Washington County, Oregon: hazard risk
FEMA rates Washington County's overall risk Relatively High (score 96.0 of 100, higher than 95% of rated U.S. counties); 5 of its 16 hazards are rated Relatively High or Very High, led by earthquake, heat wave, riverine flooding. Its storm record holds 577 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 | 99.0 | $163M |
| Heat Wave | Relatively High | 96.6 | $11M |
| Riverine Flooding | Relatively High | 93.9 | $81M |
| Ice Storm | Relatively High | 91.4 | $1.4M |
| Cold Wave | Relatively High | 90.1 | $9.4M |
| Lightning | Relatively Moderate | 81.7 | $1.0M |
| Strong Wind | Relatively Moderate | 80.1 | $1.7M |
| Winter Weather | Relatively Moderate | 75.2 | $216K |
| Volcanic Activity | Relatively Low | 89.3 | $16K |
| Landslide | Relatively Low | 85.8 | $43K |
| Tornado | Relatively Low | 53.1 | $1.8M |
| Wildfire | Very Low | 50.9 | $65K |
| Hail | Very Low | 29.8 | $151K |
| Drought | Very Low | 12.2 | $0 |
| Avalanche | Very Low | 10.2 | $11 |
| Coastal Flooding | No Rating | 0.0 | $0 |
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 | 276 | 11 | $164M | 4th of 36 | 93rd of 3,080 |
| Winter storms | 147 | 18 | $75M | 5th of 36 | 948th of 3,077 |
| Floods | 52 | 3 | $111M | 2nd of 36 | 1292nd of 3,080 |
| Heat | 25 | 127 | $109K | 2nd of 36 | 768th of 3,076 |
| Heavy rain | 20 | 0 | $307K | 2nd of 36 | 385th of 3,080 |
| Landslides and avalanches | 17 | 0 | $2.5M | 2nd of 36 | 53rd of 2,278 |
| Hail | 8 | 0 | $1K | 9th of 36 | 2828th of 3,080 |
| Extreme cold | 6 | 4 | – | 17th of 36 | 2090th of 3,076 |
| Tornadoes | 6 | 0 | $195K | 3rd of 36 | 2490th of 3,080 |
| Lightning | 5 | 0 | $290K | 2nd of 36 | 981st of 3,080 |
| Severe thunderstorm wind | 4 | 0 | $28K | 15th of 36 | 2929th of 3,080 |
| Rip currents and high surf | 1 | 0 | – | 10th of 36 | 209th of 2,080 |
| Wildfires | 1 | 0 | $504K | 29th of 36 | 1044th 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 Washington County record: every hazard by year and month, the deadliest events and FEMA's declarations.