Natural hazards · Seattle

Seattle, WA natural hazards

Most of the natural-hazard damage FEMA expects in Seattle comes from earthquakes, and overall the risk is high for a U.S. community. Flood insurance has paid 156 claims here since 1978. 13 federal disasters brought FEMA money into town.

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

Expected damage

How exposed is Seattle?

High

vs. U.S. communities

FEMA expects yearly storm and flood damage to homes and buildings in Seattle to be higher than in 76% of U.S. communities, mostly from earthquakes and inland flooding.

Earthquakes80%Inland flooding18%Everything else3%

By hazard

What Seattle faces

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

Earthquakes

80% of expected damage

Well above average · higher than 94% of U.S. places

Inland flooding

18% of expected damage

Below average · higher than 30% of U.S. places

Recorded about once every 4 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 Seattle flood?

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

156paid claims since 1978

$4.7Mpaid to owners

19homes flooded more than once

19782026

Biggest named events

Winter storm: 18 claims, $317K
Torrential rain: 1 claim, $68K
2025-12-AtmosphericRiver: 1 claim, $8K

Homes that flooded again and again

■ FEMA “severe repetitive loss” (2) ■ flooded 2+ times

of homes in flood zones
are insured

of all homes
are insured

No community discount. Seattle 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.

Disasters that hit Seattle

13 federal disasters brought FEMA money here

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

Brought FEMA money into SeattleDeclared for King County only

2025

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

88 households applied for aid $235K aid approved

2024

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

$58K to the City of Seattle for repairs

2020

Severe Storms, Flooding, Landslides, and Mudslides

$571K to the City of Seattle for repairs

2017

Severe Winter Storms, Flooding, Landslides, Mudslides

$1.1M to the City of Seattle for repairs

2012

Severe Winter Storm, Flooding, Landslides, and Mudslides

$1.6M to the City of Seattle for repairs

2011

Severe Winter Storm, Flooding, Landslides, and Mudslides

$54K to the City of Seattle for repairs

2009

Severe Winter Storm, Landslides, Mudslides, and Flooding

36 households applied for aid $38K aid approved $1.2M to the City of Seattle for repairs

2008

Severe Winter Storm and Record and Near Record Snow

$1.2M to the City of Seattle for repairs

2007

Severe Storms, Flooding, Landslides, and Mudslides

503 households applied for aid $926K aid approved $1.2M to the City of Seattle for repairs

2006

Severe Winter Storm, Landslides, and Mudslides

$7.0M to the City of Seattle for repairs

2006

Severe Storms, Flooding, Landslides, and Mudslides

122 households applied for aid $169K aid approved $436K to the City of Seattle for repairs

2003

Severe Storms and Flooding

44 households applied for aid $51K aid approved $663K to the City of Seattle for repairs

2001

Earthquake

$4.4M to the City of Seattle for repairs

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

Around Seattle

Seattle and the towns around it

Very lowLowModerateHighVery high

Tukwilamostly earthquakesVery high

Boulevard Parkmostly earthquakesVery high

Bryn Mawr-Skywaymostly earthquakesVery high

Vashonmostly earthquakesVery high

White Centermostly earthquakesHigh

Burienmostly earthquakesHigh

Seattlemostly earthquakesHigh

Shorelinemostly earthquakesHigh

Kenmoremostly earthquakesHigh

Kirklandmostly earthquakesHigh

Mercer Islandmostly earthquakesHigh

Bainbridge Islandmostly earthquakesHigh

Medinamostly 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. Seattle covers 177 census tracts, combined by population.

Money that reached townFlood claims are matched to Seattle’s own flood-insurance community; household aid to the registrant’s city; repair grants to the City of Seattle. 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 Seattle total about $530M 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.