Natural hazards · Poulsbo

Poulsbo, WA natural hazards

Most of the natural-hazard damage FEMA expects in Poulsbo comes from earthquakes, and overall the risk is very high for a U.S. community. Flood insurance has paid 1 claim here since 2016. 2 federal disasters brought FEMA money into town.

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

Expected damage

How exposed is Poulsbo?

Very high

vs. U.S. communities

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

Earthquakes89%Inland flooding8%Everything else3%

By hazard

What Poulsbo faces

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

Earthquakes

89% of expected damage

Well above average · higher than 98% of U.S. places

Inland flooding

8% of expected damage

Well below average · higher than 5% of U.S. places

Recorded about once every 28 years in the area

Lower here

Coastal floodingTornadoesHailIce stormsWinter weatherHeat wavesWildfireLandslidesStrong windLightningTsunamis

Not a risk here

HurricanesCold wavesDroughtAvalanchesVolcanic activity

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 Poulsbo flood?

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

1paid claims since 2016

$7Kpaid to owners

0homes flooded more than once

20162026

of homes in flood zones
are insured

of all homes
are insured

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

Insurance rates: Kitsap County.

Disasters that hit Poulsbo

2 federal disasters brought FEMA money here

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

Brought FEMA money into PoulsboDeclared for Kitsap County only

2007

Severe Storms, Flooding, Landslides, and Mudslides

71 households applied for aid $97K aid approved $18K to the City of Poulsbo for repairs

2003

Severe Storms and Flooding

4 households applied for aid $3K aid approved

Kitsap County has had 14 natural disasters declared since 1953, most often floods and severe storms.

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. Poulsbo covers 2 census tracts, combined by population.

Money that reached townFlood claims are matched to Poulsbo’s own flood-insurance community (here, the census tracts inside it); household aid to the registrant’s city; repair grants to the City of Poulsbo. 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 Poulsbo total about $9.2M 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.