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Natural hazard risk in Grays Harbor County, Washington

Updated October 30, 2026. Based on FEMA, NOAA and OpenFEMA data. Published by Humblebee.

FEMA overall Risk Index rating: Relatively High (score 96.9 of 100)[5]

Expected annual loss (FEMA)
$211.9 million[1]
Federal disaster declarations since 1964
32[2]
NFIP flood claims paid, 1978 to 2026
$14.0 million[3]
Tornadoes recorded, 1950 to 2024
3[4]

FEMA's National Risk Index rates overall natural hazard risk in Grays Harbor County as Relatively High compared with other US counties[5]. The hazards with the highest FEMA scores in this county are tsunami, coastal flooding and earthquake[6].

FEMA risk ratings for each hazard

Ratings and expected losses from the FEMA National Risk Index. Each rating compares this county with all US counties for that hazard, from Very Low to Very High. They are planning estimates, not predictions, and they do not describe any single property.

FEMA's National Risk Index (version 1.20, December 2025) gives Grays Harbor County a Risk Index score of 96.9 out of 100[5]. FEMA estimates Expected Annual Loss from all 18 natural hazards at $211.9 million a year[1]. This is FEMA's estimate of average yearly loss, not money anyone paid[7]. The largest hazard-type values are tsunami at $120.7 million a year, earthquake at $46.6 million a year and coastal flooding at $23.8 million a year[8]. FEMA rates social vulnerability as Relatively High[9] and community resilience as Relatively High[10].

Hazards sorted by FEMA hazard-type Risk Index score, highest first
HazardFEMA risk ratingExpected annual loss
TsunamiVery High$120.7 million[11]
Coastal FloodingVery High$23.8 million[12]
EarthquakeRelatively High$46.6 million[13]
LandslideRelatively Moderate$113,000[14]
Ice StormRelatively High$604,000[15]
Inland FloodingRelatively Moderate$19.3 million[16]
Heat WaveRelatively Low$451,000[17]
Winter WeatherRelatively Low$36,000[18]
AvalancheVery Low$132[19]
WildfireVery Low$15,000[20]
LightningVery Low$39,000[21]
TornadoVery Low$90,000[22]
DroughtVery Low$33[23]
Strong WindVery Low$42,000[24]
Cold WaveVery Low$1[25]
HailVery Low$3,118[26]

Rated Not Applicable by FEMA for this county: hurricane[27].

Social vulnerability and community resilience

FEMA uses these two ratings to scale expected losses into the Risk Index.

FEMA measureRatingScore
Social vulnerabilityRelatively High67.1[9]
Community resilienceRelatively High61.9[10]

Flooding and flood insurance

FEMA rates coastal flooding risk Very High[12] and inland flooding risk Relatively Moderate compared with other US counties[16]. OpenFEMA lists 1,364 residential flood insurance contracts in force, a penetration rate of 4.1%[28]. Inside FEMA's mapped Special Flood Hazard Area, 18.9% of homes are insured[28]. OpenFEMA data show 921 NFIP claims for losses from 1978 to 2026, and NFIP paid $14.0 million in total[3]. For a specific address, use FEMA's Flood Map Service Center[29].

Measure Value
Coastal Flooding, FEMA risk rating[12] Very High, $23.8 million expected loss a year
Inland Flooding, FEMA risk rating[16] Relatively Moderate, $19.3 million expected loss a year
NFIP residential flood policies in force (2026)[28] 1,364 of 32,985 homes
Homes in FEMA's mapped high-risk flood area (SFHA)[28] 5,533, of which 1,047 insured
NFIP flood claims, 1978 to 2026[3] 921 filed, $14.0 million paid

Is a specific address in a flood zone? Only FEMA's flood maps answer that, property by property[29]. This page describes the whole county.

Search an address on the FEMA Flood Map Service Center

Disaster declarations and tornado records

OpenFEMA lists 32 federal disaster declarations for natural hazards that include Grays Harbor County since 1964[2]. By incident type, 16 were flood and 13 were severe storm[2]. The most recent in the facts was DR-4906-WA, declared 2026-04-07[30]. NOAA's tornado database records 3 tornadoes in the county from 1950 to 2024, and the strongest were rated EF1[4].

Federal disaster declarations for natural hazards that include Grays Harbor County, since 1964
Incident type Declarations
Flood[2] 16
Severe Storm[2] 13
Coastal Storm[2] 1
Earthquake[2] 1
Volcanic Eruption[2] 1
Most recent declarations
Declaration Incident Declared
DR-4906-WA[30] Severe Storms, Straight-Line Winds, Flooding, Landslides, And Mudslides 2026-04-07
EM-3629-WA[30] Severe Storms, Straight-Line Winds, Flooding, Landslides, And Mudslides 2025-12-12
DR-4775-WA[30] Severe Winter Storms, Straight-Line Winds, Flooding, Landslides, And Mudslides 2024-04-28
DR-4650-WA[30] Severe Winter Storms, Snowstorms, Straight-Line Winds, Flooding 2022-03-29
DR-4593-WA[30] Severe Winter Storm, Straight-Line Winds, Flooding, Landslides, And Mudslides 2021-04-08

How to prepare

Steps from Ready.gov, FEMA's preparedness site, for the hazards with the highest FEMA ratings here. Follow instructions from local officials and the National Weather Service when a warning is issued.

Floods

Before

  • Check your flood risk with FEMA's Flood Map Service Center, and remember that floods do not follow map lines.
  • Sign up for your community's warning system. NOAA Weather Radio also broadcasts alerts.
  • Buy flood insurance through the NFIP well before a disaster. Homeowners policies do not cover flooding, and a new policy typically takes up to 30 days to go into effect.
  • Make a household plan with evacuation routes, shelter locations and what to do in a flash flood.
  • Keep important documents in a waterproof container and make password-protected digital copies.

During

  • If you are told to evacuate, leave right away and never drive around barricades.
  • Do not walk, swim or drive through floodwater. Six inches of moving water can knock you down.
  • If you are trapped in a building, go to the highest level, but do not climb into a closed attic.

Source: Ready.gov, floods

Earthquakes

Before

  • Practice Drop, Cover, and Hold On with your family and coworkers.
  • Sign up for earthquake alerts that can warn you before shaking starts.
  • Make a plan with an out-of-state contact and a place to meet if you get separated.
  • Anchor heavy items such as bookcases, refrigerators and water heaters, and keep heavy things on low shelves.
  • Consider earthquake insurance. Standard homeowners policies do not cover earthquake damage.

During

  • Drop to your hands and knees, cover your head and neck, and hold on until the shaking stops.
  • Indoors, stay where you are and avoid doorways. Outdoors, move to an open area away from buildings and power lines.
  • If you are driving, pull over, stop and set the parking brake.

Source: Ready.gov, earthquakes

Winter storms and cold

Before

  • Insulate your home and learn how to keep pipes from freezing.
  • Install and test smoke and carbon monoxide detectors with battery backup.
  • Keep several days of supplies in case the power goes out, including medication and pet needs.
  • Put an emergency kit in your car with jumper cables, sand, blankets, water and snacks, and keep the tank full.

During

  • Under a winter storm warning, find shelter right away.
  • Stay off the roads if you can. If you are stuck in your car, stay inside it.
  • Run generators and grills only outdoors, away from windows, and never heat your home with an oven or stove.

Source: Ready.gov, winter storms and cold

Questions people ask

Is Grays Harbor County at risk of flooding?
FEMA rates coastal flooding risk Very High and inland flooding risk Relatively Moderate compared with other US counties[12][16]. FEMA's Flood Map Service Center shows flood zones for a specific address[29].
Is Grays Harbor County at risk of earthquakes?
FEMA rates earthquake risk Relatively High compared with other US counties[13]. FEMA estimates earthquake Expected Annual Loss at $46.6 million a year[13].
Does Grays Harbor County get tornadoes?
NOAA's tornado database records 3 tornadoes touching the county from 1950 to 2024, the strongest rated EF1[4]. FEMA rates tornado risk Very Low compared with other US counties[22].
How many disasters have been declared in Grays Harbor County?
OpenFEMA lists 32 federal disaster declarations for natural hazards that include the county since 1964[2].
Is Grays Harbor County at risk of hurricanes?
FEMA rates hurricane Not Applicable for the county, meaning its source data has no historical record and the hazard is not considered geographically possible there[27].

Facts and sources

  1. FEMA National Risk Index (version 1.20, December 2025): Expected Annual Loss from all 18 natural hazards in Grays Harbor County is $211.9 million a year (Expected Annual Loss rating Relatively High, score 95.9). Of this, buildings account for $76.2 million, injuries and deaths (converted to dollars by FEMA) for... FEMA National Risk Index
  2. OpenFEMA Disaster Declarations Summaries list 32 federal disaster declarations for natural hazards that include Grays Harbor County since 1964 (30 major disaster, 2 emergency or fire management). By incident type: flood 16, severe storm 13, coastal storm 1, earthquake 1, volcanic eruption 1. Biological (such as... OpenFEMA Disaster Declarations
  3. HazardFacts tally of OpenFEMA NFIP Redacted Claims (losses from 1978 to 2026): 921 National Flood Insurance Program claims were filed for losses in Grays Harbor County, 729 of them with a payment, and NFIP paid $14.0 million in total (building, contents and increased cost of compliance, in dollars of the year... OpenFEMA NFIP claims
  4. NOAA Storm Prediction Center tornado database (1950 to 2024): 3 recorded tornadoes touched Grays Harbor County. The strongest were rated EF1 (most recent of them on 2020-10-10). 0 were rated F3/EF3 or stronger. The most recent recorded tornado was on 2020-10-10. Ratings used the Fujita scale until early 2007 and... NOAA Storm Prediction Center
  5. FEMA National Risk Index (version 1.20, December 2025): the overall natural hazard Risk Index rating for Grays Harbor County is Relatively High, with a Risk Index score of 96.9 out of 100. The score is the county's percentile rank among all US counties. FEMA National Risk Index
  6. Among the 18 hazards in the FEMA National Risk Index (version 1.20, December 2025), the hazards with the highest hazard-type Risk Index scores for Grays Harbor County are tsunami (100.0, Very High), coastal flooding (99.0, Very High), earthquake (98.1, Relatively High). HazardFacts sorted FEMA's published scores;... FEMA National Risk Index
  7. FEMA's National Risk Index FAQ (December 2025): Expected Annual Loss is FEMA's estimate of the average economic loss in dollars from natural hazards each year. The index is not meant to predict how much damage a community will have in the next year, and a hazard can still cause damage where a rating is low. Scores... FEMA National Risk Index documentation
  8. HazardFacts sorted FEMA's hazard-type Expected Annual Loss values for Grays Harbor County (National Risk Index v1.20): the largest are tsunami ($120.7 million a year), earthquake ($46.6 million a year), coastal flooding ($23.8 million a year), out of $211.9 million a year from all 18 hazards. FEMA National Risk Index
  9. FEMA National Risk Index (version 1.20, December 2025): Social Vulnerability rating for Grays Harbor County is Relatively High (score 67.1). FEMA describes social vulnerability as how susceptible social groups are to the harm natural hazards cause. FEMA National Risk Index
  10. FEMA National Risk Index (version 1.20, December 2025): Community Resilience rating for Grays Harbor County is Relatively High (score 61.9). FEMA describes community resilience as a community's ability to prepare for, withstand and recover from hazards. FEMA National Risk Index
  11. FEMA National Risk Index (version 1.20, December 2025), tsunami in Grays Harbor County: Risk Index rating Very High (score 100.0 of 100). Expected Annual Loss $120.7 million a year (rating Very High). FEMA National Risk Index
  12. FEMA National Risk Index (version 1.20, December 2025), coastal flooding in Grays Harbor County: Risk Index rating Very High (score 99.0 of 100). Expected Annual Loss $23.8 million a year (rating Very High). FEMA's modeled annual frequency is 10.1273 events per year. FEMA National Risk Index
  13. FEMA National Risk Index (version 1.20, December 2025), earthquake in Grays Harbor County: Risk Index rating Relatively High (score 98.1 of 100). Expected Annual Loss $46.6 million a year (rating Relatively High). FEMA's modeled annual frequency is 0.0235 events per year. FEMA National Risk Index
  14. FEMA National Risk Index (version 1.20, December 2025), landslide in Grays Harbor County: Risk Index rating Relatively Moderate (score 95.2 of 100). Expected Annual Loss $113,000 a year (rating Relatively Low). FEMA National Risk Index
  15. FEMA National Risk Index (version 1.20, December 2025), ice storm in Grays Harbor County: Risk Index rating Relatively High (score 87.6 of 100). Expected Annual Loss $604,000 a year (rating Relatively High). Annualized frequency 0.56 event-days per year, from recorded occurrences over a period of record of 68 years. FEMA National Risk Index
  16. FEMA National Risk Index (version 1.20, December 2025), inland flooding in Grays Harbor County: Risk Index rating Relatively Moderate (score 83.8 of 100). Expected Annual Loss $19.3 million a year (rating Relatively Moderate). Annualized frequency 0.21 event-days per year, from recorded occurrences over a period of... FEMA National Risk Index
  17. FEMA National Risk Index (version 1.20, December 2025), heat wave in Grays Harbor County: Risk Index rating Relatively Low (score 58.8 of 100). Expected Annual Loss $451,000 a year (rating Relatively Low). Annualized frequency 1.98 event-days per year, from recorded occurrences over a period of record of 18 years. FEMA National Risk Index
  18. FEMA National Risk Index (version 1.20, December 2025), winter weather in Grays Harbor County: Risk Index rating Relatively Low (score 38.9 of 100). Expected Annual Loss $36,000 a year (rating Relatively Low). Annualized frequency 6.79 events per year, from recorded occurrences over a period of record of 18 years. FEMA National Risk Index
  19. FEMA National Risk Index (version 1.20, December 2025), avalanche in Grays Harbor County: Risk Index rating Very Low (score 35.3 of 100). Expected Annual Loss $132 a year (rating Very Low). Annualized frequency 0.01 events per year, from recorded occurrences over a period of record of 28 years. FEMA National Risk Index
  20. FEMA National Risk Index (version 1.20, December 2025), wildfire in Grays Harbor County: Risk Index rating Very Low (score 33.9 of 100). Expected Annual Loss $15,000 a year (rating Very Low). FEMA's modeled annual frequency is 0 events per year. FEMA National Risk Index
  21. FEMA National Risk Index (version 1.20, December 2025), lightning in Grays Harbor County: Risk Index rating Very Low (score 13.9 of 100). Expected Annual Loss $39,000 a year (rating Very Low). Annualized frequency 5.13 events per year, from recorded occurrences over a period of record of 24 years. FEMA National Risk Index
  22. FEMA National Risk Index (version 1.20, December 2025), tornado in Grays Harbor County: Risk Index rating Very Low (score 13.2 of 100). Expected Annual Loss $90,000 a year (rating Very Low). Annualized frequency 0.07 events per year, from recorded occurrences over a period of record of 38 years. FEMA National Risk Index
  23. FEMA National Risk Index (version 1.20, December 2025), drought in Grays Harbor County: Risk Index rating Very Low (score 13.0 of 100). Expected Annual Loss $33 a year (rating Very Low). Annualized frequency 1.39 event-days per year, from recorded occurrences over a period of record of 22 years. FEMA National Risk Index
  24. FEMA National Risk Index (version 1.20, December 2025), strong wind in Grays Harbor County: Risk Index rating Very Low (score 7.2 of 100). Expected Annual Loss $42,000 a year (rating Very Low). Annualized frequency 0.01 events per year, from recorded occurrences over a period of record of 38 years. FEMA National Risk Index
  25. FEMA National Risk Index (version 1.20, December 2025), cold wave in Grays Harbor County: Risk Index rating Very Low (score 2.6 of 100). Expected Annual Loss $1 a year (rating Very Low). Annualized frequency 0 event-days per year, from recorded occurrences over a period of record of 18 years. FEMA National Risk Index
  26. FEMA National Risk Index (version 1.20, December 2025), hail in Grays Harbor County: Risk Index rating Very Low (score 2.4 of 100). Expected Annual Loss $3,118 a year (rating Very Low). Annualized frequency 0.01 events per year, from recorded occurrences over a period of record of 37 years. FEMA National Risk Index
  27. FEMA National Risk Index (version 1.20, December 2025) rates these hazards Not Applicable for Grays Harbor County: hurricane. FEMA uses Not Applicable when its source data has no historical record of the hazard in the community and the hazard is not considered geographically possible there. FEMA National Risk Index documentation
  28. NFIP Residential Penetration Rates (OpenFEMA, as of 2026-08-03): 1,364 residential flood insurance contracts were in force in Grays Harbor County, out of 32,985 residential structures, a penetration rate of 4.1%. Inside FEMA's mapped Special Flood Hazard Area there were 5,533 residential structures and 1,047... OpenFEMA NFIP penetration rates
  29. FEMA's Flood Map Service Center is the official public source for flood maps (Flood Insurance Rate Maps) produced under the National Flood Insurance Program. Flood zones apply to specific properties: look up an address there or ask the local floodplain manager. County-level ratings do not tell you the flood zone of... FEMA Flood Map Service Center
  30. Most recent federal disaster declarations for natural hazards (table on this page). OpenFEMA Disaster Declarations

FEMA's National Risk Index compares each county with all other US counties. Ratings are relative (Very Low to Very High), not a measure of safety. Never call a place safe, unsafe, good or bad to live in. Risk Index and Expected Annual Loss values are FEMA estimates for planning. They do not predict next year's losses and do not apply to a single property. Flood zones are set by FEMA flood maps for specific properties. County ratings and flood insurance counts do not tell anyone whether an address is in a flood zone. Disaster declaration, NFIP and tornado counts are records of the past for this county only. Do not compare with other counties unless a fact does.

Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), National Risk Index Dataset: National Risk Index Counties, v1.20 (December 2025). Retrieved from fema.maps.arcgis.com on October 30, 2026. This product uses the Federal Emergency Management Agency's National Risk Index dataset API or downloadable datasets but is not endorsed by FEMA. The Federal Government or FEMA cannot vouch for the data or analyses derived from these data after the data have been retrieved from the Agency's website(s). This product uses the FEMA OpenFEMA API, but is not endorsed by FEMA.