Natural hazards · Kennewick

Kennewick, WA natural hazards

Most of the natural-hazard damage FEMA expects in Kennewick comes from inland flooding, and overall the risk is moderate for a U.S. community. Flood insurance has paid 2 claims here since 1979. 2 federal disasters brought FEMA money into town.

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

Expected damage

How exposed is Kennewick?

Moderate

vs. U.S. communities

FEMA expects yearly storm and flood damage to homes and buildings in Kennewick to be higher than in 54% of U.S. communities, mostly from inland flooding and earthquakes.

Inland flooding57%Earthquakes19%Heat waves9%Cold waves7%Everything else8%

By hazard

What Kennewick faces

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

Inland flooding

57% of expected damage

Above average · higher than 71% of U.S. places

Recorded about once every 3 years in the area

Earthquakes

19% of expected damage

Well above average · higher than 80% of U.S. places

Heat waves

9% of expected damage

Well above average · higher than 81% of U.S. places

Recorded about 8 times a year in the area

Cold waves

7% of expected damage

Below average · higher than 31% of U.S. places

Recorded about once every 2 years in the area

Lower here

TornadoesHailIce stormsWinter weatherWildfireLandslidesStrong windLightningDroughtVolcanic activity

Not a risk here

Coastal floodingHurricanesAvalanchesTsunamis

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 Kennewick flood?

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

2paid claims since 1979

$7Kpaid to owners

0homes flooded more than once

19792026

Biggest named events

Winter storm: 1 claim, $7K

of all homes
are insured

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

Insurance rates: Benton County.

Disasters that hit Kennewick

2 federal disasters brought FEMA money here

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

Brought FEMA money into KennewickDeclared for Benton County only

2017

Severe Winter Storms, Flooding, Landslides, Mudslides

$1.2M to the City of Kennewick for repairs

2008

Severe Winter Storm and Record and Near Record Snow

$37K to the City of Kennewick for repairs

Benton County has had 18 natural disasters declared since 1953, most often floods and fires.

Around Kennewick

Kennewick and the towns around it

Very lowLowModerateHighVery high

Finleymostly inland floodingVery high

Pascomostly inland floodingHigh

Kennewickmostly inland floodingModerate

Richlandmostly inland floodingModerate

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. Kennewick covers 14 census tracts, combined by population.

Money that reached townFlood claims are matched to Kennewick’s own flood-insurance community; household aid to the registrant’s city; repair grants to the City of Kennewick. 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 Kennewick total about $22.4M 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.