Natural hazards · Fife

Fife, WA natural hazards

Most of the natural-hazard damage FEMA expects in Fife comes from earthquakes, and overall the risk is very high for a U.S. community. Flood insurance has paid 4 claims here since 1996. 6 federal disasters brought FEMA money into town.

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

Expected damage

How exposed is Fife?

Very high

vs. U.S. communities

FEMA expects yearly storm and flood damage to homes and buildings in Fife to be higher than in 91% of U.S. communities, mostly from earthquakes and inland flooding.

Earthquakes53%Inland flooding37%Volcanic activity8%Everything else2%

By hazard

What Fife faces

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

Earthquakes

53% of expected damage

Well above average · higher than 95% of U.S. places

Inland flooding

37% of expected damage

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

Recorded about once every 9 years in the area

Volcanic activity

8% of expected damage

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

Lower here

TornadoesHailIce stormsWinter weatherHeat wavesWildfireLandslidesStrong windLightningDrought

Not a risk here

Coastal floodingHurricanesCold wavesAvalanchesTsunamis

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 Fife flood?

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

4paid claims since 1996

$21Kpaid to owners

0homes flooded more than once

19962026

of homes in flood zones
are insured

of all homes
are insured

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

Insurance rates: Pierce County.

Disasters that hit Fife

6 federal disasters brought FEMA money here

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

Brought FEMA money into FifeDeclared for Pierce County only

2025

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

8 households applied for aid $12K aid approved

2009

Severe Winter Storm, Landslides, Mudslides, and Flooding

6 households applied for aid $2K aid approved $60K to the City of Fife for repairs

2008

Severe Winter Storm and Record and Near Record Snow

$4K to the City of Fife for repairs

2006

Severe Winter Storm, Landslides, and Mudslides

$7K to the City of Fife for repairs

2006

Severe Storms, Flooding, Landslides, and Mudslides

$9K to the City of Fife for repairs

2001

Earthquake

$24K to the City of Fife for repairs

Pierce County has had 22 natural disasters declared since 1953, most often floods and severe storms.

Around Fife

Fife and the towns around it

Very lowLowModerateHighVery high

Fife Heightsmostly earthquakesVery high

Fifemostly earthquakesVery high

Puyallupmostly earthquakesVery high

Wallermostly earthquakesVery high

Tacomamostly earthquakesHigh

Edgewoodmostly earthquakesHigh

Miltonmostly earthquakesHigh

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. Fife covers 2 census tracts, combined by population.

Money that reached townFlood claims are matched to Fife’s own flood-insurance community; household aid to the registrant’s city; repair grants to the City of Fife. 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 Fife total about $7.9M 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.