Natural hazards · Cle Elum

Cle Elum, WA natural hazards

Most of the natural-hazard damage FEMA expects in Cle Elum comes from inland flooding, and overall the risk is high for a U.S. community. Flood insurance has paid 8 claims here since 1980. 2 federal disasters brought FEMA money into town.

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

Expected damage

How exposed is Cle Elum?

High

vs. U.S. communities

FEMA expects yearly storm and flood damage to homes and buildings in Cle Elum to be higher than in 68% of U.S. communities, mostly from inland flooding and wildfires.

Inland flooding51%Wildfire28%Earthquakes18%Everything else4%

By hazard

What Cle Elum faces

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

Inland flooding

51% of expected damage

Above average · higher than 63% of U.S. places

Recorded about once every 2 years in the area

Wildfire

28% of expected damage

Well above average · higher than 98% of U.S. places

Earthquakes

18% of expected damage

Well above average · higher than 82% of U.S. places

Lower here

TornadoesHailIce stormsWinter weatherCold wavesHeat wavesLandslidesStrong 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 Cle Elum flood?

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

8paid claims since 1980

$163Kpaid to owners

1homes flooded more than once

19802026

Biggest named events

Torrential rain: 1 claim, $10K

Homes that flooded again and again

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

of all homes
are insured

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

Insurance rates: Kittitas County.

Disasters that hit Cle Elum

2 federal disasters brought FEMA money here

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

Brought FEMA money into Cle ElumDeclared for Kittitas County only

2009

Severe Winter Storm, Landslides, Mudslides, and Flooding

135 households applied for aid $333K aid approved $95K to the City of Cle Elum for repairs

2008

Severe Winter Storm and Record and Near Record Snow

$9K to the City of Cle Elum for repairs

Kittitas County has had 26 natural disasters declared since 1953, most often fires 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. Cle Elum covers 1 census tract, combined by population.

Money that reached townFlood claims are matched to Cle Elum’s own flood-insurance community; household aid to the registrant’s city; repair grants to the City of Cle Elum. 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 Cle Elum total about $1.1M 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.