FEMA Records
13
Low volume
Washington · FEMA + NOAA + National Risk Index
Walla Walla County, WA
13 FEMA disaster declarations (1965-2020), with a FEMA National Risk Index rating of Relatively Low. Most common hazard: Flood.
- 13
- FEMA declarations
- 9
- Major disasters
- 60
- NRI risk · Relatively Low
- Flood
- Top hazard
The verdict
Walla Walla County has a nationally busy FEMA history: 13 declarations, more than 17% of counties in this registry. But the state comparison tempers that reading: the total is 48% below the Washington county mean. FEMA's separate National Risk Index places the county in the riskiest 40%; that score models loss and vulnerability rather than counting declarations.
- Riskiest 40%
- of U.S. counties for FEMA National Risk Index score
- Relatively Low
- FEMA National Risk Index rating
- 13
- FEMA declarations vs 21 national county avg
- 100
- NFIP flood insurance claims filed
FEMA's National Risk Index and its declaration registry are separate measures. This county's registry includes Fire Management Assistance (FM) records, which are not presidential disaster declarations, alongside Major Disaster (DR) and Emergency (EM) records.
FEMA OpenFEMA declaration desk
County FIPS 53071 · Walla Walla County 13 declarations · rank 2704/3,266
DECL-MID · MAJOR-MID · RANK-LOWER · PHOTO-FINISH · NRI-LOW · ACT-HIGH · TYPE-LEAD · VS-ST-BELOW
- DECL-MID 13
- MAJOR-MID 69%
- RANK-LOWER #2,704
- PHOTO-FINISH Clarke
- NRI-LOW 60
- ACT-HIGH High
- TYPE-LEAD Flood
- VS-ST-BELOW -48%
Nearest declaration peer: Clarke, GA (0 declaration gap)
FEMA Disaster Declarations Summaries v2 filing stamps for this county register. Read with this county → · Washington state profile
Walla Walla County among counties with fewer federal records
FEMA declaration records among Walla Walla County and nearest peers by total count
- Los Angeles · largest
Los Angeles · largest
88 declarations
- Bristol (city) · near 13
Bristol (city) · near
13 declarations
- Clarke · near 13
Clarke · near
13 declarations
- Douglas · near 13
Douglas · near
13 declarations
- Walla Walla · this county 13
Walla Walla · this county
13 declarations
- Ujelang · smallest 1
Ujelang · smallest
1 declarations
What this shows Walla Walla County carries 13 FEMA declaration records, ranked 2704 of 3,266 counties in this registry.
Walla Walla County versus quieter counties in this dataset
Walla Walla County among lower-declaration counties nationally
FEMA disaster declarations, all-time · Walla Walla County
13 17th percentile higher than 17% of 3,266 counties
Each bar is a band; taller bars hold more counties. The dashed line + filled bar mark this entry. Hover or tap any bar for its full count, share, and where it sits relative to this entry.
Source FEMA Disaster Declarations Summaries v2 · 2026-08-25
Walla Walla County's FEMA Risk Index score
Which hazard drives modeled loss here?
FEMA's modeled annual dollar loss for Walla Walla County is led by Riverine Flooding (about $10.1M Expected Annual Loss, Historical Loss Ratio Relatively Moderate), while Earthquake carries the highest National Risk Index rating (Relatively Moderate). EAL and risk score use different inputs; they need not agree.
Source: FEMA National Risk Index (December 2025 release) - Expected Annual Loss vs composite risk rating by hazard.
What does Walla Walla County's hazard record show?
Reading the federal records together
The NFIP claims register shows a middle-volume loss record here: 100 paid claims, totaling $1.9M. PlainHazard uses 50-499 claims for this descriptive band; FEMA does not publish it as a safety or coverage category. The $18.5K average describes payments on recorded claims only, leaving uninsured damage and properties without a claim outside the measure.
Start with the state benchmark: a Washington county averages 24.9 federal declaration records, while Walla Walla County has 13. The gap is 48% below that mean. Fewer entries indicate a quieter history of recorded federal actions, not immunity from a hazard and not a prediction about what happens next.
FEMA National Risk Index
This county carries a high composite score on FEMA's National Risk Index, 60.4/100, rated Relatively Low. Its Expected Annual Loss rating is Relatively Low (roughly $20.3M in annualized losses), and a Relatively Moderate social-vulnerability profile combined with Relatively Moderate community resilience shapes how much of that raw exposure becomes realized harm. Among the 18 modeled hazards, Earthquake carries the county's highest rating, a mid-range Relatively Moderate. FEMA's modeled frequency puts that hazard at roughly once every 203 years here.
51 /100
Historical Activity Index
High historical activity
Walla Walla County, WA · PlainHazard-derived composite from federal records
This 0–100 index is an explicit PlainHazard composite from FEMA declaration history only on the county surface (this DB has no county-level NOAA damage row) . It is not FEMA's National Risk Index, not a forecast, and not a safety, insurance, or preparedness rating. Open the calculator · Methodology
FEMA Declarations (1953–present) Moderate
9/30
13 OpenFEMA declarations, full ingest window (0.6x national county average)
County Disaster Density Moderate
7/25
13 declarations (0.5x state county average of 25)
Major Disaster Share High
17/25
9 of 13 declarations are major disasters (69%)
Hazard Diversity Very High
18/20
7 different disaster types declared in Walla Walla County
FEMA NRI 8-hazard radar - Walla Walla County
How to read this radar
Each axis: NRI risk rating (Very Low-Very High) on a 0-100 scale. Rounder = broad exposure; spiky = one or two hazards dominate.
Major Disaster share
69%
Major-heavy
NRI risk score
60
Relatively Low
Source: FEMA National Risk Index Per-county per-hazard ratings, December 2025 release
How often does each hazard strike Walla Walla County?
FEMA's National Risk Index models a historical event count and an annualized frequency for each hazard type. Most hazards are expressed as modeled occurrences per year; FEMA expresses drought and heat-wave frequency as event-days per year. These modeled frequencies are not forecasts.
| Hazard | NRI Risk Rating | Recurrence |
|---|---|---|
| Earthquake | Relatively Moderate | roughly once every 203 years |
| Ice Storm | Relatively High | roughly once every 2 years |
| Wildfire | Relatively Low | roughly once every 226 years |
| Heat Wave | Relatively Moderate | 7.2 modeled event-days per year |
| Winter Weather | Relatively Moderate | an average of 9.2 times per year |
| Landslide | Relatively Low | an average of 1 time per year |
| Riverine Flooding | Relatively Low | roughly once every 2 years |
| Cold Wave | Relatively Low | roughly once every 3 years |
| Hail | Relatively Low | roughly once every 3 years |
| Avalanche | Very Low | roughly once every 100 years |
| Strong Wind | Relatively Low | roughly once every 3 years |
| Lightning | Relatively Low | an average of 10 times per year |
| Drought | Very Low | 23 modeled event-days per year |
| Tornado | Very Low | roughly once every 23 years |
Source: FEMA National Risk Index Modeled annualized frequency; drought and heat wave use event-days/year, December 2025 release
Disaster Types
Flood 4
Biological 2
Fire 2
Severe Storm 2
Coastal Storm 1
Earthquake 1
Volcanic Eruption 1
What Flood declarations mean here
Flood is the most frequent declaration type on Walla Walla County's record, 31% of its declarations. Federal flood declarations cover two mechanisms that behave very differently: riverine flooding, which builds over days as a watershed drains and is usually forecast well in advance, and flash flooding, which can arrive in under an hour from rainfall that fell somewhere upstream.
Flood is also the one hazard class where a second federal dataset exists for the same events. The National Flood Insurance Program records what was actually paid on insured losses, so it measures a narrower thing than the declaration count: uninsured damage, and flooding outside mapped special flood hazard areas, never enters it. Reading the two together is more informative than either alone.
Declaration counts describe past federal action. They are a record of what was declared, not a forecast of future hazard probability.
Declaration Types
What DR / EM / FM mean
FEMA categorizes declarations as Major Disasters (DR), Emergencies (EM), or Fire Management Assistance (FM).
Major Disaster - 9 69.2%
of all 13 declarations
Emergency - 2 15.4%
of all 13 declarations
Fire Management - 2 15.4%
of all 13 declarations
FEMA Declarations Timeline
| Year | Declarations | |
|---|---|---|
| 2020 | 3 | |
| 2017 | 1 | |
| 2015 | 1 | |
| 2009 | 1 | |
| 2006 | 1 | |
| 2005 | 1 | |
| 2001 | 1 | |
| 1997 | 1 | |
| 1996 | 1 | |
| 1980 | 1 | |
| 1965 | 1 | |
Disaster Declarations
How the 13 FEMA declarations break into federal action codes (DR / EM / FM). Same DISTINCT grain as the table below.
Download these 13 declarations as CSV . FEMA source data is public domain; our derived presentation is CC0.
| DR# | Title | Type | Incident | Date |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 4539 | SEVERE STORMS, FLOODING, LANDSLIDES, AND MUDSLIDES | DR | Flood | 2020-04-23 |
| 4481 | COVID-19 PANDEMIC | DR | Biological | 2020-03-22 |
| 3427 | COVID-19 | EM | Biological | 2020-03-13 |
| 4309 | SEVERE WINTER STORMS, FLOODING, LANDSLIDES, MUDSLIDES | DR | Flood | 2017-04-21 |
| 5090 | BLUE CREEK FIRE | FM | Fire | 2015-07-21 |
| 1825 | SEVERE WINTER STORM AND RECORD AND NEAR RECORD SNOW | DR | Severe Storm | 2009-03-02 |
| 2668 | COLUMBIA FIRE COMPLEX | FM | Fire | 2006-08-22 |
| 3227 | HURRICANE KATRINA EVACUATION | EM | Coastal Storm | 2005-09-07 |
| 1361 | EARTHQUAKE | DR | Earthquake | 2001-03-01 |
| 1159 | SEVERE WINTER STORMS, LAND & MUDS SLIDES,FLOODING | DR | Severe Storm | 1997-01-17 |
| 1100 | HIGH WINDS, SEVERE STORMS AND FLOODING | DR | Flood | 1996-02-09 |
| 623 | VOLCANIC ERUPTION, MT. ST. HELENS | DR | Volcanic Eruption | 1980-05-21 |
| 185 | HEAVY RAINS & FLOODING | DR | Flood | 1964-12-29 |
Storm Events in Washington
Statewide NOAA context only. PlainHazard does not currently attribute these state totals to Walla Walla County.
| Storm Type | Events | Fatalities | Injuries | Property Damage |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Heavy Snow | 1,700 | 5 | 7 | $2.3M |
| High Wind | 614 | 15 | 6 | $1.1B |
| Wildfire | 299 | 4 | 4 | $1.8B |
| Winter Weather | 259 | 9 | 62 | $1.1M |
| Flood | 231 | 4 | 0 | $391.2M |
Source: NOAA Storm Events Database State-level aggregated data, 2015-2025
NFIP Flood Insurance Claims
Total Claims
100
Total Paid
$1.9M
Avg Per Claim
$18.5K
Source: FEMA National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP) OpenFEMA Claims Data
FEMA National Risk Index
Overall Risk
Relatively Low
Score: 60.4/100
Expected Annual Loss
Relatively Low
$20.3M/year
Social Vulnerability
Relatively Moderate
Community Resilience
Relatively Moderate
Hazard Risk Breakdown
Earthquake Relatively Moderate
Ice Storm Relatively High
Wildfire Relatively Low
Heat Wave Relatively Moderate
Winter Weather Relatively Moderate
Landslide Relatively Low
Riverine Flooding Relatively Low
Cold Wave Relatively Low
Hail Relatively Low
Avalanche Very Low
Strong Wind Relatively Low
Lightning Relatively Low
Drought Very Low
Tornado Very Low
Source: FEMA National Risk Index (NRI) Ratings reflect relative scores among all US counties. Data: hazards.fema.gov/nri
The model's sharpest exposure here: Earthquake
Earthquake is the model's clearest example of a hazard with no season and no warning. Its expected loss is driven less by how often shaking occurs than by how much of the building stock predates modern seismic codes, so exposure can be high in places where nothing has happened for a long time.
Worth noting for Walla Walla County: the model and the federal record do NOT point at the same hazard. Earthquake carries the highest modeled rating (Relatively Moderate), while the county's declaration history is led by Flood. That is not a contradiction, the two measure genuinely different things. Declarations record federal ACTION, which requires damage costly enough to exceed state and local capacity; the Risk Index models EXPECTED annual loss across all 18 hazards whether or not any declaration ever followed. A hazard can be the county's largest modeled exposure and never once have driven a declaration.
National Risk Index ratings are modeled estimates of expected annual loss, not predictions of what will happen in any given year.
Data-matched county comparisons
Walla Walla County's closest FEMA peer: Holmes County, OH
Comparisons use published FEMA declaration fields plus the National Risk Index composite for Walla Walla County. Record similarity, not a safety rating.
Similar modeled NRI score
Walla Walla County: NRI composite 60.4 (Relatively Low).
Similar Major-disaster share
Walla Walla County: 9 of 13 of its declarations are Major.
Closest declaration profiles
Walla Walla County shows 13 FEMA declarations, led by Flood.
How these peers are chosen
Cohort: Published U.S. county equivalents outside the source state or territory. Each metric keeps six ETL candidates; three unique destinations are shown after de-duplicating across axes. Declaration-volume ranking combines count and Major-disaster share and prefers a different leading incident type; Major-share ranks the Major fraction adjusted for volume; NRI ranks the modeled composite score only.
Retained FEMA snapshot feed for Walla Walla County - capture-dated entries only.
Compare beyond this state
Nationwide peers by NRI score & FEMA declaration volume
Two PlainHazard-derived comparison paths for Walla Walla County: nearest out-of-state National Risk Index composite and nearest FEMA declaration count (floor ≥5 records). Record similarity only, not a forecast of the next hazard.
Similar NRI composite
Nearest out-of-state counties by FEMA NRI score. This county: 60.4 (Relatively Low).
Similar declaration volume
Nearest out-of-state counties by FEMA declaration count. This county: 13. NRI peers are excluded so the two link sets stay distinct.
Further reading for this county
Understanding disaster data
Walla Walla County's NFIP claims file (100 claims) and FEMA declaration history measure different federal records - this guide separates them from modeled NRI risk.
More PlainHazard guides
- Most disaster-prone counties - U.S. counties ranked by FEMA declaration totals.
- Understanding disaster data - declarations vs storm events vs NRI scores.
- Preparing for natural disasters - household checklist (not county-specific advice).
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the most common disaster type in Walla Walla County?
The most common disaster type in Walla Walla County is Flood, with 4 declarations. Other disaster types include Biological (2), Fire (2), Severe Storm (2).
How does Walla Walla County's FEMA declaration record compare with the Washington average?
The typical Washington county has 24.9 FEMA declaration records; Walla Walla County has 13, or 48% fewer. Against the national county mean of 20.7, this county's total is 37% lower. The comparison is historical and says nothing about the probability of a future event.
How many major FEMA disaster declarations has Walla Walla County received?
Walla Walla County has received 9 major disaster declarations, representing 69% of all 13 disaster declarations.
How many flood insurance claims has Walla Walla County filed?
Walla Walla County has 100 National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP) claims totaling $1.9M in payments, with an average of $18.5K per claim.
Does FEMA's top risk-rated hazard match the highest Expected Annual Loss in Walla Walla County?
No. In Walla Walla County, Earthquake has the highest National Risk Index rating (Relatively Moderate), while Riverine Flooding leads Expected Annual Loss at about $10.1M. FEMA's risk score and dollar-loss model use different inputs, so the leaders often differ.
What was the worst year for disasters in Walla Walla County?
The most active year for disaster declarations in Walla Walla County was 2020, with 3 declarations. The county has FEMA disaster data spanning 1965 to 2020.
What is the FEMA National Risk Index score for Walla Walla County?
According to the FEMA National Risk Index, Walla Walla County, Washington has an overall risk score of 60.4 out of 100 (Relatively Low). On social vulnerability the county rates Relatively Moderate; on community resilience, Relatively Moderate. The Expected Annual Loss (EAL) score is Relatively Low, representing $20.3M in annualized losses.
Which natural hazard poses the greatest risk to Walla Walla County?
Based on FEMA NRI data, the highest-risk natural hazard in Walla Walla County as of the latest release is Earthquake (risk rating: Relatively Moderate). Other significant hazards include Ice Storm (Relatively High) and Wildfire (Relatively Low). FEMA's modeled event frequency puts earthquake here at roughly once every 203 years. 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.
Flood insurance data comes from the FEMA National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP) OpenFEMA claims dataset.
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.
FEMA OpenFEMA declarations + NRI for Walla Walla County · vintage 2026-08-25 · Methodology · Washington profile · Verify with FEMA OpenFEMA · Verify with NOAA Storm Events