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Natural hazards · Olympia

Olympia, WA natural hazards

Most of the natural-hazard damage FEMA expects in Olympia comes from earthquakes, and overall the risk is very high for a U.S. community. Flood insurance has paid 18 claims here since 1987. 10 federal disasters brought FEMA money into town.

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

How exposed is Olympia?

82
Very high
vs. U.S. communities

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

Earthquakes86%Inland flooding12%Everything else2%
By hazard

What Olympia faces

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

Earthquakes

86% of expected damage
Well above average · higher than 96% of U.S. places

Inland flooding

12% of expected damage
Below average · higher than 35% of U.S. places
Recorded about once every 7 years in the area

Lower here

Coastal floodingTornadoesHailIce stormsWinter weatherHeat wavesWildfireLandslidesStrong windLightningTsunamisVolcanic activity

Not a risk here

HurricanesCold wavesDroughtAvalanches
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 Olympia flood?

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

18paid claims since 1987
$416Kpaid to owners
3homes flooded more than once
19872026

Biggest named events

  • Winter storm: 1 claim, $143K

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
No community discount. Olympia isn’t in FEMA’s Community Rating System, which cuts flood insurance up to 45% in towns that do extra flood-proofing.
Insurance rates: Thurston County.
Disasters that hit Olympia

10 federal disasters brought FEMA money here

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

Brought FEMA money into OlympiaDeclared for Thurston County only
2025

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

23 households applied for aid $63K aid approved
2020

Severe Storms, Flooding, Landslides, and Mudslides

$828K to the City of Olympia for repairs
2012

Severe Winter Storm, Flooding, Landslides, and Mudslides

$348K to the City of Olympia for repairs
2009

Severe Winter Storm, Landslides, Mudslides, and Flooding

63 households applied for aid $123K aid approved
2008

Severe Winter Storm and Record and Near Record Snow

$57K to the City of Olympia for repairs
2007

Severe Storms, Flooding, Landslides, and Mudslides

161 households applied for aid $355K aid approved $192K to the City of Olympia for repairs
2006

Severe Winter Storm, Landslides, and Mudslides

$46K to the City of Olympia for repairs
2006

Severe Storms, Flooding, Landslides, and Mudslides

34 households applied for aid $22K aid approved
2003

Severe Storms and Flooding

23 households applied for aid $40K aid approved
2001

Earthquake

$713K to the City of Olympia for repairs
Thurston County has had 26 natural disasters declared since 1953, most often floods and severe storms.
Around Olympia

Olympia and the towns around it

Tumwater: Very high, mostly earthquakesLacey: High, mostly earthquakesTanglewilde: Very high, mostly earthquakesOlympia: Very high, mostly earthquakes OlympiaTumwaterLacey
Very lowLowModerateHighVery high
Tumwatermostly earthquakesVery high
Olympiamostly earthquakesVery high
Laceymostly 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. Olympia covers 10 census tracts, combined by population.
Money that reached townFlood claims are matched to Olympia’s own flood-insurance community; household aid to the registrant’s city; repair grants to the City of Olympia. 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 Olympia total about $54.3M 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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