King County, Washington: hazard risk
FEMA rates King County's overall risk Very High (score 99.7 of 100, higher than 99% of rated U.S. counties); 8 of its 17 hazards are rated Relatively High or Very High, led by earthquake, riverine flooding, avalanche. Its storm record holds 574 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Earthquake | Very High | 99.9 | $1.2B |
| Riverine Flooding | Very High | 99.5 | $417M |
| Avalanche | Very High | 99.3 | $11M |
| Landslide | Relatively High | 99.0 | $1.7M |
| Heat Wave | Relatively High | 98.2 | $19M |
| Volcanic Activity | Relatively High | 97.4 | $1.9M |
| Winter Weather | Relatively High | 94.7 | $815K |
| Ice Storm | Relatively High | 91.1 | $1.3M |
| Lightning | Relatively Moderate | 74.7 | $750K |
| Tornado | Relatively Moderate | 73.2 | $3.5M |
| Coastal Flooding | Relatively Moderate | 71.0 | $1.5M |
| Wildfire | Relatively Low | 79.5 | $487K |
| Tsunami | Relatively Low | 67.7 | $6.3M |
| Cold Wave | Relatively Low | 26.5 | $449K |
| Drought | Very Low | 13.7 | $240 |
| Strong Wind | Very Low | 4.5 | $39K |
| Hail | Very Low | 3.1 | $8K |
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 | 238 | 9 | $14M | 19th of 39 | 1673rd of 3,077 |
| High wind and dust storms | 135 | 25 | $110M | 24th of 39 | 977th of 3,080 |
| Landslides and avalanches | 44 | 27 | $22M | 4th of 39 | 48th of 2,278 |
| Heat | 40 | 4 | – | 5th of 39 | 1199th of 3,076 |
| Floods | 32 | 2 | $79M | 18th of 39 | 2653rd of 3,080 |
| Heavy rain | 23 | 1 | $131M | 7th of 39 | 845th of 3,080 |
| Lightning | 22 | 0 | $1.7M | 1st of 39 | 696th of 3,080 |
| Severe thunderstorm wind | 7 | 0 | $108K | 24th of 39 | 2977th of 3,080 |
| Drought | 6 | 0 | $18M | 17th of 39 | 2446th of 3,063 |
| Extreme cold | 5 | 5 | – | 22nd of 39 | 2663rd of 3,076 |
| Tornadoes | 5 | 0 | $4.6M | 12th of 39 | 2782nd of 3,080 |
| Hail | 4 | 0 | – | 25th of 39 | 2995th of 3,080 |
| Wildfires | 1 | 0 | $5.4M | 35th of 39 | 1240th of 2,972 |
Source: NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database, 1950 to 2026-06-30; damage in 2025 dollars. Search the record at NCEI.
The full King County record: every hazard by year and month, the deadliest events and FEMA's declarations.