Natural hazards · Pacific

Pacific, WA natural hazards

Most of the natural-hazard damage FEMA expects in Pacific comes from earthquakes, and overall the risk is very high for a U.S. community. Flood insurance has paid 58 claims here since 2000. 4 federal disasters brought FEMA money into town.

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

Expected damage

How exposed is Pacific?

Very high

vs. U.S. communities

FEMA expects yearly storm and flood damage to homes and buildings in Pacific to be higher than in 91% of U.S. communities, mostly from earthquakes and inland flooding.

Earthquakes53%Inland flooding35%Volcanic activity11%Everything else2%

By hazard

What Pacific faces

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

Earthquakes

53% of expected damage

Well above average · higher than 95% of U.S. places

Inland flooding

35% of expected damage

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

Recorded about once every 4 years in the area

Volcanic activity

11% of expected damage

Well above average · among the top 1% of U.S. places

Lower here

TornadoesHailIce stormsWinter weatherHeat wavesWildfireLandslidesStrong windLightning

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 Pacific flood?

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

58paid claims since 2000

$3.1Mpaid to owners

5homes flooded more than once

20002026

Biggest named events

2025-12-AtmosphericRiver: 21 claims, $2.5M

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

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

Insurance rates: King County.

What’s been done with FEMA grants

4flood-prone properties bought out and cleared

Disasters that hit Pacific

4 federal disasters brought FEMA money here

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

Brought FEMA money into PacificDeclared for King County only

2025

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

69 households applied for aid $683K aid approved

2009

Severe Winter Storm, Landslides, Mudslides, and Flooding

108 households applied for aid $429K aid approved $199K to the City of Pacific for repairs

2008

Severe Winter Storm and Record and Near Record Snow

$11K to the City of Pacific for repairs

2006

Severe Storms, Flooding, Landslides, and Mudslides

$13K to the City of Pacific for repairs

King County has had 30 natural disasters declared since 1953, most often floods and severe storms.

Around Pacific

Pacific and the towns around it

Very lowLowModerateHighVery high

Sumnermostly earthquakesVery high

Pacificmostly earthquakesVery high

Algonamostly earthquakesVery high

Auburnmostly earthquakesVery high

Edgewoodmostly earthquakesHigh

Lakeland Southmostly 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. Pacific covers 1 census tract, combined by population.

Money that reached townFlood claims are matched to Pacific’s own flood-insurance community; household aid to the registrant’s city; repair grants to the City of Pacific. 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 Pacific total about $3.9M 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.