Natural hazards · White Salmon

White Salmon, WA natural hazards

Most of the natural-hazard damage FEMA expects in White Salmon comes from inland flooding, and overall the risk is low for a U.S. community. 2 federal disasters brought FEMA money into town.

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

Expected damage

How exposed is White Salmon?

Low

vs. U.S. communities

FEMA expects yearly storm and flood damage to homes and buildings in White Salmon to be higher than in 33% of U.S. communities, mostly from inland flooding.

Inland flooding60%Ice storms14%Earthquakes10%Cold waves6%Everything else10%

By hazard

What White Salmon faces

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

Inland flooding

60% of expected damage

Above average · higher than 58% of U.S. places

Recorded about once every 4 years in the area

Ice storms

14% of expected damage

Below average · higher than 46% of U.S. places

Recorded about once a year in the area

Earthquakes

10% of expected damage

Well above average · higher than 75% of U.S. places

Cold waves

6% of expected damage

Well below average · higher than 22% of U.S. places

Recorded about once every 5 years in the area

Lower here

TornadoesHailWinter weatherHeat wavesWildfireLandslidesStrong windLightningDroughtAvalanchesVolcanic activity

Not a risk here

Coastal floodingHurricanesTsunamis

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 Salmon flood?

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

of all homes
are insured

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

Insurance rates: Klickitat County.

Disasters that hit White Salmon

2 federal disasters brought FEMA money here

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

Brought FEMA money into White SalmonDeclared for Klickitat County only

2009

Severe Winter Storm, Landslides, Mudslides, and Flooding

$13K to the City of White Salmon for repairs

2008

Severe Winter Storm and Record and Near Record Snow

$5K to the City of White Salmon for repairs

Klickitat County has had 27 natural disasters declared since 1953, most often fires and floods.

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 Salmon covers 1 census tract, combined by population.

Money that reached townFlood claims are matched to White Salmon’s own flood-insurance community; household aid to the registrant’s city; repair grants to the City of White Salmon. 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 Salmon total about $1.2M 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.