Multnomah County, Oregon: hazard risk
FEMA rates Multnomah County's overall risk Relatively High (score 98.5 of 100, higher than 98% of rated U.S. counties); 6 of its 16 hazards are rated Relatively High or Very High, led by earthquake, heat wave, riverine flooding. Its storm record holds 521 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 | Relatively High | 99.6 | $326M |
| Heat Wave | Relatively High | 96.8 | $10.0M |
| Riverine Flooding | Relatively High | 95.5 | $91M |
| Ice Storm | Relatively High | 91.8 | $1.2M |
| Cold Wave | Relatively High | 91.0 | $8.5M |
| Winter Weather | Relatively High | 85.2 | $309K |
| Landslide | Relatively Moderate | 96.9 | $296K |
| Volcanic Activity | Relatively Moderate | 93.5 | $159K |
| Strong Wind | Relatively Moderate | 65.5 | $925K |
| Wildfire | Relatively Low | 67.3 | $155K |
| Tornado | Relatively Low | 47.4 | $1.2M |
| Lightning | Relatively Low | 45.8 | $219K |
| Coastal Flooding | Relatively Low | 43.4 | $43K |
| Avalanche | Very Low | 18.4 | $31 |
| Drought | Very Low | 12.5 | $4 |
| Hail | Very Low | 1.9 | $3K |
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 | 223 | 23 | $75M | 2nd of 36 | 246th of 3,077 |
| High wind and dust storms | 102 | 7 | $132M | 8th of 36 | 116th of 3,080 |
| Extreme cold | 38 | 5 | – | 4th of 36 | 353rd of 3,076 |
| Heat | 34 | 143 | $109K | 1st of 36 | 446th of 3,076 |
| Heavy rain | 34 | 1 | $2.8M | 1st of 36 | 125th of 3,080 |
| Floods | 27 | 0 | $29M | 3rd of 36 | 1443rd of 3,080 |
| Landslides and avalanches | 22 | 1 | $317K | 1st of 36 | 24th of 2,278 |
| Severe thunderstorm wind | 16 | 2 | $24K | 1st of 36 | 2684th of 3,080 |
| Hail | 6 | 0 | $14K | 5th of 36 | 2793rd of 3,080 |
| Tornadoes | 6 | 0 | $1.9M | 1st of 36 | 2272nd of 3,080 |
| Lightning | 5 | 0 | $78K | 1st of 36 | 618th of 3,080 |
| Wildfires | 2 | 0 | $504K | 25th of 36 | 538th 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 Multnomah County record: every hazard by year and month, the deadliest events and FEMA's declarations.