Natural hazards · Salem

Salem, OR natural hazards

Most of the natural-hazard damage FEMA expects in Salem comes from earthquakes, and overall the risk is moderate for a U.S. community. Flood insurance has paid 164 claims here since 1981. 5 federal disasters brought FEMA money into town.

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

Expected damage

How exposed is Salem?

Moderate

vs. U.S. communities

FEMA expects yearly storm and flood damage to homes and buildings in Salem to be higher than in 56% of U.S. communities, mostly from earthquakes and inland flooding.

Earthquakes75%Inland flooding19%Everything else7%

By hazard

What Salem faces

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

Earthquakes

75% of expected damage

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

Inland flooding

19% of expected damage

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

Recorded about once a year in the area

Lower here

TornadoesHailIce stormsWinter weatherCold wavesHeat 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 Salem flood?

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

164paid claims since 1981

$3.5Mpaid to owners

7homes flooded more than once

19812026

Homes that flooded again and again

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

of homes in flood zones
are insured

of all homes
are insured

🏷️ 35% off flood insurance. Salem is in FEMA’s Community Rating System (class 3) for its flood-proofing work.

Insurance rates: Marion County.

What’s been done with FEMA grants

3buildings floodproofed

2flood-prone properties bought out and cleared

Disasters that hit Salem

5 federal disasters brought FEMA money here

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

Brought FEMA money into SalemDeclared for Marion County only

2021

Severe Winter Storm

$3.5M to the City of Salem for repairs

2020

Wildfires and Straight-Line Winds

479 households applied for aid $52K aid approved $9K to the City of Salem for repairs

2012

Severe Winter Storm, Flooding, Landslides, and Mudslides

$1.2M to the City of Salem for repairs

2008

Severe Winter Storm, Record and Near Record Snow

$386K to the City of Salem for repairs

2003

Severe Winter Storms

$339K to the City of Salem for repairs

Marion County has had 12 natural disasters declared since 1953, most often floods and fires.

Around Salem

Salem and the towns around it

Very lowLowModerateHighVery high

Keizermostly earthquakesHigh

Four Cornersmostly earthquakesHigh

Hayesvillemostly earthquakesModerate

Salemmostly 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. Salem covers 29 census tracts, combined by population.

Money that reached townFlood claims are matched to Salem’s own flood-insurance community; household aid to the registrant’s city; repair grants to the City of Salem. 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 Salem total about $74.5M 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.