Natural hazards · Vancouver

Vancouver, WA natural hazards

Most of the natural-hazard damage FEMA expects in Vancouver comes from earthquakes, and overall the risk is low for a U.S. community. Flood insurance has paid 5 claims here since 1986. 3 federal disasters brought FEMA money into town.

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

Expected damage

How exposed is Vancouver?

Low

vs. U.S. communities

FEMA expects yearly storm and flood damage to homes and buildings in Vancouver to be higher than in 36% of U.S. communities, mostly from earthquakes and inland flooding.

Earthquakes51%Inland flooding27%Cold waves12%Heat waves6%Everything else3%

By hazard

What Vancouver faces

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

Earthquakes

51% of expected damage

Well above average · higher than 85% of U.S. places

Inland flooding

27% of expected damage

Below average · higher than 26% of U.S. places

Recorded about once every 3 years in the area

Cold waves

12% of expected damage

Below average · higher than 26% of U.S. places

Recorded about once every 4 years in the area

Heat waves

6% of expected damage

Well above average · higher than 81% of U.S. places

Recorded about 7 times a year in the area

Lower here

Coastal floodingTornadoesHailIce stormsWinter weatherWildfireLandslidesStrong windLightningVolcanic activity

Not a risk here

HurricanesDroughtAvalanchesTsunamis

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 Vancouver flood?

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

5paid claims since 1986

$110Kpaid to owners

0homes flooded more than once

19862026

of homes in flood zones
are insured

of all homes
are insured

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

Insurance rates: Clark County.

Disasters that hit Vancouver

3 federal disasters brought FEMA money here

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

Brought FEMA money into VancouverDeclared for Clark County only

2008

Severe Winter Storm and Record and Near Record Snow

$20K to the City of Vancouver for repairs

2006

Severe Winter Storm, Landslides, and Mudslides

$46K to the City of Vancouver for repairs

2006

Severe Storms, Flooding, Landslides, and Mudslides

10 households applied for aid $3K aid approved

Clark County has had 15 natural disasters declared since 1953, most often floods and severe storms.

Around Vancouver

Vancouver and the towns around it

Very lowLowModerateHighVery high

Portlandmostly earthquakesHigh

Five Cornersmostly inland floodingModerate

Hazel Dellmostly earthquakesModerate

Camasmostly inland floodingModerate

Lake Shoremostly earthquakesLow

Vancouvermostly earthquakesLow

Minnehahamostly inland floodingLow

Orchardsmostly inland floodingLow

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. Vancouver covers 49 census tracts, combined by population.

Money that reached townFlood claims are matched to Vancouver’s own flood-insurance community; household aid to the registrant’s city; repair grants to the City of Vancouver. 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 Vancouver total about $60.3M 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.