Natural hazards · Vernonia

Vernonia, OR natural hazards

Most of the natural-hazard damage FEMA expects in Vernonia comes from inland flooding, and overall the risk is very high for a U.S. community. Flood insurance has paid 218 claims here since 1995. 5 federal disasters brought FEMA money into town.

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

Expected damage

How exposed is Vernonia?

Very high

vs. U.S. communities

FEMA expects yearly storm and flood damage to homes and buildings in Vernonia to be higher than in 97% of U.S. communities, mostly from inland flooding and earthquakes.

Inland flooding67%Earthquakes26%Everything else7%

By hazard

What Vernonia faces

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

Inland flooding

67% of expected damage

Well above average · among the top 1% of U.S. places

Recorded about once every 2 years in the area

Earthquakes

26% of expected damage

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

Lower here

TornadoesHailIce stormsWinter weatherCold wavesHeat wavesWildfireLandslidesStrong windLightningAvalanchesVolcanic 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 Vernonia flood?

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

218paid claims since 1995

$13.9Mpaid to owners

20homes flooded more than once

19952026

Biggest named events

Winter storm: 149 claims, $12.4M

Homes that flooded again and again

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

of homes in flood zones
are insured

of all homes
are insured

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

Insurance rates: Columbia County.

What’s been done with FEMA grants

114homes raised above flood level

66flood-prone properties bought out and cleared

3flood-prone homes bought out and moved

1buildings floodproofed

Disasters that hit Vernonia

5 federal disasters brought FEMA money here

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

Brought FEMA money into VernoniaDeclared for Columbia County only

2015

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

$20K to the City of Vernonia for repairs

2012

Severe Winter Storm, Flooding, Landslides, and Mudslides

$3K to the City of Vernonia for repairs

2008

Severe Winter Storm, Record and Near Record Snow

$17K to the City of Vernonia for repairs

2007

Severe Storms, Flooding, Landslides, and Mudslides

524 households applied for aid $3.6M aid approved $918K to the City of Vernonia for repairs

2006

Severe Winter Storm and Flooding

$5K to the City of Vernonia for repairs

Columbia County has had 14 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. Vernonia is smaller than a census tract, so it shares the figures of the tract around its center.

Money that reached townFlood claims are matched to Vernonia’s own flood-insurance community; household aid to the registrant’s city; repair grants to the City of Vernonia. FEMA’s model follows property values, so a place that recently lost many homes can rate lower than it feels.

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.