Natural hazards · Oregon

Oregon, OR natural hazards

Most of the natural-hazard damage FEMA expects in Oregon comes from earthquakes, and overall the risk is moderate for a U.S. community. Flood insurance has paid 18 claims here since 1982. 4 federal disasters brought FEMA money into town.

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

Expected damage

How exposed is Oregon?

Moderate

vs. U.S. communities

FEMA expects yearly storm and flood damage to homes and buildings in Oregon to be higher than in 58% of U.S. communities, mostly from earthquakes and inland flooding.

Earthquakes63%Inland flooding21%Cold waves8%Everything else8%

By hazard

What Oregon faces

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

Earthquakes

63% of expected damage

Well above average · higher than 90% of U.S. places

Inland flooding

21% of expected damage

Well below average · higher than 20% of U.S. places

Recorded about once a year in the area

Cold waves

8% of expected damage

Below average · higher than 26% of U.S. places

Recorded about once every 4 years in the area

Lower here

TornadoesHailIce stormsWinter weatherHeat 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 Oregon flood?

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

18paid claims since 1982

$1.5Mpaid to owners

1homes flooded more than once

19822026

Biggest named events

Winter storm: 1 claim, $16K

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

🏷️ 20% off flood insurance. Oregon is in FEMA’s Community Rating System (class 6) for its flood-proofing work.

Insurance rates: Clackamas County.

What’s been done with FEMA grants

8flood-prone properties bought out and cleared

1homes raised above flood level

Disasters that hit Oregon

4 federal disasters brought FEMA money here

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

Brought FEMA money into OregonDeclared for Clackamas County only

2021

Severe Winter Storm

$1.0M to the City of Oregon for repairs

2020

Wildfires and Straight-Line Winds

421 households applied for aid $106K aid approved $59K to the City of Oregon for repairs

2015

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

$92K to the City of Oregon for repairs

2005

Severe Storms, Flooding, Landslides, and Mudslides

$52K to the City of Oregon for repairs

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

Around Oregon

Oregon and the towns around it

Very lowLowModerateHighVery high

Gladstonemostly inland floodingHigh

West Linnmostly earthquakesModerate

Oregon Citymostly earthquakesModerate

Beavercreekmostly earthquakesModerate

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. Oregon covers 5 census tracts, combined by population.

Money that reached townFlood claims are matched to Oregon’s own flood-insurance community; household aid to the registrant’s city; repair grants to the City of Oregon. 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 Oregon total about $11.7M 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.