Natural hazards · La Grande

La Grande, OR natural hazards

Most of the natural-hazard damage FEMA expects in La Grande comes from cold waves, and overall the risk is very low for a U.S. community. Flood insurance has paid 5 claims here since 1979. 2 federal disasters brought FEMA money into town.

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

Expected damage

How exposed is La Grande?

Very low

vs. U.S. communities

FEMA expects yearly storm and flood damage to homes and buildings in La Grande to be higher than in 10% of U.S. communities, mostly from cold waves and inland flooding.

Cold waves48%Inland flooding29%Earthquakes11%Everything else12%

By hazard

What La Grande faces

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

Cold waves

48% of expected damage

Above average · higher than 61% of U.S. places

Recorded about once every 3 years in the area

Inland flooding

29% of expected damage

Well below average · higher than 17% of U.S. places

Recorded about once every 3 years in the area

Earthquakes

11% of expected damage

Well above average · higher than 77% of U.S. places

Lower here

TornadoesHailIce stormsWinter weatherHeat wavesWildfireLandslidesStrong windLightningDrought

Not a risk here

Coastal floodingHurricanesAvalanchesTsunamisVolcanic 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 La Grande flood?

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

5paid claims since 1979

$51Kpaid to owners

0homes flooded more than once

19792026

of all homes
are insured

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

Insurance rates: Union County.

Disasters that hit La Grande

2 federal disasters brought FEMA money here

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

Brought FEMA money into La GrandeDeclared for Union County only

2020

Severe Storms, Flooding, Landslides, and Mudslides

$53K to the City of La Grande for repairs

2003

Severe Winter Storms

$17K to the City of La Grande for repairs

Union County has had 8 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. La Grande covers 1 census tract, combined by population.

Money that reached townFlood claims are matched to La Grande’s own flood-insurance community; household aid to the registrant’s city; repair grants to the City of La Grande. 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 La Grande total about $1.1M 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.