Kittitas County, Washington: hazard risk
FEMA rates Kittitas County's overall risk Relatively Moderate (score 89.1 of 100, higher than 89% of rated U.S. counties); 3 of its 15 hazards are rated Relatively High or Very High, led by avalanche, wildfire, landslide. Its storm record holds 296 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 | 97.7 | $5.3M |
| Wildfire | Relatively High | 99.7 | $42M |
| Landslide | Relatively High | 98.2 | $657K |
| Earthquake | Relatively Moderate | 93.9 | $11M |
| Riverine Flooding | Relatively Moderate | 74.8 | $16M |
| Heat Wave | Relatively Low | 66.2 | $768K |
| Cold Wave | Relatively Low | 65.3 | $1.7M |
| Winter Weather | Relatively Low | 53.3 | $71K |
| Lightning | Relatively Low | 39.3 | $155K |
| Volcanic Activity | Very Low | 83.1 | $1K |
| Ice Storm | Very Low | 22.6 | $20K |
| Drought | Very Low | 16.5 | $1K |
| Hail | Very Low | 14.2 | $47K |
| Strong Wind | Very Low | 8.4 | $61K |
| Tornado | Very Low | 7.4 | $38K |
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 | 158 | 3 | $439K | 27th of 39 | 2163rd of 3,077 |
| Wildfires | 29 | 0 | $11M | 17th of 39 | 254th of 2,972 |
| High wind and dust storms | 28 | 1 | $267K | 36th of 39 | 2242nd of 3,080 |
| Floods | 21 | 0 | $22M | 29th of 39 | 2815th of 3,080 |
| Extreme cold | 20 | 0 | – | 4th of 39 | 1944th of 3,076 |
| Heat | 11 | 0 | – | 21st of 39 | 1940th of 3,076 |
| Landslides and avalanches | 9 | 2 | $36M | 18th of 39 | 191st of 2,278 |
| Hail | 7 | 0 | – | 23rd of 39 | 2977th of 3,080 |
| Heavy rain | 5 | 0 | – | 25th of 39 | 1997th of 3,080 |
| Lightning | 2 | 0 | $475K | 23rd of 39 | 2285th of 3,080 |
| Severe thunderstorm wind | 1 | 0 | – | 33rd of 39 | 3037th of 3,080 |
| Tornadoes | 1 | 0 | – | 28th of 39 | 2962nd 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 Kittitas County record: every hazard by year and month, the deadliest events and FEMA's declarations.