Natural hazards · Vashon

Vashon, WA natural hazards

Most of the natural-hazard damage FEMA expects in Vashon comes from earthquakes, and overall the risk is very high for a U.S. community. Flood insurance has paid 22 claims here since 1982. 5 federal disasters brought FEMA money into town.

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

Expected damage

How exposed is Vashon?

Very high

vs. U.S. communities

FEMA expects yearly storm and flood damage to homes and buildings in Vashon to be higher than in 81% of U.S. communities, mostly from earthquakes and inland flooding.

Earthquakes67%Inland flooding25%Tsunamis6%Everything else3%

By hazard

What Vashon 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 94% of U.S. places

Inland flooding

25% of expected damage

Above average · higher than 56% of U.S. places

Recorded about once every 4 years in the area

Tsunamis

6% of expected damage

Well above average · among the top 1% of U.S. places

Lower here

Coastal floodingTornadoesHailIce stormsWinter weatherHeat wavesWildfireLandslidesStrong windLightningVolcanic 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 Vashon flood?

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

22paid claims since 1982

$1.2Mpaid to owners

0homes flooded more than once

19822026

of homes in flood zones
are insured

of all homes
are insured

No community discount. Vashon 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 Vashon

5 federal disasters brought FEMA money here

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

Brought FEMA money into VashonDeclared for King County only

2025

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

2 households applied for aid $34K aid approved

2009

Severe Winter Storm, Landslides, Mudslides, and Flooding

6 households applied for aid $16K aid approved

2007

Severe Storms, Flooding, Landslides, and Mudslides

5 households applied for aid $24K aid approved

2006

Severe Storms, Flooding, Landslides, and Mudslides

11 households applied for aid $675 aid approved

2003

Severe Storms and Flooding

3 households applied for aid

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

Around Vashon

Vashon and the towns around it

Very lowLowModerateHighVery high

Vashonmostly earthquakesVery high

Tacomamostly earthquakesHigh

Seattlemostly earthquakesHigh

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. Vashon covers 2 census tracts, combined by population.

Money that reached townFlood claims are matched to Vashon’s own flood-insurance community (here, the census tracts inside it); household aid to the registrant’s city; repair grants to Vashon. 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 Vashon total about $9.9M 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.