Natural hazards · Monroe

Monroe, WA natural hazards

Most of the natural-hazard damage FEMA expects in Monroe comes from earthquakes, and overall the risk is very high for a U.S. community. Flood insurance has paid 66 claims here since 1979. 9 federal disasters brought FEMA money into town.

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

Expected damage

How exposed is Monroe?

Very high

vs. U.S. communities

FEMA expects yearly storm and flood damage to homes and buildings in Monroe to be higher than in 90% of U.S. communities, mostly from earthquakes and inland flooding.

Earthquakes68%Inland flooding29%Everything else4%

By hazard

What Monroe 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 96% of U.S. places

Inland flooding

29% of expected damage

Well above average · higher than 86% of U.S. places

Recorded about once every 3 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 Monroe flood?

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

66paid claims since 1979

$923Kpaid to owners

5homes flooded more than once

19792026

Biggest named events

Torrential rain: 11 claims, $320K
2025-12-AtmosphericRiver: 1 claim, $23K

Homes that flooded again and again

■ FEMA “severe repetitive loss” (1) ■ flooded 2+ times

of homes in flood zones
are insured

of all homes
are insured

🏷️ 25% off flood insurance. Monroe is in FEMA’s Community Rating System (class 5) for its flood-proofing work.

Insurance rates: Snohomish County.

What’s been done with FEMA grants

5flood-prone properties bought out and cleared

2homes raised above flood level

Disasters that hit Monroe

9 federal disasters brought FEMA money here

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

Brought FEMA money into MonroeDeclared for Snohomish County only

2025

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

30 households applied for aid $187K aid approved

2020

Severe Storms, Flooding, Landslides, and Mudslides

$12K to the City of Monroe for repairs

2014

Flooding and Mudslides

1 household applied for aid $3K aid approved

2009

Severe Winter Storm, Landslides, Mudslides, and Flooding

24 households applied for aid $36K aid approved $52K to the City of Monroe for repairs

2008

Severe Winter Storm and Record and Near Record Snow

$8K to the City of Monroe for repairs

2007

Severe Storms, Flooding, Landslides, and Mudslides

9 households applied for aid $18K aid approved

2006

Severe Winter Storm, Landslides, and Mudslides

$11K to the City of Monroe for repairs

2006

Severe Storms, Flooding, Landslides, and Mudslides

42 households applied for aid $54K aid approved $49K to the City of Monroe for repairs

2003

Severe Storms and Flooding

3 households applied for aid $5K aid approved $4K to the City of Monroe for repairs

Snohomish County has had 33 natural disasters declared since 1953, most often severe storms and floods.

Around Monroe

Monroe and the towns around it

Very lowLowModerateHighVery high

Monroemostly earthquakesVery high

Woods Creekmostly inland floodingVery high

Chain Lakemostly inland floodingVery high

Monroe Northmostly 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. Monroe covers 2 census tracts, combined by population.

Money that reached townFlood claims are matched to Monroe’s own flood-insurance community; household aid to the registrant’s city; repair grants to the City of Monroe. 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 Monroe total about $7.0M 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.