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Natural hazards · Arlington

Arlington, WA natural hazards

Most of the natural-hazard damage FEMA expects in Arlington comes from earthquakes, and overall the risk is high for a U.S. community. Flood insurance has paid 7 claims here since 1990. 9 federal disasters brought FEMA money into town.

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

How exposed is Arlington?

69
High
vs. U.S. communities

FEMA expects yearly storm and flood damage to homes and buildings in Arlington to be higher than in 69% of U.S. communities, mostly from earthquakes and inland flooding.

Earthquakes75%Inland flooding21%Everything else4%
By hazard

What Arlington 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 92% of U.S. places

Inland flooding

21% of expected damage
Below average · higher than 28% of U.S. places
Recorded about once every 3 years 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 Arlington flood?

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

7paid claims since 1990
$171Kpaid to owners
0homes flooded more than once
19902026

Biggest named events

  • Torrential rain: 1 claim, $63K
of homes in flood zones
are insured
of all homes
are insured
No community discount. Arlington isn’t in FEMA’s Community Rating System, which cuts flood insurance up to 45% in towns that do extra flood-proofing.
Insurance rates: Snohomish County.

What’s been done with FEMA grants

77flood-prone properties bought out and cleared
11homes raised above flood level
1flood-prone homes bought out and moved
Disasters that hit Arlington

9 federal disasters brought FEMA money here

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

Brought FEMA money into ArlingtonDeclared for Snohomish County only
2025

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

88 households applied for aid $299K aid approved
2022

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

$43K to the City of Arlington for repairs
2014

Flooding and Mudslides

411 households applied for aid $1.1M aid approved $4K to the City of Arlington for repairs
2012

Severe Winter Storm, Flooding, Landslides, and Mudslides

$95K to the City of Arlington for repairs
2009

Severe Winter Storm, Landslides, Mudslides, and Flooding

112 households applied for aid $108K aid approved $78K to the City of Arlington for repairs
2008

Severe Winter Storm and Record and Near Record Snow

$180K to the City of Arlington for repairs
2007

Severe Storms, Flooding, Landslides, and Mudslides

2 households applied for aid $19K aid approved
2006

Severe Storms, Flooding, Landslides, and Mudslides

54 households applied for aid $207K aid approved $2K to the City of Arlington for repairs
2003

Severe Storms and Flooding

60 households applied for aid $170K aid approved
Snohomish County has had 33 natural disasters declared since 1953, most often severe storms and floods.
Around Arlington

Arlington and the towns around it

Sisco Heights: Moderate, mostly earthquakesMarysville: High, mostly earthquakesLake Cassidy: Moderate, mostly inland floodingLake Goodwin: Moderate, mostly earthquakesArlington: High, mostly earthquakes ArlingtonSisco HeightsMarysville
Very lowLowModerateHighVery high
Arlingtonmostly earthquakesHigh
Marysvillemostly earthquakesHigh
Sisco Heightsmostly 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. Arlington covers 3 census tracts, combined by population.
Money that reached townFlood claims are matched to Arlington’s own flood-insurance community; household aid to the registrant’s city; repair grants to the City of Arlington. 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 Arlington total about $8.9M 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.

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Boundary source: https://tigerweb.geo.census.gov/arcgis/rest/services/TIGERweb/Places_CouSub_ConCity_SubMCD/MapServer/18 · 2025-01-01
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