Natural hazards · Puyallup

Puyallup, WA natural hazards

Most of the natural-hazard damage FEMA expects in Puyallup comes from earthquakes, and overall the risk is very high for a U.S. community. Flood insurance has paid 89 claims here since 1979. 7 federal disasters brought FEMA money into town.

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

Expected damage

How exposed is Puyallup?

Very high

vs. U.S. communities

FEMA expects yearly storm and flood damage to homes and buildings in Puyallup to be higher than in 86% of U.S. communities, mostly from earthquakes and inland flooding.

Earthquakes67%Inland flooding27%Everything else6%

By hazard

What Puyallup faces

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

Earthquakes

67% of expected damage

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

Inland flooding

27% of expected damage

Well above average · higher than 75% of U.S. places

Recorded about once every 9 years in the area

Lower here

TornadoesHailIce stormsWinter weatherHeat wavesWildfireLandslidesStrong windLightningDroughtVolcanic activity

Not a risk here

Coastal floodingHurricanesCold wavesAvalanchesTsunamis

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 Puyallup flood?

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

89paid claims since 1979

$3.9Mpaid to owners

6homes flooded more than once

19792026

Biggest named events

2025-12-AtmosphericRiver: 8 claims, $1.1M
Torrential rain: 2 claims, $6K
Winter storm: 1 claim, $4K

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. Puyallup isn’t in FEMA’s Community Rating System, which cuts flood insurance up to 45% in towns that do extra flood-proofing.

Insurance rates: Pierce County.

What’s been done with FEMA grants

6flood-prone properties bought out and cleared

1homes raised above flood level

Disasters that hit Puyallup

7 federal disasters brought FEMA money here

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

Brought FEMA money into PuyallupDeclared for Pierce County only

2025

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

122 households applied for aid $432K aid approved $30K to the City of Puyallup for repairs

2012

Severe Winter Storm, Flooding, Landslides, and Mudslides

$229K to the City of Puyallup for repairs

2009

Severe Winter Storm, Landslides, Mudslides, and Flooding

98 households applied for aid $201K aid approved $229K to the City of Puyallup for repairs

2008

Severe Winter Storm and Record and Near Record Snow

$18K to the City of Puyallup for repairs

2006

Severe Storms, Flooding, Landslides, and Mudslides

46 households applied for aid $109K aid approved $140K to the City of Puyallup for repairs

2003

Severe Storms and Flooding

2 households applied for aid $4K aid approved

2001

Earthquake

$131K to the City of Puyallup for repairs

Pierce County has had 22 natural disasters declared since 1953, most often floods and severe storms.

Around Puyallup

Puyallup and the towns around it

Very lowLowModerateHighVery high

North Puyallupmostly earthquakesVery high

Fifemostly earthquakesVery high

Puyallupmostly earthquakesVery high

Aldertonmostly inland floodingHigh

Edgewoodmostly earthquakesHigh

Summitmostly earthquakesHigh

South Hillmostly earthquakesModerate

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. Puyallup covers 10 census tracts, combined by population.

Money that reached townFlood claims are matched to Puyallup’s own flood-insurance community; household aid to the registrant’s city; repair grants to the City of Puyallup. 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 Puyallup total about $52.1M 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.