Natural hazards · Gresham

Gresham, OR natural hazards

Most of the natural-hazard damage FEMA expects in Gresham comes from earthquakes, and overall the risk is moderate for a U.S. community. Flood insurance has paid 4 claims here since 1980. 5 federal disasters brought FEMA money into town.

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

Expected damage

How exposed is Gresham?

Moderate

vs. U.S. communities

FEMA expects yearly storm and flood damage to homes and buildings in Gresham to be higher than in 57% of U.S. communities, mostly from earthquakes and inland flooding.

Earthquakes61%Inland flooding32%Everything else8%

By hazard

What Gresham faces

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

Earthquakes

61% of expected damage

Well above average · higher than 88% of U.S. places

Inland flooding

32% of expected damage

Below average · higher than 40% of U.S. places

Recorded about once every 3 years 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 Gresham flood?

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

4paid claims since 1980

$187Kpaid to owners

0homes flooded more than once

19802026

of all homes
are insured

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

Insurance rates: Multnomah County.

Disasters that hit Gresham

5 federal disasters brought FEMA money here

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

Brought FEMA money into GreshamDeclared for Multnomah County only

2024

Severe Winter Storms, Straight-Line Winds, Landslides, and Mudslides

$235K to the City of Gresham for repairs

2020

Wildfires and Straight-Line Winds

1 household applied for aid $500 aid approved

2015

Severe Winter Storms, Straight-Line Winds, Flooding, Landslides, and Mudslides

$860K to the City of Gresham for repairs

2008

Severe Winter Storm, Record and Near Record Snow

$220K to the City of Gresham for repairs

2003

Severe Winter Storms

$98K to the City of Gresham for repairs

Multnomah County has had 10 natural disasters declared since 1953, most often severe storms and floods.

Around Gresham

Gresham and the towns around it

Very lowLowModerateHighVery high

Portlandmostly earthquakesHigh

Troutdalemostly earthquakesHigh

Greshammostly earthquakesModerate

Fairviewmostly earthquakesModerate

Orientmostly 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. Gresham covers 21 census tracts, combined by population.

Money that reached townFlood claims are matched to Gresham’s own flood-insurance community; household aid to the registrant’s city; repair grants to the City of Gresham. 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 Gresham total about $38.9M 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.