Chelan County, Washington: hazard risk
FEMA rates Chelan County's overall risk Relatively Moderate (score 90.9 of 100, higher than 90% of rated U.S. counties); 3 of its 15 hazards are rated Relatively High or Very High, led by avalanche, wildfire, lightning. Its storm record holds 959 events since 1950.
FEMA's rating for each hazard
These are FEMA's county-wide model ratings and this county's storm record. They are not an assessment of any property, address or building, and not insurance advice: a property's risk depends on its own elevation, construction and location.
FEMA gives each hazard its own rating, and a rating does not follow the score from one hazard to the next: a hazard with a higher score can carry a lower rating than another. The table sorts by FEMA's rating, then by score (0 to 100, the county against every other county for that hazard).
| Hazard | Risk rating | Score | Expected annual loss |
|---|---|---|---|
| Avalanche | Very High | 95.2 | $3.5M |
| Wildfire | Relatively High | 99.6 | $35M |
| Lightning | Relatively High | 84.3 | $841K |
| Landslide | Relatively Moderate | 95.5 | $142K |
| Riverine Flooding | Relatively Moderate | 91.3 | $41M |
| Winter Weather | Relatively Moderate | 76.1 | $164K |
| Cold Wave | Relatively Moderate | 66.1 | $1.7M |
| Volcanic Activity | Relatively Low | 90.6 | $15K |
| Earthquake | Relatively Low | 88.8 | $4.1M |
| Heat Wave | Relatively Low | 77.2 | $1.2M |
| Hail | Relatively Low | 67.2 | $466K |
| Ice Storm | Very Low | 21.7 | $17K |
| Drought | Very Low | 17.5 | $2K |
| Strong Wind | Very Low | 10.8 | $74K |
| Tornado | Very Low | 9.3 | $52K |
Source: FEMA National Risk Index, December 2025 release. A model of future loss, not a count of past events. FEMA's National Risk Index map.
What the record holds
| Hazard | Records | Deaths | Damage | Rank in state | Rank in U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Winter storms | 558 | 8 | $7.4M | 22nd of 39 | 1896th of 3,077 |
| Wildfires | 123 | 1 | $1.3B | 3rd of 39 | 66th of 2,972 |
| Floods | 81 | 0 | $8.5M | 10th of 39 | 2456th of 3,080 |
| High wind and dust storms | 74 | 1 | $16M | 34th of 39 | 1862nd of 3,080 |
| Landslides and avalanches | 58 | 7 | $5.2M | 5th of 39 | 54th of 2,278 |
| Hail | 22 | 0 | $131M | 17th of 39 | 2936th of 3,080 |
| Severe thunderstorm wind | 13 | 0 | $160K | 20th of 39 | 2950th of 3,080 |
| Heavy rain | 8 | 0 | $18M | 19th of 39 | 1710th of 3,080 |
| Lightning | 5 | 1 | $10K | 11th of 39 | 2009th of 3,080 |
| Rip currents and high surf | 3 | 0 | – | 7th of 39 | 242nd of 2,080 |
| Extreme cold | 3 | 0 | $144M | 32nd of 39 | 2821st of 3,076 |
| Heat | 3 | 0 | – | 31st of 39 | 2417th of 3,076 |
Source: NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database, 1950 to 2026-06-30; damage in 2025 dollars. Search the record at NCEI.
The full Chelan County record: every hazard by year and month, the deadliest events and FEMA's declarations.