Natural hazards · Molalla

Molalla, OR natural hazards

Most of the natural-hazard damage FEMA expects in Molalla comes from earthquakes, and overall the risk is moderate for a U.S. community. Flood insurance has paid 5 claims here since 1996. 1 federal disaster brought FEMA money into town.

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

Expected damage

How exposed is Molalla?

Moderate

vs. U.S. communities

FEMA expects yearly storm and flood damage to homes and buildings in Molalla to be higher than in 54% of U.S. communities, mostly from earthquakes and inland flooding.

Earthquakes58%Inland flooding32%Heat waves5%Everything else5%

By hazard

What Molalla faces

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

Earthquakes

58% of expected damage

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

Inland flooding

32% of expected damage

Below average · higher than 29% of U.S. places

Recorded about once a year in the area

Heat waves

5% of expected damage

Well above average · higher than 80% of U.S. places

Recorded about 7 times a year in the area

Lower here

TornadoesHailIce stormsWinter weatherCold wavesWildfireLandslidesStrong windLightningDroughtVolcanic activity

Not a risk here

Coastal floodingHurricanesAvalanchesTsunamis

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 Molalla flood?

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

5paid claims since 1996

$275Kpaid to owners

1homes flooded more than once

19962026

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. Molalla isn’t in FEMA’s Community Rating System, which cuts flood insurance up to 45% in towns that do extra flood-proofing.

Insurance rates: Clackamas County.

Disasters that hit Molalla

1 federal disaster brought FEMA money here

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

Brought FEMA money into MolallaDeclared for Clackamas County only

2020

Wildfires and Straight-Line Winds

276 households applied for aid $47K aid approved $111K to the City of Molalla for repairs

Clackamas County has had 18 natural disasters declared since 1953, most often severe storms and floods.

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. Molalla covers 1 census tract, combined by population.

Money that reached townFlood claims are matched to Molalla’s own flood-insurance community; household aid to the registrant’s city; repair grants to the City of Molalla. 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 Molalla 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.