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Natural hazards · Auburn

Auburn, WA natural hazards

Most of the natural-hazard damage FEMA expects in Auburn comes from earthquakes, and overall the risk is very high for a U.S. community. Flood insurance has paid 14 claims here since 1990. 10 federal disasters brought FEMA money into town.

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

How exposed is Auburn?

88
Very high
vs. U.S. communities

FEMA expects yearly storm and flood damage to homes and buildings in Auburn to be higher than in 88% of U.S. communities, mostly from earthquakes and inland flooding.

Earthquakes66%Inland flooding31%Everything else3%
By hazard

What Auburn faces

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

Earthquakes

66% of expected damage
Well above average · higher than 94% of U.S. places

Inland flooding

31% of expected damage
Well above average · higher than 87% of U.S. places
Recorded about once every 4 years in the area

Lower here

TornadoesHailIce stormsWinter weatherCold wavesHeat wavesWildfireLandslidesStrong windLightningVolcanic activity

Not a risk here

Coastal floodingHurricanesDroughtAvalanchesTsunamis
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 Auburn flood?

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

14paid claims since 1990
$398Kpaid to owners
1homes flooded more than once
19902026

Biggest named events

  • 2025-12-AtmosphericRiver: 6 claims, $353K

Homes that flooded again and again

■ FEMA “severe repetitive loss” (1) ■ flooded 2+ times

of homes in flood zones
are insured
of all homes
are insured
🏷️ 25% off flood insurance. Auburn is in FEMA’s Community Rating System (class 5) for its flood-proofing work.
Insurance rates: King County.

What’s been done with FEMA grants

2flood-prone properties bought out and cleared
Disasters that hit Auburn

10 federal disasters brought FEMA money here

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

Brought FEMA money into AuburnDeclared for King County only
2025

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

144 households applied for aid $555K aid approved
2020

Severe Storms, Flooding, Landslides, and Mudslides

$17K to the City of Auburn for repairs
2012

Severe Winter Storm, Flooding, Landslides, and Mudslides

$345K to the City of Auburn for repairs
2011

Severe Winter Storm, Flooding, Landslides, and Mudslides

$61K to the City of Auburn for repairs
2009

Severe Winter Storm, Landslides, Mudslides, and Flooding

22 households applied for aid $70K aid approved $75K to the City of Auburn for repairs
2008

Severe Winter Storm and Record and Near Record Snow

$53K to the City of Auburn for repairs
2007

Severe Storms, Flooding, Landslides, and Mudslides

1 household applied for aid $3K to the City of Auburn for repairs
2006

Severe Winter Storm, Landslides, and Mudslides

$57K to the City of Auburn for repairs
2006

Severe Storms, Flooding, Landslides, and Mudslides

11 households applied for aid $3K aid approved $20K to the City of Auburn for repairs
2003

Severe Storms and Flooding

1 household applied for aid
King County has had 30 natural disasters declared since 1953, most often floods and severe storms.
Around Auburn

Auburn and the towns around it

Lake Morton-Berrydale: High, mostly earthquakesKent: Very high, mostly earthquakesAlgona: Very high, mostly earthquakesLake Holm: Very high, mostly inland floodingPacific: Very high, mostly earthquakesLakeland South: High, mostly earthquakesLake Tapps: Moderate, mostly earthquakesLakeland North: High, mostly earthquakesSumner: Very high, mostly earthquakesFederal Way: High, mostly earthquakesCovington: High, mostly earthquakesMaple Valley: High, mostly inland floodingBlack Diamond: High, mostly avalanchesTukwila: Very high, mostly earthquakesDes Moines: High, mostly earthquakesSeaTac: Very high, mostly earthquakesRenton: Very high, mostly earthquakesEdgewood: High, mostly earthquakesMilton: High, mostly earthquakesBonney Lake: Moderate, mostly earthquakesAlderton: High, mostly inland floodingNorth Puyallup: Very high, mostly earthquakesTacoma: High, mostly earthquakesAuburn: Very high, mostly earthquakes AuburnLake Morton-BerrydaleKentAlgonaLake HolmPacificLakeland SouthLake TappsLakeland NorthSumnerFederal Way
Very lowLowModerateHighVery high
Sumnermostly earthquakesVery high
Pacificmostly earthquakesVery high
Algonamostly earthquakesVery high
Auburnmostly earthquakesVery high
Lake Holmmostly inland floodingVery high
Kentmostly earthquakesVery high
Lakeland Northmostly earthquakesHigh
Lake Morton-Berrydalemostly earthquakesHigh
Lakeland Southmostly earthquakesHigh
Federal Waymostly earthquakesHigh
Lake Tappsmostly 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. Auburn covers 16 census tracts, combined by population.
Money that reached townFlood claims are matched to Auburn’s own flood-insurance community; household aid to the registrant’s city; repair grants to the City of Auburn. 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 Auburn total about $80.2M 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.

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