Natural disaster risk in Franklin County, Washington
Washington · population 96,653 · FIPS 53021
Overall: relatively low risk
Franklin County has a composite risk score of 72.5 out of 100 — higher than 72% of US counties. It ranks 25 of 39 in Washington (1 = highest risk). Its highest-rated hazards are heat wave, inland (riverine) flooding, ice storm.
Drought now: Yes: D2 Severe Drought, 11 weeks
Yes. On the U.S. Drought Monitor map valid 13 October 2026, 0.35% of Franklin County is in D2 Severe Drought. Some of it has been at D2 or worse for 11 weeks in a row. In all, 100% of the county is in drought (D1 to D4).
Drought in Franklin County: the last 52 weeks · droughtmonitor.unl.edu
The U.S. Drought Monitor is jointly produced by the National Drought Mitigation Center at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln, the United States Department of Agriculture, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration and the National Aeronautics and Space Administration. Map courtesy of NDMC.
Risk, loss, vulnerability and resilience
| Measure | Rating and score |
|---|---|
| Overall risk Expected annual loss, adjusted for social vulnerability and community resilience. |
Relatively low 72.5 |
| Expected annual loss About $32.5 million a year, on average, across all 18 hazards. |
Relatively low 74.8 |
| Social vulnerability Higher means people may find it harder to prepare and recover. |
Relatively low 31.5 |
| Community resilience Higher means a stronger ability to prepare, adapt and recover. |
Very low 15.5 |
Risk by hazard
FEMA's risk rating for each of 18 natural hazards in Franklin County, highest first. "Not applicable" means the hazard is not modelled here.
| Hazard | Risk rating and score |
|---|---|
| Heat wave | Relatively moderate 87 |
| Inland (riverine) flooding | Relatively moderate 83 |
| Ice storm | Relatively moderate 78 |
| Cold wave | Relatively moderate 65 |
| Wildfire | Relatively low 84 |
| Earthquake | Relatively low 80 |
| Lightning | Relatively low 44 |
| Winter weather | Relatively low 44 |
| Hail | Relatively low 42 |
| Strong wind | Relatively low 41 |
| Volcanic activity | Very low 75 |
| Landslide | Very low 51 |
| Avalanche | Very low 22 |
| Drought | Very low 22 |
| Tornado | Very low 12 |
| Coastal flooding | Not applicable |
| Hurricane | Not applicable |
| Tsunami | Not applicable |
FEMA disaster declarations for Franklin County
Federal declarations that designated Franklin County, since 1 Jan 2024 (the period this site keeps from OpenFEMA). Older declarations are in FEMA's own dataset.
Not since 1 Jan 2024: no FEMA disaster declaration in the records this site read names Franklin County.
All FEMA declarations in Washington, with estimated apply-by dates · Open FEMA deadlines
This product uses the Federal Emergency Management Agency's OpenFEMA API, but is not endorsed by FEMA. The Federal Government or FEMA cannot vouch for the data or analyses derived from these data after the data have been retrieved from the Agency's website(s). Dataset: Disaster Declarations Summaries - v2.
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
What is the natural disaster risk in Franklin County, Washington?
FEMA's National Risk Index rates the overall risk in Franklin County as relatively low, with a score of 72.5 out of 100 (higher than 72% of US counties). That is a comparison with other US counties, not a forecast.
What are the biggest natural hazards in Franklin County?
The hazards rated highest for Franklin County are heat wave (relatively moderate), inland (riverine) flooding (relatively moderate), ice storm (relatively moderate).
What is the flood risk in Franklin County?
FEMA rates inland (river and rain) flooding risk in Franklin County as relatively moderate. For a specific property, check the FEMA flood map and your local floodplain office.
Has Franklin County had a FEMA disaster declaration?
Not since 1 Jan 2024: no FEMA disaster declaration in the records this site read names Franklin County.
Is Franklin County in a drought?
Yes. On the U.S. Drought Monitor map valid 13 October 2026, 0.35% of Franklin County is in D2 Severe Drought. Some of it has been at D2 or worse for 11 weeks in a row. In all, 100% of the county is in drought (D1 to D4).
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