Natural disaster risk in Washington, by county
All 39 counties in Washington, ranked by FEMA's National Risk Index composite risk score, with each one's highest-rated hazard. Other states
At a glance
Highest overall risk: King County (very high, score 99.7). Lowest: Garfield County (very low, score 1.6).
Top hazards in Washington
| Hazard | Counties rated relatively high or very high | Average score |
|---|---|---|
| Ice storm | 11 of 39 | 49.7 |
| Avalanche | 9 of 39 | 54.5 |
| Landslide | 8 of 39 | 83.6 |
| Earthquake | 6 of 39 | 80.7 |
| Winter weather | 6 of 39 | 53.8 |
All counties, highest risk first
| # | County | Overall risk | Highest-rated hazard |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | King County | Very high 99.7 | Avalanche (very high) |
| 2 | Pierce County | Relatively high 98.5 | Avalanche (very high) |
| 3 | Snohomish County | Relatively high 97.9 | Landslide (very high) |
| 4 | Grays Harbor County | Relatively high 97 | Tsunami (very high) |
| 5 | Thurston County | Relatively high 94.5 | Earthquake (relatively high) |
| 6 | Yakima County | Relatively moderate 94 | Avalanche (very high) |
| 7 | Pacific County | Relatively moderate 92.7 | Tsunami (very high) |
| 8 | Kitsap County | Relatively moderate 92.3 | Landslide (relatively high) |
| 9 | Clark County | Relatively moderate 92.2 | Cold wave (relatively high) |
| 10 | Whatcom County | Relatively moderate 91 | Avalanche (very high) |
| 11 | Chelan County | Relatively moderate 90.9 | Avalanche (very high) |
| 12 | Cowlitz County | Relatively moderate 90.3 | Volcanic activity (relatively high) |
| 13 | Spokane County | Relatively moderate 90 | Ice storm (very high) |
| 14 | Clallam County | Relatively moderate 89.7 | Winter weather (relatively high) |
| 15 | Lewis County | Relatively moderate 89.7 | Avalanche (relatively high) |
| 16 | Okanogan County | Relatively moderate 89.2 | Wildfire (relatively high) |
| 17 | Kittitas County | Relatively moderate 89.1 | Avalanche (very high) |
| 18 | Skagit County | Relatively moderate 88.8 | Volcanic activity (relatively high) |
| 19 | Benton County | Relatively moderate 87.1 | Winter weather (relatively high) |
| 20 | Mason County | Relatively moderate 85.3 | Landslide (relatively high) |
| 21 | Island County | Relatively low 78 | Landslide (relatively high) |
| 22 | Grant County | Relatively low 76.9 | Cold wave (relatively high) |
| 23 | Douglas County | Relatively low 74.1 | Wildfire (relatively moderate) |
| 24 | Klickitat County | Relatively low 73.9 | Wildfire (relatively high) |
| 25 | Franklin County | Relatively low 72.5 | Heat wave (relatively moderate) |
| 26 | Jefferson County | Relatively low 64.4 | Earthquake (relatively moderate) |
| 27 | Walla Walla County | Relatively low 60.4 | Ice storm (relatively high) |
| 28 | Stevens County | Relatively low 60.3 | Wildfire (relatively moderate) |
| 29 | Lincoln County | Relatively low 54.9 | Wildfire (relatively moderate) |
| 30 | Ferry County | Relatively low 51.7 | Wildfire (relatively moderate) |
| 31 | Skamania County | Relatively low 49.7 | Volcanic activity (relatively high) |
| 32 | Whitman County | Very low 39.8 | Landslide (relatively moderate) |
| 33 | San Juan County | Very low 35.4 | Earthquake (relatively low) |
| 34 | Pend Oreille County | Very low 28 | Landslide (relatively moderate) |
| 35 | Adams County | Very low 23.2 | Wildfire (relatively low) |
| 36 | Wahkiakum County | Very low 19.3 | Coastal flooding (relatively moderate) |
| 37 | Asotin County | Very low 17.9 | Wildfire (relatively moderate) |
| 38 | Columbia County | Very low 8.6 | Wildfire (relatively low) |
| 39 | Garfield County | Very low 1.6 | Wildfire (relatively low) |
How to read these ratings
- Ratings run in five steps: very low, relatively low, relatively moderate, relatively high and very high. They compare a county with every other US county; they are not a measure of danger on their own.
- Scores run from 0 to 100 and are national percentiles. The bar shows the score: a score of 80 means a higher value than 80% of US counties.
- Overall risk combines the expected annual loss with social vulnerability and community resilience.
- Expected annual loss is the average yearly loss to buildings, people and agriculture the model expects from all 18 hazards.
- Social vulnerability describes how hard it may be for people to prepare for and recover from a disaster. Higher is worse.
- Community resilience describes a community's ability to prepare, adapt and recover. Higher is better.
- "Not applicable" means FEMA does not model that hazard there (for example, hurricanes far inland).
About this data
Source: FEMA National Risk Index, version 1.20, released December 2025, published by the Federal Emergency Management Agency (US public domain). About the National Risk Index. The index is a model of relative risk built from historical hazard records, what is exposed and community factors. It is not a forecast, it does not describe any single property, and it is not insurance or financial advice. For decisions about a specific address, check FEMA's flood maps and your local emergency management office.
Questions
Which county in Washington has the highest natural disaster risk?
King County has the highest composite risk score in Washington in FEMA's National Risk Index: 99.7, rated very high.
Which county in Washington has the lowest natural disaster risk?
Garfield County has the lowest composite risk score in Washington: 1.6, rated very low. A low score means lower modelled risk compared with other US counties, not no risk.
What natural disasters is Washington most at risk from?
Across Washington, the hazards rated highest in the most counties are ice storm, avalanche, landslide, according to FEMA's National Risk Index. Each county page lists all 18 hazards.
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