Pierce County, Washington: hazard risk
FEMA rates Pierce County's overall risk Relatively High (score 98.5 of 100, higher than 98% of rated U.S. counties); 8 of its 17 hazards are rated Relatively High or Very High, led by avalanche, earthquake, volcanic activity. Its storm record holds 436 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 | 98.4 | $8.6M |
| Earthquake | Relatively High | 99.6 | $364M |
| Volcanic Activity | Relatively High | 99.3 | $6.8M |
| Heat Wave | Relatively High | 97.3 | $14M |
| Riverine Flooding | Relatively High | 96.2 | $122M |
| Cold Wave | Relatively High | 90.6 | $9.6M |
| Lightning | Relatively High | 89.9 | $1.5M |
| Ice Storm | Relatively High | 84.4 | $727K |
| Landslide | Relatively Moderate | 97.0 | $366K |
| Winter Weather | Relatively Moderate | 84.4 | $332K |
| Coastal Flooding | Relatively Moderate | 71.4 | $1.5M |
| Wildfire | Relatively Low | 76.8 | $386K |
| Tsunami | Relatively Low | 49.2 | $1.4M |
| Strong Wind | Relatively Low | 41.8 | $544K |
| Tornado | Relatively Low | 41.2 | $1.1M |
| Hail | Very Low | 16.3 | $71K |
| Drought | Very Low | 12.8 | $11 |
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 | 210 | 10 | $10M | 15th of 39 | 1422nd of 3,077 |
| High wind and dust storms | 109 | 14 | $77M | 21st of 39 | 842nd of 3,080 |
| Landslides and avalanches | 39 | 27 | $20M | 2nd of 39 | 45th of 2,278 |
| Floods | 22 | 0 | $16M | 17th of 39 | 2643rd of 3,080 |
| Heat | 16 | 3 | – | 18th of 39 | 1842nd of 3,076 |
| Heavy rain | 9 | 0 | $56M | 13th of 39 | 1290th of 3,080 |
| Tornadoes | 9 | 0 | $935K | 4th of 39 | 2611th of 3,080 |
| Drought | 6 | 0 | $18M | 9th of 39 | 2428th of 3,063 |
| Lightning | 5 | 0 | $14K | 8th of 39 | 1607th of 3,080 |
| Wildfires | 3 | 0 | – | 29th of 39 | 1214th of 2,972 |
| Extreme cold | 2 | 2 | – | 28th of 39 | 2744th of 3,076 |
| Severe thunderstorm wind | 2 | 0 | $38K | 30th of 39 | 3026th of 3,080 |
| Hail | 1 | 0 | – | 30th of 39 | 3030th 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 Pierce County record: every hazard by year and month, the deadliest events and FEMA's declarations.