Natural hazards · Castle Rock

Castle Rock, WA natural hazards

Most of the natural-hazard damage FEMA expects in Castle Rock comes from inland flooding, and overall the risk is very high for a U.S. community. Flood insurance has paid 20 claims here since 1980. 5 federal disasters brought FEMA money into town.

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

Expected damage

How exposed is Castle Rock?

Very high

vs. U.S. communities

FEMA expects yearly storm and flood damage to homes and buildings in Castle Rock to be higher than in 87% of U.S. communities, mostly from inland flooding and volcanic activity.

Inland flooding44%Volcanic activity32%Earthquakes18%Everything else7%

By hazard

What Castle Rock faces

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

Inland flooding

44% of expected damage

Well above average · higher than 92% of U.S. places

Recorded about once a year in the area

Volcanic activity

32% of expected damage

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

Earthquakes

18% of expected damage

Well above average · higher than 85% of U.S. places

Lower here

TornadoesHailIce stormsWinter weatherCold wavesHeat wavesWildfireLandslidesStrong windLightning

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 Castle Rock flood?

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

20paid claims since 1980

$485Kpaid to owners

1homes flooded more than once

19802026

Biggest named events

Mt. St. Helens Eruption: 12 claims, $366K

Homes that flooded again and again

■ FEMA “severe repetitive loss” (0) ■ flooded 2+ times

of homes in flood zones
are insured

of all homes
are insured

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

Insurance rates: Cowlitz County.

What’s been done with FEMA grants

2flood-prone properties bought out and cleared

2homes raised above flood level

Disasters that hit Castle Rock

5 federal disasters brought FEMA money here

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

Brought FEMA money into Castle RockDeclared for Cowlitz County only

2021

Severe Winter Storms, Snowstorms, Straight-Line Winds, Flooding

$13K to the City of Castle Rock for repairs

2015

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

$34K to the City of Castle Rock for repairs

2009

Severe Winter Storm, Landslides, Mudslides, and Flooding

48 households applied for aid $87K aid approved $41K to the City of Castle Rock for repairs

2008

Severe Winter Storm and Record and Near Record Snow

$4K to the City of Castle Rock for repairs

2006

Severe Storms, Flooding, Landslides, and Mudslides

36 households applied for aid $163K aid approved $17K to the City of Castle Rock for repairs

Cowlitz County has had 21 natural disasters declared since 1953, most often floods and severe storms.

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. Castle Rock 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 Castle Rock’s own flood-insurance community; household aid to the registrant’s city; repair grants to the City of Castle Rock. 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.