Natural disaster risk in Walla Walla County, Washington
Washington · population 62,555 · FIPS 53071
Overall: relatively low risk
Walla Walla County has a composite risk score of 60.4 out of 100 — higher than 60% of US counties. It ranks 27 of 39 in Washington (1 = highest risk). Its highest-rated hazards are ice storm, earthquake, heat wave.
Drought now: Yes: D2 Severe Drought, 11 weeks
Yes. On the U.S. Drought Monitor map valid 13 October 2026, 64.81% of Walla Walla 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 Walla Walla 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 60.4 |
| Expected annual loss About $20.3 million a year, on average, across all 18 hazards. |
Relatively low 61.1 |
| Social vulnerability Higher means people may find it harder to prepare and recover. |
Relatively moderate 46 |
| Community resilience Higher means a stronger ability to prepare, adapt and recover. |
Relatively moderate 54.9 |
Risk by hazard
FEMA's risk rating for each of 18 natural hazards in Walla Walla County, highest first. "Not applicable" means the hazard is not modelled here.
| Hazard | Risk rating and score |
|---|---|
| Ice storm | Relatively high 89 |
| Earthquake | Relatively moderate 90 |
| Heat wave | Relatively moderate 81 |
| Winter weather | Relatively moderate 75 |
| Wildfire | Relatively low 83 |
| Landslide | Relatively low 69 |
| Inland (riverine) flooding | Relatively low 64 |
| Cold wave | Relatively low 51 |
| Hail | Relatively low 41 |
| Strong wind | Relatively low 34 |
| Lightning | Relatively low 29 |
| Avalanche | Very low 40 |
| Drought | Very low 23 |
| Tornado | Very low 11 |
| Coastal flooding | Not applicable |
| Hurricane | Not applicable |
| Tsunami | Not applicable |
| Volcanic activity | Not applicable |
FEMA disaster declarations for Walla Walla County
Federal declarations that designated Walla Walla 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 Walla Walla 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 Walla Walla County, Washington?
FEMA's National Risk Index rates the overall risk in Walla Walla County as relatively low, with a score of 60.4 out of 100 (higher than 60% of US counties). That is a comparison with other US counties, not a forecast.
What are the biggest natural hazards in Walla Walla County?
The hazards rated highest for Walla Walla County are ice storm (relatively high), earthquake (relatively moderate), heat wave (relatively moderate).
What is the flood risk in Walla Walla County?
FEMA rates inland (river and rain) flooding risk in Walla Walla County as relatively low. For a specific property, check the FEMA flood map and your local floodplain office.
Has Walla Walla County had a FEMA disaster declaration?
Not since 1 Jan 2024: no FEMA disaster declaration in the records this site read names Walla Walla County.
Is Walla Walla County in a drought?
Yes. On the U.S. Drought Monitor map valid 13 October 2026, 64.81% of Walla Walla 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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