Natural hazards · Washington

Washington, UT natural hazards

Most of the natural-hazard damage FEMA expects in Washington comes from wildfires, and overall the risk is very high for a U.S. community. Flood insurance has paid 1 claim here since 2013.

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

Expected damage

How exposed is Washington?

Very high

vs. U.S. communities

FEMA expects yearly storm and flood damage to homes and buildings in Washington to be higher than in 90% of U.S. communities, mostly from wildfires and avalanches.

Wildfire55%Avalanches19%Inland flooding19%Everything else8%

By hazard

What Washington faces

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

Wildfire

55% of expected damage

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

Avalanches

19% of expected damage

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

Recorded about once every 13 years in the area

Inland flooding

19% of expected damage

Above average · higher than 51% of U.S. places

Recorded about 7 times a year in the area

Lower here

TornadoesHailIce stormsWinter weatherHeat wavesEarthquakesLandslidesStrong windLightningDroughtVolcanic activity

Not a risk here

Coastal floodingHurricanesCold wavesTsunamis

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 Washington flood?

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

1paid claims since 2013

$6Kpaid to owners

0homes flooded more than once

20132026

of homes in flood zones
are insured

of all homes
are insured

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

Insurance rates: Washington County.

Disasters that hit Washington

Federal disasters declared here

None of the disasters declared for Washington County shows FEMA aid or repair money reaching Washington itself in FEMA’s records.

Brought FEMA money into WashingtonDeclared for Washington County only

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

Around Washington

Washington and the towns around it

Very lowLowModerateHighVery high

Washingtonmostly wildfiresVery high

St. Georgemostly inland floodingVery high

Hurricanemostly wildfiresVery high

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. Washington covers 2 census tracts, combined by population.

Money that reached townFlood claims are matched to Washington’s own flood-insurance community; household aid to the registrant’s city; repair grants to the City of Washington. 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 Washington total about $7.1M 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.