States › Washington › Snohomish County

Snohomish County, Washington

Recorded hazard history: storm events since 1950, federal disaster declarations since 1953, flood insurance claims since 1978, and FEMA's risk index.

FIPS 53061 · 833,540 residents (2021) · 2,087 sq mi · dominant hazard Other

Hail · 3Tornado · 7Flood · 11Wind · 5Winter · 0

Snohomish County within Washington. Dots: HailTornadoFloodWind event locations in the kept record. Boundaries: US Census Bureau.

NCEI notes that Storm Data is compiled from a variety of sources including the National Weather Service, other federal, state and local agencies, the media and the public; that property and crop damage figures are estimates; and that some events are recorded by NWS forecast zone rather than by county. FEMA notes that NFIP claim records are redacted and aggregated to protect the privacy of policyholders. NCEI storm records through 30 Jun 2026; OpenFEMA declarations refreshed 1 Oct 2026; NFIP claims as of 8 Sep 2026.

The NCEI record lists 54 events for Snohomish County, Washington, between 1950 and 2026; other events account for the largest share.

That is 2.6 events per 100 square miles, below the Washington figure of 15.1, and 0.6 per 10,000 residents against 12.9 statewide.

0 events fall in the 12 months to 30 Jun 2026. NCEI attributes 44 deaths and 13 injuries to events in the county, with property damage estimated at $84M and crop damage at $50K.

FEMA has designated the county in 37 federal disaster declarations since 1953; the most recent is Severe Storms, Straight-Line Winds, Flooding, Landslides, And Mudslides (major disaster, 7 Apr 2026).

National Flood Insurance Program policyholders in the county filed 1,961 claims since 1978, of which 1,600 were paid, totalling $37M (about $23K per paid claim). FEMA counts 1,769 residential flood policies in force.

FEMA's National Risk Index rates the county's overall risk as "Relatively High" and its expected annual loss as "Relatively High" ($409M a year across 18 hazards).

0events, last 12 monthsto 30 Jun 2026

54events since 195044 deaths, 13 injuries recorded

37disaster declarationslast 7 Apr 2026

1,961NFIP flood claims$37M paid

Compared with Washington and the United States

Measure	Snohomish County	Washington	US
Recorded events since 1950	54	10,014	1,977,440
Events per 100 square miles	2.6	15.1	56.0
Events per 10,000 residents	0.6	12.9	59.6
Events in the last 12 months	0	130	62,008
Deaths recorded by NCEI	44	321	26,435
Property damage (NCEI estimates)	$84M	$4.6B	$575B
NFIP claims per 1,000 residents	2.4	2.1	8.1
Average paid NFIP claim	$23K	$29K	$43K
Claims per 100 policies in force, last 10 years	8.8	10.7	16.1

County-recorded events plus zone-recorded events whose forecast zone is named for the county. State and US rows include events recorded only by forecast zone. Rates use 2021 Census population and land area.

Events by decade

Tornado: 2Wind: 1

Tornado: 1Wind: 1

Tornado: 1Flood: 1Lightning: 5Other: 3

Hail: 3Tornado: 3Flood: 3Wind: 1Lightning: 4Other: 7

Flood: 4Wind: 2Other: 9

Flood: 3

01950s01960s31970s21980s101990s212000s152010s32020s

Recorded events in Snohomish County by decade and hazard group. HailTornadoFloodWindLightningOther NCEI recorded only tornadoes, hail and thunderstorm wind before 1996.

Trend: 26 events in the 20 years to 2025 against 25 in the 20 years before. Reporting practice changed in 1996 and again with automated reports in the 2000s, so decade totals measure the record as much as the weather.

Events by type

Other19

Flood11

Lightning9

Tornado7

Wind5

Hail3

Hazard	Events	Deaths	Share of state's events
■ Other	19	43	2.6%
■ Flood	11	—	1.3%	detail
■ Lightning	9	1	8.5%
■ Tornado	7	—	5.1%
■ Wind	5	—	0.2%
■ Hail	3	—	0.8%

Hazard pages exist for hail, tornado, flood, wind and winter where the county has at least 10 recorded events. "Other" covers heavy rain, debris flow, dust, funnel clouds and similar reports.

Largest recorded events

Date	Event type	Group	Magnitude	Property damage	Crop damage	Deaths	Injuries	Geography
22 Mar 2014	Debris Flow	Other	—	$60M	—	43	12	County
15 Sep 1996	Lightning	Lightning	—	—	—	1	—	County
6 Aug 1997	Lightning	Lightning	—	—	—	—	1	County
3 Dec 2007	Heavy Rain	Other	—	$10M	—	—	—	County
7 Jan 2009	Flood	Flood	—	$6.5M	—	—	—	County
4 Nov 2006	Flood	Flood	—	$3.3M	—	—	—	County
12 Nov 2021	Flood	Flood	—	$2.4M	—	—	—	County
12 Dec 2010	Flood	Flood	—	$1.1M	—	—	—	County
12 Jan 2021	Flood	Flood	—	$329K	—	—	—	County
17 Nov 2015	Flood	Flood	—	$250K	—	—	—	County
12 Nov 2008	Flood	Flood	—	$100K	—	—	—	County

Ranked by deaths, then injuries, then NCEI's damage estimate. Deaths and injuries are NCEI counts (direct plus indirect); no personal details are recorded here.

Federal disaster declarations

Declared	Number	Type	Incident	Title	Programs
7 Apr 2026	DR-4906	Major disaster	Flood	Severe Storms, Straight-Line Winds, Flooding, Landslides, And Mudslides	Individual assistance, Public assistance
12 Dec 2025	EM-3629	Emergency	Flood	Severe Storms, Straight-Line Winds, Flooding, Landslides, And Mudslides	Public assistance
12 Jan 2023	DR-4682	Major disaster	Severe Storm	Severe Winter Storm, Straight-Line Winds, Flooding, Landslides, And Mudslides	Public assistance
10 Sep 2022	FM-5455	Fire management assistance	Fire	Bolt Creek Fire	Public assistance
8 Apr 2021	DR-4593	Major disaster	Severe Storm	Severe Winter Storm, Straight-Line Winds, Flooding, Landslides, And Mudslides	Public assistance
23 Apr 2020	DR-4539	Major disaster	Flood	Severe Storms, Flooding, Landslides, And Mudslides	Public assistance
22 Mar 2020	DR-4481	Major disaster	Biological	Covid-19 Pandemic	Individual assistance, Public assistance
13 Mar 2020	EM-3427	Emergency	Biological	Covid-19	Public assistance
4 Mar 2019	DR-4418	Major disaster	Severe Storm	Severe Winter Storms, Straight-Line Winds, Flooding, Landslides, Mudslides, Tornado	Public assistance
15 Jan 2016	DR-4249	Major disaster	Severe Storm	Severe Storms, Straight-Line Winds, Flooding, Landslides, And Mudslides	Public assistance
15 Oct 2015	DR-4242	Major disaster	Severe Storm	Severe Windstorm	Public assistance
2 Apr 2014	DR-4168	Major disaster	Mud/Landslide	Flooding And Mudslides	Individual assistance, Public assistance
24 Mar 2014	EM-3370	Emergency	Mud/Landslide	Flooding And Mudslides	Public assistance
5 Mar 2012	DR-4056	Major disaster	Severe Storm	Severe Winter Storm, Flooding, Landslides, And Mudslides	Public assistance
2 Mar 2009	DR-1825	Major disaster	Severe Storm	Severe Winter Storm And Record And Near Record Snow	Public assistance
30 Jan 2009	DR-1817	Major disaster	Flood	Severe Winter Storm, Landslides, Mudslides, And Flooding	Individual assistance, Public assistance
8 Dec 2007	DR-1734	Major disaster	Severe Storm	Severe Storms, Flooding, Landslides, And Mudslides	Individual assistance, Public assistance
14 Feb 2007	DR-1682	Major disaster	Severe Storm	Severe Winter Storm, Landslides, And Mudslides	Public assistance
12 Dec 2006	DR-1671	Major disaster	Severe Storm	Severe Storms, Flooding, Landslides, And Mudslides	Individual assistance, Public assistance
17 May 2006	DR-1641	Major disaster	Severe Storm	Severe Storms, Flooding, Tidal Surge, Landslides, And Mudslides	Public assistance
7 Sep 2005	EM-3227	Emergency	Coastal Storm	Hurricane Katrina Evacuation	Public assistance
7 Nov 2003	DR-1499	Major disaster	Severe Storm	Severe Storms And Flooding	Individual assistance, Public assistance
1 Mar 2001	DR-1361	Major disaster	Earthquake	Earthquake	Individual assistance, Public assistance
2 Apr 1997	DR-1172	Major disaster	Flood	Heavy Rains, Snow Melt, Flooding, Land & Mud Slides	Individual assistance
17 Jan 1997	DR-1159	Major disaster	Severe Storm	Severe Winter Storms, Land & Muds Slides,Flooding	Individual assistance, Public assistance
9 Feb 1996	DR-1100	Major disaster	Flood	High Winds, Severe Storms And Flooding	Individual assistance, Public assistance
3 Jan 1996	DR-1079	Major disaster	Severe Storm	Severe Storms, High Wind, And Flooding	Individual assistance, Public assistance
4 Mar 1993	DR-981	Major disaster	Severe Storm	Severe Storms & High Wind	Public assistance
8 Mar 1991	DR-896	Major disaster	Flood	Severe Storms & High Tides	Public assistance
26 Nov 1990	DR-883	Major disaster	Flood	Severe Storms & Flooding	Individual assistance, Public assistance
15 Dec 1986	DR-784	Major disaster	Flood	Severe Storms & Flooding	Individual assistance, Public assistance
21 May 1980	DR-623	Major disaster	Volcanic Eruption	Volcanic Eruption, Mt. St. Helens	Individual assistance, Public assistance
31 Dec 1979	DR-612	Major disaster	Flood	Storms, High Tides, Mudslides & Flooding	Individual assistance
10 Dec 1977	DR-545	Major disaster	Flood	Severe Storms,Mudslides, & Flooding	Individual assistance, Public assistance
13 Dec 1975	DR-492	Major disaster	Flood	Severe Storms & Flooding	Individual assistance, Public assistance
11 May 1965	DR-196	Major disaster	Earthquake	Earthquake	Individual assistance, Public assistance
29 Dec 1964	DR-185	Major disaster	Flood	Heavy Rains & Flooding	Individual assistance, Public assistance

Declarations in which FEMA designated this county, from the OpenFEMA Disaster Declarations Summaries (v2). DR: major disaster; EM: emergency; FM: fire management assistance. Programs show whether individual or public assistance was made available.

Flood insurance claims

197820022026

NFIP claims by year of loss in Snohomish County, 1978 to 2026 (hover for the amount paid).

Claims since 19781,961

Paid claims1,600

Total paid$37M

Average paid claim$23K

Repetitive-loss properties21140 severe

Residential policies in force1,7690.7% of 263,689 structures

Year of loss	Claims	Paid claims	Amount paid	Average paid
2026	3	1	$12,050	$12,050
2025	73	69	$3,472,312	$50,323
2023	30	26	$680,005	$26,154
2022	8	6	$242,010	$40,335
2021	5	2	$116,800	$58,400
2020	18	10	$499,163	$49,916
2019	6	4	$250,229	$62,557
2018	9	5	$169,554	$33,911
2017	3	2	$45,447	$22,723
2016	20	13	$311,229	$23,941
2015	129	108	$2,009,091	$18,603
2014	16	15	$2,785,430	$185,695
2013	5	4	$35,070	$8,768
2012	36	23	$754,809	$32,818
2011	18	10	$256,033	$25,603
2010	75	59	$1,432,188	$24,274
2009	215	167	$3,501,541	$20,967
2008	14	10	$160,462	$16,046
2007	35	30	$1,271,489	$42,383
2006	329	293	$7,907,850	$26,989
2005	3	3	$11,580	$3,860
2004	4	4	$75,201	$18,800
2003	101	81	$1,426,062	$17,606
2002	11	7	$25,046	$3,578
2001	1	1	$6,028	$6,028

OpenFEMA NFIP claims (v3, as of 8 Sep 2026), aggregated by year of loss; amounts are building, contents and increased-cost-of-compliance payments as recorded. Repetitive-loss counts from the NFIP Multiple Loss Properties file (2 Aug 2026); policies in force from the NFIP Residential Penetration Rates file (3 Aug 2026).

National Risk Index

Overall riskRelatively Highscore 97.9 of 100

Expected annual loss$409MRelatively High

Social vulnerabilityVery Low

Community resilienceRelatively High

Hazard (NRI)	Risk rating	Expected annual loss
Earthquake	Relatively High	$246,681,545
Inland flooding	Relatively High	$111,908,883
Landslide	Very High	$24,734,644
Heat wave	Relatively High	$11,939,998
Ice storm	Very High	$3,617,566
Coastal flooding	Relatively Moderate	$2,378,590
Cold wave	Relatively Low	$2,158,094
Avalanche	Relatively High	$1,711,262
Lightning	Relatively High	$1,255,937
Tornado	Relatively Low	$1,033,611
Winter weather	Relatively High	$761,210
Volcanic activity	Relatively Moderate	$675,004
Wildfire	Very Low	$119,730
Strong wind	Very Low	$73,875
Hail	Very Low	$66,208
Tsunami	Very Low	$50,519
Drought	Very Low	$44

FEMA National Risk Index, December 2025 release. Ratings are FEMA's relative comparison of counties; expected annual loss is FEMA's modelled estimate of average yearly building, population and agriculture loss. See how to read the NRI.

Hurricane and tropical storm passes

No HURDAT2 track at tropical-storm strength passes within 100 miles of the county's centre point (through the 2025 season).

ZIP codes with flood claims

98294 317
98223 298
98290 298
98272 215
98292 146
98252 133
98256 122
98296 92
98251 57
98036 43
98201 31
98271 22
98026 19
98287 19
98241 18
98020 13
98208 13
98258 12
98012 9
98021 8
98205 7
98043 6
98087 6
98270 6
98293 6
98203 5
98206 5
98275 5
98291 5

ZIP codes whose NFIP claims carry this county's code, with the number of claims. Five or more claims are needed for a ZIP page to be indexed.

Questions and answers

How often does it hail in Snohomish County, WA?

NCEI records 3 hail events in Snohomish County since 1950, in 3 different years; that is about 0.0 recorded events a year. 0 reports were golf-ball size (1.75 in) or larger.

Has Snohomish County had a tornado?

Yes. NCEI records 7 tornadoes in Snohomish County since 1950, 2 of them rated (E)F2 or stronger. Tornado deaths recorded: 0.

When was the last federal disaster declaration for Snohomish County?

7 Apr 2026: Severe Storms, Straight-Line Winds, Flooding, Landslides, And Mudslides, a major disaster declaration for flood. The county appears in 37 declarations since 1953.

How many flood insurance claims have been filed in Snohomish County, and how much was paid?

1,961 NFIP claims since 1978, 1,600 of them paid, for $37M in total. FEMA publishes these figures redacted and aggregated; individual properties are not identified.

Is Snohomish County in the National Risk Index's high-risk band?

FEMA's National Risk Index (December 2025) rates the county "Relatively High" for overall risk, "Relatively High" for expected annual loss, "Very Low" for social vulnerability and "Relatively High" for community resilience. These ratings are FEMA's relative comparison across all US counties.

How does Snohomish County compare with the rest of Washington?

2.6 recorded events per 100 square miles against 15.1 statewide, and 2.4 NFIP claims per 1,000 residents against 2.1. The comparison table on this page shows each measure beside the state and national figures.

Provenance

Storm events: NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database, yearly details files through 30 Jun 2026 (public domain). Declarations: OpenFEMA DisasterDeclarationsSummaries v2, refreshed 1 Oct 2026. Flood claims: OpenFEMA NfipClaims v3 as of 8 Sep 2026; NfipMultipleLossProperties v1 (2 Aug 2026); NfipResidentialPenetrationRates v1 (3 Aug 2026). Risk index: FEMA National Risk Index, December 2025. Hurricane tracks: NHC HURDAT2 through 2025. Population and area: US Census Bureau, 2021 vintage. Built 1 Oct 2026; see the methodology and corrections pages. Hazard hubs: Hail · Tornado · Flood · Wind · Winter.