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Natural hazard risk in Pierce County, Washington

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

FEMA overall Risk Index rating: Relatively High (score 98.5 of 100)[5]

Expected annual loss (FEMA)
$531.9 million[1]
Federal disaster declarations since 1964
24[2]
NFIP flood claims paid, 1978 to 2026
$26.0 million[3]
Tornadoes recorded, 1950 to 2024
9[4]

FEMA's National Risk Index rates the overall natural hazard risk for Pierce County Relatively High, with a score of 98.5 out of 100[5]. FEMA gives the highest hazard scores within this county to earthquake, volcanic activity and avalanche[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 estimates Expected Annual Loss from all 18 natural hazards in Pierce County at $531.9 million a year[1]. This is a FEMA estimate of average yearly loss, not money anyone paid[7]. FEMA's sorted loss values put earthquake at $363.8 million a year and inland flooding at $121.6 million a year, followed by heat wave at $13.5 million a year[8]. FEMA rates Social Vulnerability Very Low[9] and Community Resilience Relatively High[10]. FEMA rates hurricane Not Applicable for the county[11]. The index does not predict next year's losses[7].

Hazards sorted by FEMA hazard-type Risk Index score, highest first
HazardFEMA risk ratingExpected annual loss
EarthquakeRelatively High$363.8 million[12]
Volcanic ActivityRelatively High$6.8 million[13]
AvalancheVery High$8.6 million[14]
Heat WaveRelatively High$13.5 million[15]
LandslideRelatively Moderate$366,000[16]
Inland FloodingRelatively High$121.6 million[17]
Cold WaveRelatively High$9.6 million[18]
LightningRelatively High$1.5 million[19]
Winter WeatherRelatively Moderate$332,000[20]
Ice StormRelatively High$727,000[21]
WildfireRelatively Low$386,000[22]
Coastal FloodingRelatively Moderate$1.5 million[23]
TsunamiRelatively Low$1.4 million[24]
Strong WindRelatively Low$544,000[25]
TornadoRelatively Low$1.1 million[26]
HailVery Low$71,000[27]
DroughtVery Low$11[28]

Rated Not Applicable by FEMA for this county: hurricane[11].

Social vulnerability and community resilience

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

FEMA measureRatingScore
Social vulnerabilityVery Low14.3[9]
Community resilienceRelatively High60.0[10]

Flooding and flood insurance

FEMA rates inland flooding Relatively High for Pierce County and coastal flooding Relatively Moderate, compared with other US counties[17][23]. OpenFEMA lists 2,101 residential flood insurance contracts in force as of 2026-08-03, a penetration rate of 0.7%[29]. Inside the Special Flood Hazard Area, 43.7% of homes are insured[29]. OpenFEMA records 1,106 NFIP claims for losses from 1978 to 2026, and NFIP paid $26.0 million in total[3]. For a specific address, use FEMA's Flood Map Service Center[30].

Measure Value
Inland Flooding, FEMA risk rating[17] Relatively High, $121.6 million expected loss a year
Coastal Flooding, FEMA risk rating[23] Relatively Moderate, $1.5 million expected loss a year
NFIP residential flood policies in force (2026)[29] 2,101 of 292,228 homes
Homes in FEMA's mapped high-risk flood area (SFHA)[29] 2,861, of which 1,250 insured
NFIP flood claims, 1978 to 2026[3] 1,106 filed, $26.0 million paid

Is a specific address in a flood zone? Only FEMA's flood maps answer that, property by property[30]. This page describes the whole county.

Search an address on the FEMA Flood Map Service Center

Disaster declarations and tornado records

OpenFEMA lists 24 federal disaster declarations for natural hazards that include Pierce County since 1964[2]. Flood accounts for 11 of them and severe storm for 8[2]. The most recent listed is DR-4906-WA, declared 2026-04-07[31]. NOAA's tornado database records 9 tornadoes touching the county from 1950 to 2024, and the strongest were rated EF1[4].

Federal disaster declarations for natural hazards that include Pierce County, since 1964
Incident type Declarations
Flood[2] 11
Severe Storm[2] 8
Earthquake[2] 2
Coastal Storm[2] 1
Volcanic Eruption[2] 1
Fire[2] 1
Most recent declarations
Declaration Incident Declared
DR-4906-WA[31] Severe Storms, Straight-Line Winds, Flooding, Landslides, And Mudslides 2026-04-07
EM-3629-WA[31] Severe Storms, Straight-Line Winds, Flooding, Landslides, And Mudslides 2025-12-12
FM-5360-WA[31] Sumner Grade Fire 2020-09-09
DR-4056-WA[31] Severe Winter Storm, Flooding, Landslides, And Mudslides 2012-03-05
DR-1825-WA[31] Severe Winter Storm And Record And Near Record Snow 2009-03-02

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.

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

Extreme heat

Before

  • Learn the signs of heat illness and how to respond.
  • Do not rely on a fan as your main way to stay cool. Fans do not lower body temperature.
  • Find cool public places, such as libraries or malls, or ask your local health department.
  • Keep heat out with window shades, weather stripping and insulation.
  • If you cannot afford cooling costs, contact LIHEAP for help.

During

  • Never leave a person or an animal in a parked car in warm weather.
  • If your home has no air conditioning, go to a cooling center.
  • Wear light, loose clothing, drink plenty of fluids and avoid hard outdoor work in the middle of the day.

Source: Ready.gov, extreme heat

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

Questions people ask

Is Pierce County at risk of flooding?
FEMA rates inland flooding Relatively High and coastal flooding Relatively Moderate for Pierce County, compared with other US counties[17][23]. FEMA's Flood Map Service Center shows the flood zone for a specific address[30].
Is Pierce County at risk of earthquakes?
FEMA rates earthquake risk Relatively High for Pierce County, with a score of 99.5 out of 100[12]. FEMA's Expected Annual Loss for earthquake is $363.8 million a year[8].
Does Pierce County get tornadoes?
NOAA's tornado database records 9 tornadoes touching Pierce County from 1950 to 2024, and the strongest were rated EF1[4]. FEMA rates tornado risk Relatively Low compared with other US counties[26].
How many disasters have been declared in Pierce County?
OpenFEMA lists 24 federal disaster declarations for natural hazards that include Pierce County since 1964[2].
How can I check a flood zone in Pierce County?
Look up the address in FEMA's Flood Map Service Center or ask the local floodplain manager[30].

Facts and sources

  1. FEMA National Risk Index (version 1.20, December 2025): Expected Annual Loss from all 18 natural hazards in Pierce County is $531.9 million a year (Expected Annual Loss rating Relatively High, score 99.1). Of this, buildings account for $364.6 million, injuries and deaths (converted to dollars by FEMA) for $167.2... FEMA National Risk Index
  2. OpenFEMA Disaster Declarations Summaries list 24 federal disaster declarations for natural hazards that include Pierce County since 1964 (21 major disaster, 3 emergency or fire management). By incident type: flood 11, severe storm 8, earthquake 2, coastal storm 1, volcanic eruption 1, fire 1. Biological (such as... OpenFEMA Disaster Declarations
  3. HazardFacts tally of OpenFEMA NFIP Redacted Claims (losses from 1978 to 2026): 1,106 National Flood Insurance Program claims were filed for losses in Pierce County, 864 of them with a payment, and NFIP paid $26.0 million in total (building, contents and increased cost of compliance, in dollars of the year paid).... OpenFEMA NFIP claims
  4. NOAA Storm Prediction Center tornado database (1950 to 2024): 9 recorded tornadoes touched Pierce County. The strongest were rated EF1 (most recent of them on 2015-01-18). 0 were rated F3/EF3 or stronger. The most recent recorded tornado was on 2015-01-18. Ratings used the Fujita scale until early 2007 and the... NOAA Storm Prediction Center
  5. FEMA National Risk Index (version 1.20, December 2025): the overall natural hazard Risk Index rating for Pierce County is Relatively High, with a Risk Index score of 98.5 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 Pierce County are earthquake (99.5, Relatively High), volcanic activity (99.3, Relatively High), avalanche (98.3, Very 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 Pierce County (National Risk Index v1.20): the largest are earthquake ($363.8 million a year), inland flooding ($121.6 million a year), heat wave ($13.5 million a year), out of $531.9 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 Pierce County is Very Low (score 14.3). 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 Pierce County is Relatively High (score 60.0). 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) rates these hazards Not Applicable for Pierce 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
  12. FEMA National Risk Index (version 1.20, December 2025), earthquake in Pierce County: Risk Index rating Relatively High (score 99.5 of 100). Expected Annual Loss $363.8 million a year (rating Very High). FEMA's modeled annual frequency is 0.0395 events per year. FEMA National Risk Index
  13. FEMA National Risk Index (version 1.20, December 2025), volcanic activity in Pierce County: Risk Index rating Relatively High (score 99.3 of 100). Expected Annual Loss $6.8 million a year (rating Relatively High). FEMA National Risk Index
  14. FEMA National Risk Index (version 1.20, December 2025), avalanche in Pierce County: Risk Index rating Very High (score 98.3 of 100). Expected Annual Loss $8.6 million a year (rating Very High). Annualized frequency 0.9 events per year, from recorded occurrences over a period of record of 28 years. FEMA National Risk Index
  15. FEMA National Risk Index (version 1.20, December 2025), heat wave in Pierce County: Risk Index rating Relatively High (score 97.3 of 100). Expected Annual Loss $13.5 million a year (rating Relatively High). Annualized frequency 3.81 event-days per year, from recorded occurrences over a period of record of 18 years. FEMA National Risk Index
  16. FEMA National Risk Index (version 1.20, December 2025), landslide in Pierce County: Risk Index rating Relatively Moderate (score 97.0 of 100). Expected Annual Loss $366,000 a year (rating Relatively Moderate). FEMA National Risk Index
  17. FEMA National Risk Index (version 1.20, December 2025), inland flooding in Pierce County: Risk Index rating Relatively High (score 96.2 of 100). Expected Annual Loss $121.6 million a year (rating Relatively High). Annualized frequency 0.11 event-days per year, from recorded occurrences over a period of record of 26... FEMA National Risk Index
  18. FEMA National Risk Index (version 1.20, December 2025), cold wave in Pierce County: Risk Index rating Relatively High (score 90.6 of 100). Expected Annual Loss $9.6 million a year (rating Relatively High). Annualized frequency 0.03 event-days 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), lightning in Pierce County: Risk Index rating Relatively High (score 89.8 of 100). Expected Annual Loss $1.5 million a year (rating Relatively High). Annualized frequency 9.31 events per year, from recorded occurrences over a period of record of 24 years. FEMA National Risk Index
  20. FEMA National Risk Index (version 1.20, December 2025), winter weather in Pierce County: Risk Index rating Relatively Moderate (score 84.3 of 100). Expected Annual Loss $332,000 a year (rating Relatively High). Annualized frequency 27.02 events per year, from recorded occurrences over a period of record of 18 years. FEMA National Risk Index
  21. FEMA National Risk Index (version 1.20, December 2025), ice storm in Pierce County: Risk Index rating Relatively High (score 84.3 of 100). Expected Annual Loss $727,000 a year (rating Relatively High). Annualized frequency 0.64 event-days per year, from recorded occurrences over a period of record of 68 years. FEMA National Risk Index
  22. FEMA National Risk Index (version 1.20, December 2025), wildfire in Pierce County: Risk Index rating Relatively Low (score 76.7 of 100). Expected Annual Loss $386,000 a year (rating Relatively Low). FEMA's modeled annual frequency is 0.0001 events per year. FEMA National Risk Index
  23. FEMA National Risk Index (version 1.20, December 2025), coastal flooding in Pierce County: Risk Index rating Relatively Moderate (score 71.3 of 100). Expected Annual Loss $1.5 million a year (rating Relatively Moderate). FEMA's modeled annual frequency is 3.1172 events per year. FEMA National Risk Index
  24. FEMA National Risk Index (version 1.20, December 2025), tsunami in Pierce County: Risk Index rating Relatively Low (score 49.2 of 100). Expected Annual Loss $1.4 million a year (rating Relatively Low). FEMA National Risk Index
  25. FEMA National Risk Index (version 1.20, December 2025), strong wind in Pierce County: Risk Index rating Relatively Low (score 41.7 of 100). Expected Annual Loss $544,000 a year (rating Relatively Low). Annualized frequency 0.01 events per year, from recorded occurrences over a period of record of 38 years. FEMA National Risk Index
  26. FEMA National Risk Index (version 1.20, December 2025), tornado in Pierce County: Risk Index rating Relatively Low (score 41.2 of 100). Expected Annual Loss $1.1 million a year (rating Relatively Low). Annualized frequency 0.07 events per year, from recorded occurrences over a period of record of 38 years. FEMA National Risk Index
  27. FEMA National Risk Index (version 1.20, December 2025), hail in Pierce County: Risk Index rating Very Low (score 16.2 of 100). Expected Annual Loss $71,000 a year (rating Very Low). Annualized frequency 0.03 events per year, from recorded occurrences over a period of record of 37 years. FEMA National Risk Index
  28. FEMA National Risk Index (version 1.20, December 2025), drought in Pierce County: Risk Index rating Very Low (score 12.7 of 100). Expected Annual Loss $11 a year (rating Very Low). Annualized frequency 3.44 event-days per year, from recorded occurrences over a period of record of 22 years. FEMA National Risk Index
  29. NFIP Residential Penetration Rates (OpenFEMA, as of 2026-08-03): 2,101 residential flood insurance contracts were in force in Pierce County, out of 292,228 residential structures, a penetration rate of 0.7%. Inside FEMA's mapped Special Flood Hazard Area there were 2,861 residential structures and 1,250 contracts,... OpenFEMA NFIP penetration rates
  30. 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
  31. 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.