Natural hazards · Portland

Portland, OR natural hazards

Most of the natural-hazard damage FEMA expects in Portland comes from earthquakes, and overall the risk is high for a U.S. community. Flood insurance has paid 167 claims here since 1978. 5 federal disasters brought FEMA money into town.

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

Expected damage

How exposed is Portland?

High

vs. U.S. communities

FEMA expects yearly storm and flood damage to homes and buildings in Portland to be higher than in 63% of U.S. communities, mostly from earthquakes and inland flooding.

Earthquakes77%Inland flooding19%Everything else5%

By hazard

What Portland faces

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

Earthquakes

77% of expected damage

Well above average · higher than 91% of U.S. places

Inland flooding

19% of expected damage

Well below average · higher than 24% of U.S. places

Recorded about once every 3 years in the area

Lower here

Coastal floodingTornadoesHailIce stormsWinter weatherCold wavesHeat wavesWildfireLandslidesStrong windLightningAvalanchesVolcanic activity

Not a risk here

HurricanesDroughtTsunamis

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 Portland flood?

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

167paid claims since 1978

$3.0Mpaid to owners

16homes flooded more than once

19782026

Biggest named events

Winter storm: 18 claims, $403K

Homes that flooded again and again

■ FEMA “severe repetitive loss” (3) ■ flooded 2+ times

of all homes
are insured

🏷️ 25% off flood insurance. Portland is in FEMA’s Community Rating System (class 5) for its flood-proofing work.

Insurance rates: Multnomah County.

What’s been done with FEMA grants

17flood-prone properties bought out and cleared

Disasters that hit Portland

5 federal disasters brought FEMA money here

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

Brought FEMA money into PortlandDeclared for Multnomah County only

2024

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

$1.4M to the City of Portland for repairs

2020

Wildfires and Straight-Line Winds

85 households applied for aid $5K aid approved

2015

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

$3.5M to the City of Portland for repairs

2005

Hurricane Katrina Evacuation

$353K to the City of Portland for repairs

2003

Severe Winter Storms

$1.6M to the City of Portland for repairs

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

Around Portland

Portland and the towns around it

Very lowLowModerateHighVery high

Dunthorpemostly earthquakesHigh

Milwaukiemostly earthquakesHigh

Tigardmostly earthquakesHigh

Portlandmostly earthquakesHigh

Lake Oswegomostly earthquakesHigh

Garden Home-Whitfordmostly earthquakesModerate

Greshammostly earthquakesModerate

Beavertonmostly earthquakesModerate

Cedar Millmostly earthquakesLow

Vancouvermostly earthquakesLow

Happy Valleymostly inland floodingLow

West Haven-Sylvanmostly earthquakesLow

Raleigh Hillsmostly inland floodingLow

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. Portland covers 164 census tracts, combined by population.

Money that reached townFlood claims are matched to Portland’s own flood-insurance community; household aid to the registrant’s city; repair grants to the City of Portland. 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 Portland total about $371M 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.