Deschutes County, Oregon: hazard risk
FEMA rates Deschutes County's overall risk Relatively Moderate (score 84.9 of 100, higher than 84% of rated U.S. counties); 4 of its 15 hazards are rated Relatively High or Very High, led by wildfire, avalanche, lightning. Its storm record holds 578 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 High | 97.8 | $13M |
| Avalanche | Relatively High | 88.9 | $1.9M |
| Lightning | Relatively High | 87.2 | $1.2M |
| Winter Weather | Relatively High | 86.6 | $371K |
| Volcanic Activity | Relatively Moderate | 96.1 | $554K |
| Riverine Flooding | Relatively Moderate | 88.9 | $42M |
| Hail | Relatively Moderate | 79.8 | $1.0M |
| Cold Wave | Relatively Moderate | 66.3 | $2.2M |
| Earthquake | Relatively Low | 83.0 | $2.7M |
| Landslide | Relatively Low | 81.6 | $23K |
| Ice Storm | Relatively Low | 54.8 | $126K |
| Heat Wave | Relatively Low | 54.1 | $539K |
| Strong Wind | Relatively Low | 43.2 | $539K |
| Drought | Very Low | 15.3 | $820 |
| Tornado | Very Low | 8.7 | $62K |
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 | 175 | 1 | $1.8M | 23rd of 36 | 2320th of 3,077 |
| Hail | 161 | 0 | $14M | 1st of 36 | 2691st of 3,080 |
| High wind and dust storms | 63 | 3 | $709K | 29th of 36 | 1988th of 3,080 |
| Wildfires | 59 | 1 | $346K | 12th of 36 | 169th of 2,972 |
| Severe thunderstorm wind | 29 | 0 | $371K | 8th of 36 | 2877th of 3,080 |
| Lightning | 21 | 0 | $3.2M | 3rd of 36 | 1093rd of 3,080 |
| Extreme cold | 19 | 0 | – | 28th of 36 | 2446th of 3,076 |
| Floods | 15 | 0 | $1.6M | 23rd of 36 | 2915th of 3,080 |
| Heat | 13 | 2 | – | 28th of 36 | 2087th of 3,076 |
| Heavy rain | 11 | 0 | – | 15th of 36 | 1527th of 3,080 |
| Tornadoes | 6 | 0 | $67K | 15th of 36 | 2820th of 3,080 |
| Landslides and avalanches | 3 | 2 | – | 19th of 36 | 342nd of 2,278 |
Source: NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database, 1950 to 2026-06-30; damage in 2025 dollars. Search the record at NCEI.
The full Deschutes County record: every hazard by year and month, the deadliest events and FEMA's declarations.