Spokane County, Washington: hazard risk
FEMA rates Spokane County's overall risk Relatively Moderate (score 90.0 of 100, higher than 89% of rated U.S. counties); 4 of its 14 hazards are rated Relatively High or Very High, led by ice storm, cold wave, strong wind. Its storm record holds 1,492 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Ice Storm | Very High | 97.0 | $2.7M |
| Cold Wave | Relatively High | 97.5 | $20M |
| Strong Wind | Relatively High | 91.2 | $2.5M |
| Winter Weather | Relatively High | 87.8 | $400K |
| Wildfire | Relatively Moderate | 96.6 | $7.0M |
| Heat Wave | Relatively Moderate | 94.9 | $7.0M |
| Riverine Flooding | Relatively Moderate | 91.6 | $53M |
| Avalanche | Relatively Moderate | 82.3 | $656K |
| Lightning | Relatively Moderate | 57.1 | $353K |
| Earthquake | Relatively Low | 85.9 | $3.5M |
| Hail | Relatively Low | 63.4 | $498K |
| Tornado | Relatively Low | 42.7 | $1.1M |
| Landslide | Very Low | 56.9 | $3K |
| Drought | Very Low | 16.6 | $2K |
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 | 940 | 12 | $16M | 2nd of 39 | 727th of 3,077 |
| High wind and dust storms | 192 | 10 | $21M | 20th of 39 | 802nd of 3,080 |
| Severe thunderstorm wind | 107 | 0 | $15M | 1st of 39 | 2676th of 3,080 |
| Wildfires | 78 | 3 | $324M | 2nd of 39 | 56th of 2,972 |
| Floods | 51 | 0 | $19M | 7th of 39 | 2355th of 3,080 |
| Hail | 44 | 0 | $478K | 2nd of 39 | 2758th of 3,080 |
| Tornadoes | 16 | 0 | $1.1M | 2nd of 39 | 2479th of 3,080 |
| Extreme cold | 12 | 1 | – | 12th of 39 | 2339th of 3,076 |
| Heavy rain | 11 | 0 | $75K | 12th of 39 | 1264th of 3,080 |
| Lightning | 11 | 0 | $288K | 3rd of 39 | 1130th of 3,080 |
| Landslides and avalanches | 6 | 0 | $46K | 19th of 39 | 195th of 2,278 |
| Heat | 4 | 0 | $2K | 27th of 39 | 2314th of 3,076 |
| Rip currents and high surf | 1 | 0 | – | 11th of 39 | 250th of 2,080 |
Source: NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database, 1950 to 2026-06-30; damage in 2025 dollars. Search the record at NCEI.
The full Spokane County record: every hazard by year and month, the deadliest events and FEMA's declarations.