Natural hazards · Sandy

Sandy, OR natural hazards

Most of the natural-hazard damage FEMA expects in Sandy comes from avalanches, and overall the risk is moderate for a U.S. community. Flood insurance has paid 1 claim here since 1979. 3 federal disasters brought FEMA money into town.

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

Expected damage

How exposed is Sandy?

Moderate

vs. U.S. communities

FEMA expects yearly storm and flood damage to homes and buildings in Sandy to be higher than in 43% of U.S. communities, mostly from avalanches and inland flooding.

Avalanches29%Inland flooding28%Earthquakes24%Cold waves10%Everything else9%

By hazard

What Sandy faces

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

Avalanches

29% of expected damage

Well below average · higher than 0% of U.S. places

Recorded about once every 14 years in the area

Inland flooding

28% of expected damage

Below average · higher than 44% of U.S. places

Recorded about once a year in the area

Earthquakes

24% of expected damage

Well above average · higher than 84% of U.S. places

Cold waves

10% 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 floodingHurricanesDroughtTsunamis

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 Sandy flood?

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

1paid claims since 1979

$574paid to owners

0homes flooded more than once

19792026

of homes in flood zones
are insured

of all homes
are insured

No community discount. Sandy 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 Sandy

3 federal disasters brought FEMA money here

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

Brought FEMA money into SandyDeclared for Clackamas County only

2024

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

$178K to the City of Sandy for repairs

2020

Wildfires and Straight-Line Winds

60 households applied for aid $17K aid approved $14K to the City of Sandy for repairs

2008

Severe Winter Storm, Record and Near Record Snow

$31K to the City of Sandy 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. Sandy covers 2 census tracts, combined by population.

Money that reached townFlood claims are matched to Sandy’s own flood-insurance community; household aid to the registrant’s city; repair grants to the City of Sandy. 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 Sandy total about $5.2M 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.