Natural hazards · McChord AFB

McChord AFB, WA natural hazards

Most of the natural-hazard damage FEMA expects in McChord AFB comes from earthquakes, and overall the risk is high for a U.S. community.

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

Expected damage

How exposed is McChord AFB?

High

vs. U.S. communities

FEMA expects yearly storm and flood damage to homes and buildings in McChord AFB to be higher than in 60% of U.S. communities, mostly from earthquakes and inland flooding.

Earthquakes67%Inland flooding29%Everything else4%

By hazard

What McChord AFB faces

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

Earthquakes

67% of expected damage

Well above average · higher than 91% of U.S. places

Inland flooding

29% of expected damage

Well below average · higher than 19% of U.S. places

Recorded about once every 9 years in the area

Lower here

TornadoesHailIce stormsWinter weatherHeat wavesWildfireLandslidesStrong windLightningVolcanic activity

Not a risk here

Coastal floodingHurricanesCold wavesDroughtAvalanchesTsunamis

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 McChord AFB flood?

FEMA's records show no paid flood insurance claims in McChord AFB.

of homes in flood zones
are insured

of all homes
are insured

No community discount. McChord AFB 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 McChord AFB

Federal disasters declared here

None of the disasters declared for Pierce County shows FEMA aid or repair money reaching McChord AFB itself in FEMA’s records.

Brought FEMA money into McChord AFBDeclared for Pierce County only

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

Around McChord AFB

McChord AFB and the towns around it

Very lowLowModerateHighVery high

Lakewoodmostly earthquakesHigh

Parklandmostly earthquakesHigh

Spanawaymostly earthquakesHigh

McChord AFBmostly 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. McChord AFB covers 1 census tract, combined by population.

Money that reached townFlood claims are matched to McChord AFB’s own flood-insurance community; household aid to the registrant’s city; repair grants to McChord AFB. 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 McChord AFB total about $1.5M 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.