Natural hazards · Monmouth

Monmouth, OR natural hazards

Most of the natural-hazard damage FEMA expects in Monmouth comes from earthquakes, and overall the risk is high for a U.S. community. Flood insurance has paid 1 claim here since 2025. 4 federal disasters brought FEMA money into town.

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

Expected damage

How exposed is Monmouth?

High

vs. U.S. communities

FEMA expects yearly storm and flood damage to homes and buildings in Monmouth to be higher than in 61% of U.S. communities, mostly from earthquakes and inland flooding.

Earthquakes60%Inland flooding28%Heat waves9%Everything else2%

By hazard

What Monmouth faces

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

Earthquakes

60% of expected damage

Well above average · higher than 89% of U.S. places

Inland flooding

28% of expected damage

Below average · higher than 38% of U.S. places

Recorded about once a year in the area

Heat waves

9% 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 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 Monmouth flood?

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

1paid claims since 2025

$4Kpaid to owners

0homes flooded more than once

20252026

of homes in flood zones
are insured

of all homes
are insured

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

Insurance rates: Polk County.

What’s been done with FEMA grants

1homes raised above flood level

Disasters that hit Monmouth

4 federal disasters brought FEMA money here

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

Brought FEMA money into MonmouthDeclared for Polk County only

2021

Severe Winter Storm

$264K to the City of Monmouth for repairs

2015

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

$10K to the City of Monmouth for repairs

2012

Severe Winter Storm, Flooding, Landslides, and Mudslides

$11K to the City of Monmouth for repairs

2007

Severe Storms, Flooding, Landslides, and Mudslides

2 households applied for aid $800 aid approved

Polk County has had 13 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. Monmouth covers 1 census tract, combined by population.

Money that reached townFlood claims are matched to Monmouth’s own flood-insurance community; household aid to the registrant’s city; repair grants to the City of Monmouth. 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 Monmouth total about $3.1M 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.