Whitman County, Washington
County storm and disaster record · FIPS 53075 · population 47,922 · 2,159 sq mi
NOAA's Storm Events Database holds 343 records for Whitman County, Washington from 1950 through June 30, 2026, on 248 days; the most frequent are winter storm records (136 records). 217 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 February 21, 2014 winter weather, filed for the forecast zone Washington Palouse, which covers the county: 2 deaths, 2 injuries and $25,000 in damage in 2025 dollars. FEMA has issued 18 declarations naming the county since 1964, 16 of them for natural hazards; the latest for a natural hazard was “Wildfires” on February 15, 2024.
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
- 343on 248 days, 1950 to June 30, 2026
- Deaths recorded
- 524 injuries
- Damage, 2025 dollars
- $23Mas filed (scale steps before 1993)
- Tornadoes
- 3strongest F2
- FEMA declarations
- 18latest 2024
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 Whitman County most?
The most frequent records are winter storm records: 136 since 1996. 53% of its winter storm records since 1996 fell in January and February. 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 | 136 | 97 | 1996-2026 | 3 | 14 | $176K | 31 of 39 |
| High wind and dust storms | 55 | 53 | 1997-2025 | 2 | 1 | $9.7M | 33 of 39 |
| Floods | 48 | 31 | 1998-2026 | 0 | 0 | $4.7M | 13 of 39 |
| Severe thunderstorm wind | 35 | 20 | 1993-2024 | 0 | 5 | $1.6M | 11 of 39 |
| Hail | 22 | 16 | 1997-2022 | 0 | 3 | $55K | 10 of 39 |
| Wildfires | 19 | 17 | 1998-2025 | 0 | 1 | $6.4M | 20 of 39 |
| Fog, smoke and funnel clouds | 11 | 8 | 1997-2022 | 0 | 0 | – | 13 of 39 |
| Heavy rain | 4 | 3 | 1997-2026 | 0 | 0 | $3K | 30 of 39 |
| Extreme cold | 3 | 3 | 2004-2010 | 0 | 0 | – | 27 of 39 |
| Landslides and avalanches | 3 | 3 | 2015-2022 | 0 | 0 | – | 28 of 39 |
| Tornadoes | 3 | 3 | 1971-2011 | 0 | 0 | $182K | 21 of 39 |
| Heat | 2 | 2 | 2021-2024 | 0 | 0 | $2K | 29 of 39 |
| Lightning | 2 | 2 | 2007-2010 | 0 | 0 | $4K | 20 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 Whitman County had?
NOAA records 3 tornadoes in Whitman County from 1971 to 2011, the strongest rated F2, with 0 deaths and 0 injuries recorded in the county. 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 3 tornadoes whose track touched Whitman County since 1950 (NOAA's county records number 3, the same count); along their whole tracks they killed 0 people.
Map of the strongest tornado tracks in Washington.
Every tornado record filed for Whitman County (3)
| Date | Place | Character | Killed | Injured | Damage |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2011-10-05 | St John, Whitman County | EF0 0.02 mi x 20 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 1986-09-14 | Whitman County | F0 0.2 mi x 30 yd | 0 | 0 | $30 step |
| 1971-08-30 | Whitman County | F2 0.5 mi x 17 yd | 0 | 0 | $25K 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 Whitman County?
The most recent record with damage, injuries or deaths is the April 12, 2026 heavy rain ($1,000 in damage in 2025 dollars).
| Date | Record | Character | Killed | Injured | Damage |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026-04-12 | Heavy RainWhitman Co Meml Airport, Whitman County | 0 | 0 | $1K | |
| 2026-04-12 | Heavy RainKitsmiller, Whitman County | 0 | 0 | $1K | |
| 2026-04-12 | Flash FloodManning, Whitman County | 0 | 0 | $10K | |
| 2026-03-14 | FloodArmstrong, Whitman County | 0 | 0 | $5K | |
| 2026-03-14 | FloodPullman, Whitman County | 0 | 0 | $30K | |
| 2026-02-17 | Heavy SnowSpokane County and Whitman County · forecast zone Washington Palouse | 0 | 0 | – | |
| 2025-12-17 | High WindSpokane County and Whitman County · forecast zone Washington Palouse | 70 kt wind | 0 | 0 | $50K |
| 2025-11-07 | High WindSpokane County and Whitman County · forecast zone Washington Palouse | 50 kt wind | 0 | 0 | $1K |
| 2025-07-02 | WildfireSpokane County and Whitman County · forecast zone Washington Palouse | 0 | 0 | $1.4M | |
| 2025-02-24 | FloodPalouse, Whitman County | 0 | 0 | $5K | |
| 2025-02-24 | FloodBlackwell, Whitman County | 0 | 0 | – | |
| 2025-02-24 | FloodArmstrong, Whitman County | 0 | 0 | $1K |
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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2014-02-21 | Winter WeatherSpokane County and Whitman County · forecast zone Washington Palouse Two passengers were killed and two others were injured when a car lost control on icy roads and ran head on into a semi-truck. One passenger was ejected from the car. | 2 | 2 | $25K | |
| 2013-12-02 | Winter WeatherSpokane County and Whitman County · forecast zone Washington Palouse Slushy snow accumulations and excessive speed were responsible for a two car accident along Highway 270, seven miles east of Pullman. One driver was killed and the other was injured with the driver in the westbound lane loss control and crossed into the eastbound lane. The time of the accident was 1605 PST. | 1 | 1 | $51K | |
| 2012-04-01 | Strong WindSpokane County and Whitman County · forecast zone Washington Palouse Three kayakers capsized on Rock Lake when strong southwest winds created high waves. This particular lake is oriented southwest to northeast with steep rock walls. Consequently, if a boater capsizes on Rock Lake, it can be difficult to get out of the water due to the very steep shoreline. Each of the three capsized ... | 39 kt wind | 1 | 0 | – |
| 2010-05-03 | High WindSpokane County and Whitman County · forecast zone Washington Palouse A tight pressure gradient and a strong jet stream moved over the area behind a cold front resulting in a windstorm over Central and Eastern Washington. This resulted in extensive damage, as well as a dust storm from the Moses Lake area eastward into the Upper Columbia Basin. Numerous downed trees and power outages ... | 52 kt wind | 1 | 0 | – |
| 2013-12-12 | Winter WeatherSpokane County and Whitman County · forecast zone Washington Palouse Light slush and excessive speed along Highway 195 led to a three vehicle accident twenty miles north of Colfax. Five people were injured but there were no fatalities. | 0 | 5 | $25K | |
| 2005-08-12 | Thunderstorm WindGlenwood, Whitman County A Canadian cold front moved across northeast Washington during the early afternoon hours of the 12th of August. There were a few embedded thunderstorms with the front that brought severe weather to Spokane, Whitman and Lincoln counties.In Spokane County, a severe thunderstorm dropped 3/4 inch diameter hail across ... | 65 kt wind | 0 | 5 | $82K |
| 2007-03-21 | HailSteptoe, Whitman County A sudden hailstorm on Highway 195 at Hume Road intersection near Steptoe contributed to a collision after a vehicle hit a patch of slush and collided with a semi-truck. Three indirect injuries resulted from the collision. | 0.25 in hail | 0 | 3 | – |
| 2009-11-13 | Winter WeatherSpokane County and Whitman County · forecast zone Washington Palouse Light snow accumulations in combination with a busy traffic period contributed to seven traffic accidents between Colfax and Uniontown on Highway 195. A trained spotter in Pullman measured 1.3 inches of snow. | 0 | 2 | – |
| Date | Record | Character | Killed | Injured | Damage |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2004-08-02 | High WindSpokane County and Whitman County · forecast zone Whitman & Extreme Se Spokane | 72 kt wind | 0 | 0 | $7.8M |
| 2025-07-02 | WildfireSpokane County and Whitman County · forecast zone Washington Palouse | 0 | 0 | $1.4M | |
| 1999-02-02 | High WindSpokane County and Whitman County · forecast zone Whitman & Extreme Se Spokane | 0 | 0 | $1.3M | |
| 2019-04-09 | Flash FloodPullman, Whitman County | 0 | 0 | $1.3M | |
| 1998-07-27 | WildfireLa Crosse, Whitman County | 0 | 0 | $1.0M | |
| 2022-08-18 | WildfireSpokane County and Whitman County · forecast zone Washington Palouse | 0 | 0 | $993K | |
| 1998-07-10 | Thunderstorm WindColfax, Whitman County | 0 | 0 | $978K | |
| 2020-09-07 | WildfireSpokane County and Whitman County · forecast zone Washington Palouse | 0 | 0 | $969K |
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 $25K, in the dollars of the day) holds: August 30, 1971 (tornado, Whitman 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 Whitman 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 | – | – | – | – | 5 | 41 | 70 | 20 |
| High wind and dust storms | – | – | – | – | 3 | 14 | 19 | 19 |
| Floods | – | – | – | – | 3 | 13 | 13 | 19 |
| Severe thunderstorm wind | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 6 | 10 | 8 | 11 |
| Hail | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 10 | 5 | 5 |
| Wildfires | – | – | – | – | 2 | 4 | 3 | 10 |
Source: NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database, records per calendar decade; zone records from the CZ_TYPE field (Z).
What time of year?
53% of its winter storm records since 1996 fell in January and February. The two busiest months are in violet.
The values, month by month
Jan 49 · Feb 62 · Mar 19 · Apr 21 · May 25 · Jun 22 · Jul 20 · Aug 24 · Sep 20 · Oct 5 · Nov 25 · Dec 51 (records).
Source: NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database, records by the month they began.
Federal disaster declarations for Whitman County
FEMA's register lists 18 declarations that include Whitman County: 14 major disasters, 3 emergencies and one fire management assistance declaration. Most were for flood (6) and fire (4).
| Declared | Number | Type | Title |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2024-02-15 | DR-4759 | Fire | Wildfires |
| 2021-02-04 | DR-4584 | Fire | Wildfires and Straight-Line Winds |
| 2020-09-08 | FM-5355 | Fire | Babb Fire |
| 2020-03-22 | DR-4481 | Biological | Covid-19 Pandemic |
| 2020-03-13 | EM-3427 | Biological | Covid-19 |
| 2016-01-15 | DR-4249 | Severe Storm | Severe Storms, Straight-Line Winds, Flooding, Landslides, and Mudslides |
| 2009-03-02 | DR-1825 | Severe Storm | Severe Winter Storm and Record and Near Record Snow |
| 2005-09-07 | EM-3227 | Coastal Storm | Hurricane Katrina Evacuation |
| 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 |
| 1991-11-13 | DR-922 | Fire | Fires |
| 1989-04-14 | DR-822 | Flood | Heavy Rains, Flooding & Mudslides |
| 1980-05-21 | DR-623 | Volcanic Eruption | Volcanic Eruption, Mt. St. Helens |
| 1977-12-10 | DR-545 | Flood | Severe Storms,Mudslides, & Flooding |
| 1977-03-31 | EM-3037 | Drought | Drought |
| 1974-01-25 | DR-414 | Flood | Severe Storms, Snowmelt & Flooding |
| 1972-02-01 | DR-322 | Flood | Severe Storms & Flooding |
| 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 Whitman County had?
NOAA's Storm Events Database holds 48 flood or flash flood records for Whitman County from 1998 to 2026, on 31 days, with 0 deaths. By flood insurance claims since 1978 (OpenFEMA, as of September 8, 2026), Whitman County ranks 1596th of 2,942 U.S. counties.
The National Flood Insurance Program has paid $661,000 on 58 claims filed in Whitman County; the most in one year was 23 in 1996. Claims count insured losses only: uninsured flood damage is not in this file.
The values, year by year
1979: 10 · 1980: 2 · 1981: 1 · 1982: 1 · 1996: 23 · 1997: 8 · 1998: 5 · 2011: 2 · 2017: 1 · 2019: 2 · 2025: 3; 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 Whitman County
FEMA's National Risk Index rates Whitman County Very Low overall, with an expected annual loss of $14.4 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Landslide | Relatively Moderate | $83K | 2 a year (modeled) |
| Cold Wave | Relatively Moderate | $2.3M | about once a year (modeled) |
| Wildfire | Relatively Low | $179K | once in about 469 years (modeled) |
| Heat Wave | Relatively Low | $695K | 4.2 modeled event-days a year |
| Riverine Flooding | Relatively Low | $10M | about once a year (modeled) |
| Hail | Relatively Low | $204K | once in about 3 years (modeled) |
| Ice Storm | Relatively Low | $60K | once in about 5 years (modeled) |
| Winter Weather | Relatively Low | $30K | 17 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 Whitman 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 Whitman CountyThe hazard risk calculator: 18 hazards beside the county's record
- Download Whitman County's FEMA declarations (CSV)18 rows: every declaration that named the county, for your own analysis