Thurston County, Washington: hazard risk
FEMA rates Thurston County's overall risk Relatively High (score 94.5 of 100, higher than 94% of rated U.S. counties); 2 of its 17 hazards are rated Relatively High or Very High, led by landslide, earthquake. Its storm record holds 155 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Landslide | Relatively High | 99.0 | $1.5M |
| Earthquake | Relatively High | 98.9 | $134M |
| Volcanic Activity | Relatively Moderate | 94.1 | $195K |
| Riverine Flooding | Relatively Moderate | 90.8 | $50M |
| Heat Wave | Relatively Moderate | 90.6 | $3.7M |
| Ice Storm | Relatively Moderate | 65.9 | $210K |
| Coastal Flooding | Relatively Low | 58.6 | $479K |
| Winter Weather | Relatively Low | 56.5 | $95K |
| Lightning | Relatively Low | 30.3 | $129K |
| Strong Wind | Relatively Low | 25.2 | $282K |
| Wildfire | Very Low | 57.1 | $84K |
| Tornado | Very Low | 25.0 | $431K |
| Tsunami | Very Low | 13.8 | $91K |
| Drought | Very Low | 13.3 | $107 |
| Hail | Very Low | 6.3 | $21K |
| Avalanche | Very Low | 5.8 | $3 |
| Cold Wave | Very Low | 2.9 | $21 |
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. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| High wind and dust storms | 56 | 2 | $18M | 11th of 39 | 509th of 3,080 |
| Winter storms | 33 | 0 | $2.6M | 33rd of 39 | 2362nd of 3,077 |
| Floods | 17 | 0 | $5.0M | 6th of 39 | 2232nd of 3,080 |
| Heat | 17 | 0 | – | 1st of 39 | 914th of 3,076 |
| Heavy rain | 9 | 0 | $33M | 5th of 39 | 805th of 3,080 |
| Tornadoes | 5 | 0 | $186K | 3rd of 39 | 2550th of 3,080 |
| Extreme cold | 4 | 0 | – | 9th of 39 | 2216th of 3,076 |
| Hail | 3 | 0 | – | 21st of 39 | 2971st of 3,080 |
| Lightning | 3 | 0 | $34K | 6th of 39 | 1380th of 3,080 |
| Drought | 2 | 0 | – | 5th of 39 | 2343rd of 3,063 |
| Landslides and avalanches | 1 | 0 | $1.1M | 29th of 39 | 306th of 2,278 |
| Severe thunderstorm wind | 1 | 0 | $843K | 29th of 39 | 3020th of 3,080 |
| Wildfires | 1 | 0 | $4.8M | 26th of 39 | 1043rd 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 Thurston County record: every hazard by year and month, the deadliest events and FEMA's declarations.