Natural hazards · Oak Harbor

Oak Harbor, WA natural hazards

Most of the natural-hazard damage FEMA expects in Oak Harbor comes from earthquakes, and overall the risk is moderate for a U.S. community. Flood insurance has paid 5 claims here since 2018. 3 federal disasters brought FEMA money into town.

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

Expected damage

How exposed is Oak Harbor?

Moderate

vs. U.S. communities

FEMA expects yearly storm and flood damage to homes and buildings in Oak Harbor to be higher than in 53% of U.S. communities, mostly from earthquakes and inland flooding.

Earthquakes77%Inland flooding18%Everything else5%

By hazard

What Oak Harbor faces

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

Earthquakes

77% of expected damage

Well above average · higher than 90% of U.S. places

Inland flooding

18% of expected damage

Well below average · higher than 6% of U.S. places

Recorded about once every 28 years in the area

Lower here

Coastal floodingTornadoesHailIce stormsWinter weatherCold wavesHeat wavesWildfireLandslidesStrong windLightningTsunamisVolcanic activity

Not a risk here

HurricanesDroughtAvalanches

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 Oak Harbor flood?

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

5paid claims since 2018

$72Kpaid to owners

0homes flooded more than once

20182026

of homes in flood zones
are insured

of all homes
are insured

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

Insurance rates: Island County.

Disasters that hit Oak Harbor

3 federal disasters brought FEMA money here

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

Brought FEMA money into Oak HarborDeclared for Island County only

2015

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

$11K to the City of Oak Harbor for repairs

2006

Severe Winter Storm, Landslides, and Mudslides

$13K to the City of Oak Harbor for repairs

2006

Severe Storms, Flooding, Tidal Surge, Landslides, and Mudslides

$64K to the City of Oak Harbor for repairs

Island County has had 20 natural disasters declared since 1953, most often severe storms and floods.

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. Oak Harbor covers 5 census tracts, combined by population.

Money that reached townFlood claims are matched to Oak Harbor’s own flood-insurance community; household aid to the registrant’s city; repair grants to the City of Oak Harbor. 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 Oak Harbor total about $6.7M 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.