Home › Oregon › Clatsop County

Clatsop County, Oregon

Natural disaster risk, federal disaster history and flood insurance facts.

Relatively High overall risk
5th of 36highest risk in Oregon
$145Mexpected losses a year
16federal declarations
1 in 21homes with flood insurance
Photo: Martin Bravenboer, CC BY 2.0

Clatsop County, Oregon has a relatively high overall risk from natural hazards in FEMA's National Risk Index. Its risk score is higher than 95% of US counties. It ranks 5th of 36 counties in Oregon. The costliest hazards here are tsunamis, earthquakes and coastal flooding. FEMA estimates about $145 million a year in expected losses, or roughly $3,536 per resident. Since 1964 it has been included in 16 federal disaster or emergency declarations for natural events (15 major disasters). The most recent was in April 2026 (severe storms, straight-line winds, flooding, landslides and mudslides). About 1 in 21 homes here carry federal flood insurance (1,003 policies). Since 1978, federal flood insurance has paid about $2.0 million on 160 claims here, including $614,000 for floods in 2007.

FEMA National Risk Index December 2025; OpenFEMA declarations to Nov 6, 2026; NFIP records. Updated November 6, 2026.

Top risks in Clatsop County

Tsunami

Very High
$99.7 million a yearExpected losses. Damaging events about once every 7 years.
  • Learn the tsunami evacuation route signs.
  • If you feel a strong quake near the coast, move to high ground right away.

Earthquake

Moderate
$20.6 million a yearExpected losses. Damaging events about once every 50 years.
  • Ask whether an older house is bolted to its foundation.
  • Consider separate earthquake insurance where risk is high.
$12.2 million a yearExpected losses. Damaging events about 4 times a year.
  • Learn your evacuation zone; it is set by surge risk, not by distance from the beach.
  • Ask about flood insurance even outside a mapped high-risk zone.
HazardRatingScoreExpected loss a year
TsunamiVery High96.9
$100M
EarthquakeModerate96.5
$21M
Coastal floodingVery High96.4
$12M
Inland floodingLow72.1
$12M
Heat waveLow42.1
$209K
Cold waveVery Low20.4
$192K
Strong windLow21.7
$163K
TornadoVery Low12.1
$77K
LightningVery Low18.0
$50K
Ice stormLow41.8
$47K
LandslideModerate88.7
$41K
WildfireVery Low44.4
$28K
Winter weatherVery Low17.6
$13K
HailVery Low4.2
$8K
Volcanic activityVery Low82.1
$987
AvalancheVery Low18.1
$23
DroughtVery Low12.3
$0

Scores are percentiles: a score of 90 means higher risk than about 90% of US counties for that hazard. Hazards FEMA does not rate here are left out. Social vulnerability is relatively high and community resilience is relatively high in FEMA's measures.

Federal disaster history

Recent disasters nationwide ›

Declarations by decade

Federal declarations for natural events that included Clatsop County. 2020s bar runs to November 2026.

By type

Severe Storm10
Flood5
Coastal Storm1

Most recent

Apr 7, 2026Severe Storms, Straight-Line Winds, Flooding, Landslides, and MudslidesMajor disaster
Feb 17, 2016Severe Winter Storms, Straight-Line Winds, Flooding, Landslides, and MudslidesMajor disaster
Feb 17, 2011Severe Winter Storm, Flooding, Mudslides, Landslides, and Debris FlowsMajor disaster
Mar 2, 2009Severe Winter Storm, Record and Near Record SnowMajor disaster
Dec 8, 2007Severe Storms, Flooding, Landslides, and MudslidesMajor disaster
Feb 22, 2007Severe Winter Storm and FloodingMajor disaster
Dec 29, 2006Severe Storms, Flooding, Landslides, and MudslidesMajor disaster
Mar 20, 2006Severe Storms, Flooding, Landslides, and MudslidesMajor disaster
Sep 7, 2005Hurricane Katrina EvacuationEmergency
Feb 19, 2004Severe Winter StormsMajor disaster
Show all 16
Mar 19, 1996Severe Storms and High WindsMajor disaster
Feb 9, 1996High Winds, Severe Storms and FloodingMajor disaster
Jan 24, 1990Severe Storms & FloodingMajor disaster
Jan 21, 1972Severe Storms & FloodingMajor disaster
Feb 13, 1971Storms & FloodingMajor disaster
Dec 24, 1964Heavy Rains & FloodingMajor disaster

Oregon also had 42 statewide declarations that did not name single counties.

Storm history since 1957

Tornado risk by county ›

The National Weather Service has logged 34 storm reports in Clatsop County since 1957, with 0 deaths and 2 injuries and about $66,500 in reported damage. The strongest on record here was an F1 tornado on October 3, 1967.

5tornadoes
4hail reports, largest 2 inches
4damaging thunderstorm winds
7floods and flash floods

Strongest tornadoes

DateStrengthNearHurt / killed
Oct 3, 1967F1–0 / 0
Oct 20, 1966F0–0 / 0
Jan 5, 1998F0Seaside0 / 0
Feb 13, 1994F0Warrenton0 / 0
Sep 15, 1996F0Seaside1 / 0

Most damaging storms

DateTypeNearDamage
Oct 20, 1966Tornado–$25K
Oct 3, 1967Tornado–$25K
Nov 24, 2016Heavy RainBradwood$13K
Jan 5, 1998TornadoSeaside$3K
Feb 13, 1994TornadoWarrenton$500

Source: NOAA Storm Events Database, county-based reports through Dec 5, 2023. Tornado records start in 1950, hail and wind in 1955, and floods and other storm types in 1996, so older decades undercount. Damage is in dollars of the year it happened and is often an estimate. Winter storms, heat and hurricanes are logged by forecast zone, not county, so they are not counted here.

Flood insurance in Clatsop County

Check your address flood zone ›
4.8%of homes have federal flood insurance (1,003 policies)
18.5%of homes in mapped high-risk flood zones are insured
$2 millionpaid on 160 flood claims since 1978
2007costliest year, with $613,955 paid

National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP) records only; private flood policies are not included. Home counts as of Aug 3, 2026. Since 2021 NFIP prices each home separately under Risk Rating 2.0, so your price depends on the building, not the county. Ask an agent for a quote.

Homes in Clatsop County

$468,300median home value (Oregon $477,600, US $332,700)
1975median year homes were built (Oregon 1981, US 1980)
58%of homes built before 1980, before many modern wind, quake and flood building rules
4.9%of homes are mobile homes, which are the least safe in tornadoes and high winds

Older homes and mobile homes usually suffer more damage in storms, floods and earthquakes, and can cost more to insure. If you are buying, ask about roof age, foundation bolting and any retrofits. Source: US Census Bureau, American Community Survey 2020 to 2024 5-year estimates; 23,395 housing units.

Compare in Oregon

All 36 ›
Largest countiesOverall riskTop hazard
Multnomah CountyHighEarthquake
Washington CountyHighEarthquake
Clackamas CountyHighEarthquake
Lane CountyHighInland flooding
Marion CountyHighEarthquake
Jackson CountyModerateInland flooding
Deschutes CountyModerateInland flooding
Linn CountyModerateEarthquake

Neighboring counties

CountyOverall riskDeclarations
Washington CountyHigh15
Columbia CountyLow14
Tillamook CountyModerate22
Pacific County, WAModerate24
Wahkiakum County, WAVery Low30

Common questions about Clatsop County

What is the biggest natural hazard in Clatsop County?

Tsunami has the highest expected yearly losses in Clatsop County, about $99.7 million a year in FEMA's estimate. Earthquake is second at $20.6 million.

How many federal disasters has Clatsop County had?

Clatsop County has been included in 16 federal disaster or emergency declarations for natural events since 1964, including 15 major disasters. The most recent was Severe Storms, Straight-Line Winds, Flooding, Landslides, and Mudslides in April 2026.

Is Clatsop County a high-risk place to live?

Its overall rating is Relatively High, 5th highest of 36 in Oregon. A county rating covers the whole area. Risk at one address can be much higher or lower, so check the FEMA flood map and ask about the home's history.

Do I need flood insurance in Clatsop County?

Standard home insurance does not cover flooding. About 1 in 21 homes in Clatsop County has federal flood insurance. Lenders require it in mapped high-risk zones, but many flood claims come from outside those zones.

How many tornadoes has Clatsop County had?

NOAA records list 5 tornadoes in Clatsop County since 1950. The strongest was an F1 tornado on October 3, 1967. The weather service has also logged 4 hail reports and 7 floods here.

Sources: FEMA National Risk Index (December 2025), OpenFEMA Disaster Declarations Summaries, and NFIP policy and claims data. Hazard Compass is independent and not affiliated with FEMA. These figures describe the whole county, not a single property, and are not insurance or safety advice. Report a problem.