Natural hazards · Forest Grove

Forest Grove, OR natural hazards

Most of the natural-hazard damage FEMA expects in Forest Grove comes from earthquakes, and overall the risk is high for a U.S. community. Flood insurance has paid 5 claims here since 1996. 2 federal disasters brought FEMA money into town.

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

Expected damage

How exposed is Forest Grove?

High

vs. U.S. communities

FEMA expects yearly storm and flood damage to homes and buildings in Forest Grove to be higher than in 74% of U.S. communities, mostly from earthquakes and inland flooding.

Earthquakes75%Inland flooding18%Everything else7%

By hazard

What Forest Grove faces

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

Earthquakes

75% of expected damage

Well above average · higher than 93% of U.S. places

Inland flooding

18% of expected damage

Below average · higher than 31% of U.S. places

Recorded about once a year in the area

Lower here

TornadoesHailIce stormsWinter weatherCold wavesHeat wavesWildfireLandslidesStrong windLightningVolcanic activity

Not a risk here

Coastal floodingHurricanesDroughtAvalanchesTsunamis

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 Forest Grove flood?

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

5paid claims since 1996

$113Kpaid to owners

1homes flooded more than once

19962026

Biggest named events

Winter storm: 1 claim, $14K

Homes that flooded again and again

■ FEMA “severe repetitive loss” (0) ■ flooded 2+ times

of homes in flood zones
are insured

of all homes
are insured

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

Insurance rates: Washington County.

What’s been done with FEMA grants

2homes raised above flood level

Disasters that hit Forest Grove

2 federal disasters brought FEMA money here

Disasters the President declared that paid out in Forest Grove itself: aid to households, or repair grants to the City of Forest Grove.

Brought FEMA money into Forest GroveDeclared for Washington County only

2008

Severe Winter Storm, Record and Near Record Snow

$15K to the City of Forest Grove for repairs

2007

Severe Storms, Flooding, Landslides, and Mudslides

6 households applied for aid $61K aid approved

Washington County has had 13 natural disasters declared since 1953, most often floods and severe storms.

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. Forest Grove covers 2 census tracts, combined by population.

Money that reached townFlood claims are matched to Forest Grove’s own flood-insurance community; household aid to the registrant’s city; repair grants to the City of Forest Grove. 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 Forest Grove total about $6.3M 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.