Natural hazards · Darrington

Darrington, WA natural hazards

Most of the natural-hazard damage FEMA expects in Darrington comes from landslides, and overall the risk is very high for a U.S. community. Flood insurance has paid 1 claim here since 2003. 6 federal disasters brought FEMA money into town.

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

Expected damage

How exposed is Darrington?

Very high

vs. U.S. communities

FEMA expects yearly storm and flood damage to homes and buildings in Darrington to be higher than in 94% of U.S. communities, mostly from landslides and inland flooding.

Landslides52%Inland flooding23%Avalanches20%Everything else6%

By hazard

What Darrington faces

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

Landslides

52% of expected damage

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

Inland flooding

23% of expected damage

Well above average · higher than 97% of U.S. places

Recorded about once every 3 years in the area

Avalanches

20% of expected damage

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

Recorded about once every 3 years in the area

Lower here

TornadoesHailIce stormsWinter weatherHeat wavesWildfireEarthquakesStrong windLightningVolcanic activity

Not a risk here

Coastal floodingHurricanesCold wavesDroughtTsunamis

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 Darrington flood?

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

1paid claims since 2003

$133Kpaid to owners

1homes flooded more than once

20032026

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. Darrington 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

4flood-prone properties bought out and cleared

Disasters that hit Darrington

6 federal disasters brought FEMA money here

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

Brought FEMA money into DarringtonDeclared for Snohomish County only

2025

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

5 households applied for aid $55K aid approved

2014

Flooding and Mudslides

509 households applied for aid $969K aid approved $11K to the Town of Darrington for repairs

2009

Severe Winter Storm, Landslides, Mudslides, and Flooding

3 households applied for aid

2008

Severe Winter Storm and Record and Near Record Snow

$10K to the Town of Darrington for repairs

2006

Severe Storms, Flooding, Landslides, and Mudslides

4 households applied for aid

2003

Severe Storms and Flooding

30 households applied for aid $58K aid approved

Snohomish County has had 33 natural disasters declared since 1953, most often severe storms 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. Darrington 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 Darrington’s own flood-insurance community; household aid to the registrant’s city; repair grants to the Town of Darrington. 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.