Natural hazards · Tacoma

Tacoma, WA natural hazards

Most of the natural-hazard damage FEMA expects in Tacoma comes from earthquakes, and overall the risk is high for a U.S. community. Flood insurance has paid 54 claims here since 1979. 8 federal disasters brought FEMA money into town.

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

Expected damage

How exposed is Tacoma?

High

vs. U.S. communities

FEMA expects yearly storm and flood damage to homes and buildings in Tacoma to be higher than in 77% of U.S. communities, mostly from earthquakes.

Earthquakes84%Inland flooding12%Everything else4%

By hazard

What Tacoma faces

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

Earthquakes

84% of expected damage

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

Inland flooding

12% of expected damage

Well below average · higher than 20% of U.S. places

Recorded about once every 9 years in the area

Lower here

Coastal floodingTornadoesHailIce stormsWinter weatherHeat wavesWildfireLandslidesStrong windLightningDroughtTsunamisVolcanic activity

Not a risk here

HurricanesCold wavesAvalanches

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 Tacoma flood?

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

54paid claims since 1979

$1.2Mpaid to owners

4homes flooded more than once

19792026

Biggest named events

Torrential rain: 2 claims, $46K

Homes that flooded again and again

■ FEMA “severe repetitive loss” (3) ■ flooded 2+ times

of homes in flood zones
are insured

of all homes
are insured

No community discount. Tacoma 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

36flood-prone properties bought out and cleared

1flood-prone homes bought out and moved

Disasters that hit Tacoma

8 federal disasters brought FEMA money here

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

Brought FEMA money into TacomaDeclared for Pierce County only

2025

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

108 households applied for aid $324K aid approved

2012

Severe Winter Storm, Flooding, Landslides, and Mudslides

$2.5M to the City of Tacoma for repairs

2009

Severe Winter Storm, Landslides, Mudslides, and Flooding

199 households applied for aid $740K aid approved $1.3M to the City of Tacoma for repairs

2008

Severe Winter Storm and Record and Near Record Snow

$114K to the City of Tacoma for repairs

2006

Severe Winter Storm, Landslides, and Mudslides

$2.5M to the City of Tacoma for repairs

2006

Severe Storms, Flooding, Landslides, and Mudslides

84 households applied for aid $33K aid approved $4.8M to the City of Tacoma for repairs

2003

Severe Storms and Flooding

31 households applied for aid $32K aid approved

2001

Earthquake

$105K to the City of Tacoma for repairs

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

Around Tacoma

Tacoma and the towns around it

Very lowLowModerateHighVery high

Fife Heightsmostly earthquakesVery high

Fifemostly earthquakesVery high

Wallermostly earthquakesVery high

Vashonmostly earthquakesVery high

Tacomamostly earthquakesHigh

Lakewoodmostly earthquakesHigh

Parklandmostly earthquakesHigh

Fircrestmostly earthquakesHigh

Midlandmostly earthquakesHigh

University Placemostly earthquakesHigh

Federal Waymostly earthquakesHigh

Browns Pointmostly earthquakesModerate

Dash Pointmostly 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. Tacoma covers 51 census tracts, combined by population.

Money that reached townFlood claims are matched to Tacoma’s own flood-insurance community; household aid to the registrant’s city; repair grants to the City of Tacoma. 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 Tacoma total about $171M 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.