Cowlitz County, Washington: hazard risk
FEMA rates Cowlitz County's overall risk Relatively Moderate (score 90.3 of 100, higher than 90% of rated U.S. counties); 1 of its 16 hazards are rated Relatively High or Very High, led by volcanic activity. Its storm record holds 488 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Volcanic Activity | Relatively High | 99.7 | $7.6M |
| Earthquake | Relatively Moderate | 97.5 | $39M |
| Heat Wave | Relatively Moderate | 91.4 | $3.5M |
| Riverine Flooding | Relatively Moderate | 88.3 | $34M |
| Cold Wave | Relatively Moderate | 78.6 | $3.4M |
| Landslide | Relatively Low | 83.7 | $26K |
| Coastal Flooding | Relatively Low | 51.0 | $152K |
| Winter Weather | Relatively Low | 49.6 | $65K |
| Strong Wind | Relatively Low | 38.2 | $400K |
| Ice Storm | Relatively Low | 31.1 | $35K |
| Wildfire | Very Low | 61.3 | $94K |
| Avalanche | Very Low | 23.5 | $56 |
| Lightning | Very Low | 22.8 | $80K |
| Tornado | Very Low | 20.5 | $252K |
| Hail | Very Low | 12.8 | $43K |
| Drought | No Rating | 0.0 | $0 |
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 | 255 | 0 | $2.0M | 6th of 39 | 1060th of 3,077 |
| High wind and dust storms | 126 | 2 | $1.1B | 8th of 39 | 415th of 3,080 |
| Floods | 38 | 0 | $291M | 5th of 39 | 2229th of 3,080 |
| Heavy rain | 16 | 0 | $2.6M | 6th of 39 | 843rd of 3,080 |
| Heat | 12 | 2 | – | 17th of 39 | 1787th of 3,076 |
| Extreme cold | 9 | 1 | $22K | 10th of 39 | 2249th of 3,076 |
| Wildfires | 8 | 0 | – | 22nd of 39 | 555th of 2,972 |
| Landslides and avalanches | 7 | 1 | $97K | 16th of 39 | 169th of 2,278 |
| Tornadoes | 5 | 0 | $530K | 6th of 39 | 2659th of 3,080 |
| Severe thunderstorm wind | 4 | 0 | – | 23rd of 39 | 2973rd of 3,080 |
| Hail | 3 | 1 | $7K | 22nd of 39 | 2976th of 3,080 |
| Drought | 2 | 0 | – | 8th of 39 | 2411th of 3,063 |
| Rip currents and high surf | 1 | 0 | – | 5th of 39 | 233rd of 2,080 |
| Lightning | 1 | 0 | – | 22nd of 39 | 2282nd 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 Cowlitz County record: every hazard by year and month, the deadliest events and FEMA's declarations.