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Natural hazards · Kent

Kent, WA natural hazards

Most of the natural-hazard damage FEMA expects in Kent comes from earthquakes, and overall the risk is very high for a U.S. community. Flood insurance has paid 24 claims here since 1986. 10 federal disasters brought FEMA money into town.

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

How exposed is Kent?

82
Very high
vs. U.S. communities

FEMA expects yearly storm and flood damage to homes and buildings in Kent to be higher than in 82% of U.S. communities, mostly from earthquakes and inland flooding.

Earthquakes68%Inland flooding30%Everything else1%
By hazard

What Kent faces

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

Earthquakes

68% of expected damage
Well above average · higher than 93% of U.S. places

Inland flooding

30% of expected damage
Above average · higher than 72% of U.S. places
Recorded about once every 4 years in the area

Lower here

TornadoesHailIce stormsWinter weatherCold wavesHeat wavesWildfireLandslidesStrong 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 Kent flood?

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

24paid claims since 1986
$666Kpaid to owners
4homes flooded more than once
19862026

Biggest named events

  • 2025-12-AtmosphericRiver: 7 claims, $452K
  • Torrential rain: 1 claim, $20K

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
🏷️ 25% off flood insurance. Kent is in FEMA’s Community Rating System (class 5) for its flood-proofing work.
Insurance rates: King County.

What’s been done with FEMA grants

1flood-prone properties bought out and cleared
Disasters that hit Kent

10 federal disasters brought FEMA money here

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

Brought FEMA money into KentDeclared for King County only
2025

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

102 households applied for aid $460K aid approved
2017

Severe Winter Storms, Flooding, Landslides, Mudslides

$88K to the City of Kent for repairs
2012

Severe Winter Storm, Flooding, Landslides, and Mudslides

$139K to the City of Kent for repairs
2009

Severe Winter Storm, Landslides, Mudslides, and Flooding

27 households applied for aid $61K aid approved $450K to the City of Kent for repairs
2008

Severe Winter Storm and Record and Near Record Snow

$42K to the City of Kent for repairs
2007

Severe Storms, Flooding, Landslides, and Mudslides

9 households applied for aid $11K aid approved $2K to the City of Kent for repairs
2006

Severe Winter Storm, Landslides, and Mudslides

$67K to the City of Kent for repairs
2006

Severe Storms, Flooding, Landslides, and Mudslides

16 households applied for aid $7K aid approved $18K to the City of Kent for repairs
2003

Severe Storms and Flooding

5 households applied for aid $2K aid approved
2001

Earthquake

$111K to the City of Kent for repairs
King County has had 30 natural disasters declared since 1953, most often floods and severe storms.
Around Kent

Kent and the towns around it

Tukwila: Very high, mostly earthquakesDes Moines: High, mostly earthquakesSeaTac: Very high, mostly earthquakesCovington: High, mostly earthquakesAuburn: Very high, mostly earthquakesRenton: Very high, mostly earthquakesLake Morton-Berrydale: High, mostly earthquakesMaple Valley: High, mostly inland floodingBurien: High, mostly earthquakesSeattle: High, mostly earthquakesBoulevard Park: Very high, mostly earthquakesBryn Mawr-Skyway: Very high, mostly earthquakesFederal Way: High, mostly earthquakesNormandy Park: High, mostly earthquakesShadow Lake: High, mostly earthquakesAlgona: Very high, mostly earthquakesLake Holm: Very high, mostly inland floodingPacific: Very high, mostly earthquakesLakeland South: High, mostly earthquakesLake Tapps: Moderate, mostly earthquakesLakeland North: High, mostly earthquakesSumner: Very high, mostly earthquakesFairwood: Very high, mostly earthquakesEast Renton Highlands: Very high, mostly earthquakesNewcastle: High, mostly avalanchesMercer Island: High, mostly earthquakesMaple Heights-Lake Desire: High, mostly earthquakesBlack Diamond: High, mostly avalanchesHobart: Very high, mostly inland floodingKent: Very high, mostly earthquakes KentTukwilaDes MoinesSeaTacCovingtonAuburnRentonLake Morton-BerrydaleMaple Valley
Very lowLowModerateHighVery high
Tukwilamostly earthquakesVery high
SeaTacmostly earthquakesVery high
Auburnmostly earthquakesVery high
Rentonmostly earthquakesVery high
Kentmostly earthquakesVery high
Covingtonmostly earthquakesHigh
Des Moinesmostly earthquakesHigh
Lake Morton-Berrydalemostly earthquakesHigh
Maple Valleymostly inland floodingHigh
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. Kent covers 27 census tracts, combined by population.
Money that reached townFlood claims are matched to Kent’s own flood-insurance community; household aid to the registrant’s city; repair grants to the City of Kent. 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 Kent total about $118M 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.

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