Natural hazards · Wenatchee

Wenatchee, WA natural hazards

Most of the natural-hazard damage FEMA expects in Wenatchee comes from inland flooding, and overall the risk is high for a U.S. community. Flood insurance has paid 19 claims here since 2010. 4 federal disasters brought FEMA money into town.

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

Expected damage

How exposed is Wenatchee?

High

vs. U.S. communities

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

Inland flooding76%Earthquakes15%Everything else9%

By hazard

What Wenatchee faces

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

Inland flooding

76% of expected damage

Well above average · higher than 91% of U.S. places

Recorded about once a year in the area

Earthquakes

15% of expected damage

Well above average · higher than 80% of U.S. places

Lower here

TornadoesHailIce stormsWinter weatherCold wavesHeat wavesWildfireLandslidesStrong windLightningDroughtVolcanic activity

Not a risk here

Coastal floodingHurricanesAvalanchesTsunamis

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 Wenatchee flood?

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

19paid claims since 2010

$47Kpaid to owners

3homes flooded more than once

20102026

Homes that flooded again and again

■ FEMA “severe repetitive loss” (0) ■ flooded 2+ times

of all homes
are insured

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

Insurance rates: Chelan County.

What’s been done with FEMA grants

1buildings retrofitted against wind

Disasters that hit Wenatchee

4 federal disasters brought FEMA money here

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

Brought FEMA money into WenatcheeDeclared for Chelan County only

2025

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

3 households applied for aid $13K aid approved

2021

Severe Winter Storms, Snowstorms, Straight-Line Winds, Flooding

$66K to the City of Wenatchee for repairs

2009

Severe Winter Storm, Landslides, Mudslides, and Flooding

$992 to the City of Wenatchee for repairs

2008

Severe Winter Storm and Record and Near Record Snow

$12K to the City of Wenatchee for repairs

Chelan County has had 49 natural disasters declared since 1953, most often fires and severe storms.

Around Wenatchee

Wenatchee and the towns around it

Very lowLowModerateHighVery high

South Wenatcheemostly avalanchesVery high

Wenatcheemostly inland floodingHigh

East Wenatcheemostly inland floodingHigh

Sunnyslopemostly avalanchesHigh

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. Wenatchee covers 6 census tracts, combined by population.

Money that reached townFlood claims are matched to Wenatchee’s own flood-insurance community; household aid to the registrant’s city; repair grants to the City of Wenatchee. 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 Wenatchee total about $10.9M 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.