Columbia County, Washington: hazard risk
FEMA rates Columbia County's overall risk Very Low (score 8.6 of 100, higher than 8% of rated U.S. counties). Its storm record holds 285 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Wildfire | Relatively Low | 73.3 | $204K |
| Avalanche | Relatively Low | 69.2 | $4K |
| Landslide | Relatively Low | 67.3 | $4K |
| Ice Storm | Relatively Low | 43.3 | $56K |
| Earthquake | Very Low | 34.0 | $94K |
| Riverine Flooding | Very Low | 30.7 | $3.2M |
| Heat Wave | Very Low | 25.6 | $92K |
| Cold Wave | Very Low | 15.0 | $138K |
| Drought | Very Low | 14.9 | $479 |
| Winter Weather | Very Low | 8.4 | $6K |
| Hail | Very Low | 8.1 | $21K |
| Strong Wind | Very Low | 4.8 | $31K |
| Tornado | Very Low | 3.2 | $7K |
| Lightning | Very Low | 1.7 | $5K |
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 | 157 | 0 | $77K | 5th of 39 | 875th of 3,077 |
| High wind and dust storms | 56 | 0 | $7.8M | 18th of 39 | 758th of 3,080 |
| Extreme cold | 21 | 0 | – | 1st of 39 | 1197th of 3,076 |
| Heat | 13 | 1 | – | 8th of 39 | 1280th of 3,076 |
| Hail | 10 | 0 | – | 6th of 39 | 2822nd of 3,080 |
| Wildfires | 9 | 0 | – | 18th of 39 | 270th of 2,972 |
| Severe thunderstorm wind | 8 | 0 | $64K | 14th of 39 | 2881st of 3,080 |
| Floods | 6 | 0 | – | 31st of 39 | 2836th of 3,080 |
| Tornadoes | 2 | 0 | $194K | 13th of 39 | 2789th of 3,080 |
| Drought | 1 | 0 | – | 11th of 39 | 2430th of 3,063 |
| Heavy rain | 1 | 0 | – | 33rd of 39 | 2177th of 3,080 |
| Lightning | 1 | 0 | – | 19th of 39 | 2182nd of 3,080 |
Source: NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database, 1950 to 2026-06-30; damage in 2025 dollars. Search the record at NCEI.
The full Columbia County record: every hazard by year and month, the deadliest events and FEMA's declarations.