Natural hazards · Washington

Washington, IN natural hazards

Most of the natural-hazard damage FEMA expects in Washington comes from inland flooding, and overall the risk is high for a U.S. community. Flood insurance has paid 113 claims here since 1978.

FEMA National Risk Index, December 2025 · OpenFEMA claims, aid & declarations

Expected damage

How exposed is Washington?

High

vs. U.S. communities

FEMA expects yearly storm and flood damage to homes and buildings in Washington to be higher than in 62% of U.S. communities, mostly from inland flooding and tornadoes.

Inland flooding46%Tornadoes27%Strong wind8%Cold waves8%Everything else10%

By hazard

What Washington faces

Each hazard’s share of the damage FEMA expects here, and how that compares with the rest of the country.

Inland flooding

46% of expected damage

Well above average · higher than 76% of U.S. places

Recorded about 2 times a year in the area

Tornadoes

27% of expected damage

Well above average · higher than 92% of U.S. places

Recorded about once every 14 years in the area

Strong wind

8% of expected damage

Well above average · higher than 91% of U.S. places

Recorded about 6 times a year in the area

Cold waves

8% of expected damage

Below average · higher than 48% of U.S. places

Recorded about once a year in the area

Lower here

HurricanesHailIce stormsWinter weatherHeat wavesWildfireEarthquakesLandslidesLightningDrought

Not a risk here

Coastal floodingAvalanchesTsunamisVolcanic activity

Flood risk changes street by street. Check a specific address on FEMA’s flood map, and ask about flood insurance before you buy.

Flood insurance claims

Does Washington flood?

Every paid claim on a federal flood insurance policy in Washington, from FEMA’s records.

113paid claims since 1978

$3.4Mpaid to owners

0homes flooded more than once

19782026

Biggest named events

Mid-spring storms: 17 claims, $258K
Central U.S. April Flooding: 17 claims, $1.1M
Not a named storm: 6 claims, $7K

of homes in flood zones
are insured

of all homes
are insured

No community discount. Washington isn’t in FEMA’s Community Rating System, which cuts flood insurance up to 45% in towns that do extra flood-proofing.

Insurance rates: Clark County.

Disasters that hit Washington

Federal disasters declared here

None of the disasters declared for Clark County shows FEMA aid or repair money reaching Washington itself in FEMA’s records.

Brought FEMA money into WashingtonDeclared for Clark County only

Clark County has had 17 natural disasters declared since 1953, most often severe storms and floods.

Around Washington

Washington and the towns around it

Very lowLowModerateHighVery high

Washingtonmostly inland floodingHigh

Oregonmostly inland floodingHigh

Bethlehemmostly inland floodingHigh

Owenmostly inland floodingHigh

Saludamostly inland floodingModerate

Lexingtonmostly inland floodingModerate

About these numbers

How to read this page

An average, not a forecastFEMA’s National Risk Index estimates the damage 18 kinds of natural hazards cause in a typical year, from decades of records and models. A quiet decade can follow a bad year.

Compared by rate“Higher than N%” compares yearly damage as a share of what’s here, so a big city isn’t rated riskier just for having more buildings. Washington covers 1 census tract, combined by population.

Money that reached townFlood claims are matched to Washington’s own flood-insurance community (here, the census tracts inside it); household aid to the registrant’s city; repair grants to the Township of Washington. FEMA’s model follows property values, so a place that recently lost many homes can rate lower than it feels.

FEMA’s expected losses across Washington total about $2.1M a year, counting buildings, people and crops.

Sources: FEMA National Risk Index (December 2025); OpenFEMA: NFIP redacted claims, multiple-loss properties, community status book and residential penetration rates, housing assistance (owners and renters), public assistance funded projects, hazard mitigation properties and disaster declarations. Census tracts: U.S. Census Bureau.