | 18 of 36 |
| Heat | 37 | 18 | 2002-2023 | 0 | 0 | – | 20 of 36 |
| Floods | 23 | 19 | 1997-2026 | 1 | 0 | $62M | 21 of 36 |
| Fog, smoke and funnel clouds | 18 | 17 | 2000-2025 | 0 | 3 | $81K | 9 of 36 |
| Lightning | 10 | 10 | 1997-2011 | 0 | 0 | $6K | 6 of 36 |
| Tornadoes | 9 | 9 | 1991-2024 | 0 | 0 | $69K | 11 of 36 |
| Heavy rain | 6 | 6 | 1998-2010 | 0 | 1 | $4.7M | 19 of 36 |
| Landslides and avalanches | 1 | 1 | 2012-2012 | 0 | 0 | – | 28 of 36 |
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 Umatilla County had?
NOAA records 9 tornadoes in Umatilla County from 1991 to 2024, the strongest rated EF1, with 0 deaths and 0 injuries recorded in the county. That is 11th of 36 Oregon 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 9 tornadoes whose track touched Umatilla County since 1950 (NOAA's county records number 9, the same count); along their whole tracks they killed 0 people.
Map of the strongest tornado tracks in Oregon.
Every tornado record filed for Umatilla County (9)
| Date | Place | Character | Killed | Injured | Damage |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2024-03-05 | Blue Mtn, Umatilla County | EF0 0.15 mi x 3 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2023-06-27 | State Line, Umatilla County | EF0 0.11 mi x 10 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2022-06-11 | Barnhart, Umatilla County | EFU 0.02 mi x 15 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2022-05-06 | Bingham Spgs, Umatilla County | EF1 2.87 mi x 175 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2009-05-06 | Cayuse, Umatilla County | EF1 1.61 mi x 40 yd | 0 | 0 | $69K |
| 2004-05-23 | Stanfield, Umatilla County | F0 0.1 mi x 10 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2002-07-13 | Pendleton Airport, Umatilla County | F0 0.2 mi x 10 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 1995-07-09 | Se Of Hermiston, Umatilla County | F0 1 mi x 10 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 1991-05-01 | Umatilla County | F0 0.1 mi x 10 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 Umatilla County?
The most recent record with damage, injuries or deaths is the February 6, 2020 flood (1 death and $45.3 million in damage in 2025 dollars).
Umatilla County – There was record flooding along the entire reach of the Umatilla River. There was extensive damage to areas along the river, including homes, roads including Interstate 84, railroads as well as other public facilities such as parks and sports complexes. Along the upper reaches of the river, roads were washed out with homes damaged or destroyed. One resident was swept away by flood waters and died. A number of residents had to be evacuated via helicopter or 4 wheeler with 70 homes on the Umatilla Indian Reservation damaged. The Riverview Mobile Home Park at Pendleton was inundated. There was minimal to no damage through Pendleton, due to the levee, but the Bob White Baseball field had extensive damage as water overtopped a low wall. …
National Weather Service event narrative, NOAA Storm Events Database (search the full record, event 871967)
| Date | Record | Character | Killed | Injured | Damage |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026-04-22 | FloodBingham Spgs, Umatilla County | 0 | 0 | – | |
| 2026-04-22 | High WindUmatilla County · forecast zone Foothills Of The Northern Blue Mountains Of Oregon | 51 kt wind | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2026-04-01 | Thunderstorm WindNolin, Umatilla County | 53 kt wind | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2026-02-16 | Heavy SnowUmatilla County and 2 more · forecast zone Northern Blue Mountains | 0 | 0 | – | |
| 2026-01-06 | Heavy SnowUmatilla County and 2 more · forecast zone Northern Blue Mountains | 0 | 0 | – | |
| 2025-06-13 | WildfireMorrow County and Umatilla County · forecast zone Lower Columbia Basin | 0 | 0 | – | |
| 2025-05-17 | Funnel CloudHermiston, Umatilla County | 0 | 0 | – | |
| 2025-04-22 | Frost/FreezeUmatilla County · forecast zone Foothills Of The Northern Blue Mountains Of Oregon | 0 | 0 | – | |
| 2025-04-17 | Frost/FreezeUmatilla County · forecast zone Foothills Of The Northern Blue Mountains Of Oregon | 0 | 0 | – | |
| 2025-03-15 | Heavy SnowUmatilla County and 2 more · forecast zone Northern Blue Mountains | 0 | 0 | – | |
| 2025-02-17 | Heavy SnowUmatilla County and 2 more · forecast zone Northern Blue Mountains | 0 | 0 | – | |
| 2025-02-15 | Heavy SnowUmatilla County and 2 more · forecast zone Northern Blue Mountains | 0 | 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2011-11-03 | Winter WeatherMorrow County and 2 more · forecast zone Southern Blue Mountains Low pressure moving along a stalled cold front brought heavy snowfall to higher elevations of Grant County. Snowfall amounts in inches included 7 miles east southeast of John Day (6) and Blue Mountain Spring SnoTel (5). A car accident on slushy Highway 395 between Mount Vernon and Fox claimed two lives. | 2 | 0 | – | |
| 2000-11-24 | Winter StormGilliam County and 2 more · forecast zone Lower Columbia Basin Snow and ice covered roads contributed to a two car accident that lead to one fatality. This accident occurred at 2:45 pm at a location 2 miles east of Irrigon on Highway 730. | 1 | 3 | $26K | |
| 2020-02-06 | FloodMilton Freewater, Umatilla County Umatilla County – There was record flooding along the entire reach of the Umatilla River. There was extensive damage to areas along the river, including homes, roads including Interstate 84, railroads as well as other public facilities such as parks and sports complexes. Along the upper reaches of the river, roads ... | 1 | 0 | $45M | |
| 2015-11-17 | Dust StormGilliam County and 2 more · forecast zone Lower Columbia Basin A multi-car pile up from a dust storm on I-84 resulted in some injuries and a fatality. | 1 | 0 | – | |
| 2001-09-25 | Dust StormGilliam County and 2 more · forecast zone Foothills Of The Blue Mountains Blowing dust contributed to an eight vehicle accident on State Highway 11 ten miles northeast of Pendleton. Windy conditions, combined with loose topsoil from a freshly plowed field, created blowing dust that locally reduced visibilities to less than 100 feet. A series of chain reaction collisions occurred as vehicles ... | 0 | 5 | $250K | |
| 1991-08-06 | Thunderstorm WindUmatilla County | 0 | 5 | – | |
| 2006-06-19 | WildfireGilliam County and 2 more · forecast zone Lower Columbia Basin On the east side of Arlington, a person operating a weed trimmer fell and the hot exhaust from the weed trimmer touched and ignited dry vegetation. West winds gusting 25 to 30 mph helped spread the resulting wildfire across 1500 acres. Two homes and 3 vehicles were destroyed and two fire engines were damaged. Three ... | 0 | 3 | $732K | |
| 2002-11-27 | Dense FogGilliam County and 2 more · forecast zone Lower Columbia Basin Freezing fog created icy road conditions on Interstate 84 near Stanfield, which led to a roll-over accident. | 0 | 2 | – |
| Date | Record | Character | Killed | Injured | Damage |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2020-02-06 | FloodMilton Freewater, Umatilla County | 1 | 0 | $45M | |
| 2019-04-09 | FloodSparks, Umatilla County | 0 | 0 | $10M | |
| 2019-04-10 | FloodPendleton, Umatilla County | 0 | 0 | $5.8M | |
| 2010-06-01 | Heavy RainMilton Freewater, Umatilla County | 0 | 0 | $4.7M | |
| 2008-01-04 | High WindMorrow County and Umatilla County · forecast zone Foothills Of The Blue Mountains | 63 kt wind | 0 | 0 | $2.3M |
| 2013-06-11 | WildfireMorrow County and Umatilla County · forecast zone Lower Columbia Basin | 0 | 0 | $1.0M | |
| 2006-06-19 | WildfireGilliam County and 2 more · forecast zone Lower Columbia Basin | 0 | 3 | $732K | |
| 2003-10-28 | WildfireEcho, Umatilla County | 0 | 0 | $385K |
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 Umatilla 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 | – | – | – | – | 0 | 73 | 99 | 53 |
| High wind and dust storms | – | – | – | – | 1 | 63 | 41 | 40 |
| Severe thunderstorm wind | 2 | 1 | 0 | 3 | 16 | 34 | 43 | 11 |
| Hail | 0 | 1 | 0 | 4 | 15 | 38 | 20 | 11 |
| Wildfires | – | – | – | – | 2 | 17 | 21 | 3 |
| Extreme cold | – | – | – | – | 0 | 8 | 11 | 21 |
Source: NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database, records per calendar decade; zone records from the CZ_TYPE field (Z).
What time of year?
52% of its winter storm records since 2000 fell in December and January. The two busiest months are in violet.
The values, month by month
Jan 87 · Feb 77 · Mar 42 · Apr 65 · May 72 · Jun 62 · Jul 74 · Aug 64 · Sep 27 · Oct 22 · Nov 62 · Dec 102 (records).
Source: NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database, records by the month they began.
Federal disaster declarations for Umatilla County
FEMA's register lists 15 declarations that include Umatilla County: 8 major disasters, 3 emergencies and 4 fire management assistance declarations. Most were for fire (5) and flood (4).
| Declared | Number | Type | Title |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2026-08-09 | FM-5664 | Fire | Hagen Fire |
| 2026-07-16 | FM-5645 | Fire | Lower Dry Creek Fire |
| 2025-01-01 | DR-4854 | Fire | Wildfires |
| 2024-07-21 | FM-5514 | Fire | Battle Mountain Fire Complex |
| 2020-04-03 | DR-4519 | Flood | Severe Storms, Flooding, Landslides, and Mudslides |
| 2020-03-28 | DR-4499 | Biological | Covid-19 Pandemic |
| 2020-03-13 | EM-3429 | Biological | Covid-19 |
| 2019-07-09 | DR-4452 | Flood | Severe Storms, Flooding, Landslides, and Mudslides |
| 2005-09-07 | EM-3228 | Coastal Storm | Hurricane Katrina Evacuation |
| 2004-02-19 | DR-1510 | Severe Storm | Severe Winter Storms |
| 2001-08-15 | FM-2375 | Fire | Or Bridge Creek Fires 2375 |
| 1997-01-23 | DR-1160 | Severe Storm | Severe Winter Storms, Land and Mudslides, Flooding |
| 1996-02-09 | DR-1099 | Flood | High Winds, Severe Storms and Flooding |
| 1977-04-29 | EM-3039 | Drought | Drought |
| 1964-12-24 | DR-184 | 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 Umatilla County had?
NOAA's Storm Events Database holds 23 flood or flash flood records for Umatilla County from 1997 to 2026, on 19 days, with 1 death. By flood insurance claims since 1978 (OpenFEMA, as of September 8, 2026), Umatilla County ranks 1335th of 2,942 U.S. counties.
The National Flood Insurance Program has paid $1.8 million on 94 claims filed in Umatilla County; the most in one year was 35 in 2020. Claims count insured losses only: uninsured flood damage is not in this file.
The values, year by year
1978: 1 · 1979: 9 · 1980: 2 · 1984: 1 · 1985: 3 · 1991: 2 · 1993: 2 · 1994: 1 · 1996: 15 · 2000: 1 · 2005: 1 · 2009: 1 · 2010: 1 · 2012: 2 · 2014: 1 · 2016: 1 · 2017: 1 · 2018: 1 · 2019: 12 · 2020: 35 · 2026: 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 Umatilla County
FEMA's National Risk Index rates Umatilla County Relatively Moderate overall, with an expected annual loss of $40.0 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Cold Wave | Relatively High | $9.0M | once in about 4 years (modeled) |
| Ice Storm | Relatively High | $1.1M | once in about 3 years (modeled) |
| Winter Weather | Relatively High | $329K | 15 a year (modeled) |
| Wildfire | Relatively Moderate | $4.3M | once in about 190 years (modeled) |
| Landslide | Relatively Moderate | $48K | 1.7 a year (modeled) |
| Heat Wave | Relatively Moderate | $1.9M | 4.8 modeled event-days a year |
| Strong Wind | Relatively Moderate | $1.2M | once in about 4 years (modeled) |
| Drought | Relatively Moderate | $913K | 24 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 Umatilla 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 OregonEvery Oregon tornado since 1950 and the counties with the most per square mile
- Winter storms in OregonThe state's winter storm records, by county, year and month
- The Oregon recordEvery hazard in the state, its deadliest events and its federal declarations
- FEMA's risk rating for each hazard in Umatilla CountyThe hazard risk calculator: 18 hazards beside the county's record
- Download Umatilla County's FEMA declarations (CSV)15 rows: every declaration that named the county, for your own analysis