Natural hazards · White Center

White Center, WA natural hazards

Most of the natural-hazard damage FEMA expects in White Center comes from earthquakes, and overall the risk is high for a U.S. community.

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

Expected damage

How exposed is White Center?

High

vs. U.S. communities

FEMA expects yearly storm and flood damage to homes and buildings in White Center to be higher than in 78% of U.S. communities, mostly from earthquakes.

Earthquakes86%Inland flooding11%Everything else3%

By hazard

What White Center faces

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

Earthquakes

86% of expected damage

Well above average · higher than 96% of U.S. places

Inland flooding

11% of expected damage

Well below average · higher than 10% of U.S. places

Recorded about once every 4 years in the area

Lower here

TornadoesHailIce stormsWinter weatherHeat wavesWildfireLandslidesStrong windLightningVolcanic activity

Not a risk here

Coastal floodingHurricanesCold wavesDroughtAvalanchesTsunamis

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 White Center flood?

FEMA's records show no paid flood insurance claims in White Center.

of homes in flood zones
are insured

of all homes
are insured

No community discount. White Center 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 White Center

Federal disasters declared here

None of the disasters declared for King County shows FEMA aid or repair money reaching White Center itself in FEMA’s records.

Brought FEMA money into White CenterDeclared for King County only

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

Around White Center

White Center and the towns around it

Very lowLowModerateHighVery high

Boulevard Parkmostly earthquakesVery high

White Centermostly earthquakesHigh

Burienmostly 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. White Center covers 3 census tracts, combined by population.

Money that reached townFlood claims are matched to White Center’s own flood-insurance community; household aid to the registrant’s city; repair grants to White Center. 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 White Center total about $5.8M 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.