Oak Harbor

Population 24,083 (2025)

3 tornadoes have tracked within 25 miles of Oak Harbor since 1950, 0 of them rated EF3 or F3 or stronger; the most recent was on May 18, 2005.

Hazard fingerprint for Oak Harbor Tornado: 0th percentile. Tropical: 0th percentile. Wildfire: 0th percentile. Flood: 13th percentile. Hail & wind: 0th percentile. Heat: 0th percentile. Cold: 0th percentile. Winter: 0th percentile. TORTROPFIREFLOODSEVEREHEATCOLDWINTER

Hazard fingerprint Each spoke is this county’s percentile among U.S. counties where that hazard occurs. How it is computed

2026
  • Tornado damage paths within 25 miles since 19503
  • Major flood years since 1978, Island County3

At a glance

Tornado paths within 25 miles, tropical cyclone tracks within 100 miles and wildfire perimeters within 25 miles of the city centre. Storm events, flood insurance claims and disaster declarations are for Island County. Earthquakes within 50 miles, volcanoes within 100 miles and smoke days are measured from the city centre; river and tide gauges, tsunami and landslide records and the drought index are for Island County.

Flood insurance claims

279

Island County

$4.1 million paid since 1979

Details

Tornadoes since 1950, within 25 mi

3

0 rated F3/EF3 or stronger

Details

Strongest tornado

F2

November 24, 1970, 0.3 mile path

Largest earthquake within 50 mi

6.0magnitude

January 11, 1909, 29.1 miles away

Details

Federal disaster declarations

22

Most recent: Severe Storms, Straight-Line Winds, Flooding, Landslides, and Mudslides, 2026

Details

Record high

99°F

June 30, 1915

Details

Record low

−2°F

January 26, 1957

Details

Snowiest season

41.0in

Winter of 1949-50

Tornadoes

About one every 25 years since 1950, none rated F3/EF3 or stronger.

Strongest

November 24, 1970

F2, 0.3 mile path

30 yards wide.

Most recent

Wednesday, May 18, 2005

F1, 0.2 mile path

21 years ago.

Tornadoes by decade, within 25 miles Doppler radar era² 1950s: 0 1960s: 0 1970s: 1 1 1980s: 0 1990s: 0 2000s: 2 2 2010s: 0 2020s: 0 1950s1960s1970s1980s1990s2000s2010s2020s
Recorded tornadoes per decade. The 2020s are incomplete.
Tornadoes by month J: 0 F: 0 M: 0 A: 0 M: 1 1 J: 1 J: 0 A: 0 S: 0 O: 0 N: 1 D: 0 JFMAMJJASOND
By month of occurrence, all years.

Every recorded tornado

Tornadoes within 25 miles since 1950
May 18, 2005F10.21000
Jun 5, 2004F00.11000
Nov 24, 1970F20.33000
  1. Injuries and deaths are for the tornado’s whole path, which may extend beyond this area.
  2. Weak tornadoes were under-recorded before Doppler radar coverage became national in the early 1990s, so earlier decades read low. Ratings use the Fujita scale before February 2007 and the Enhanced Fujita scale after.

Storm Prediction Center severe weather database, 1950 to 2025.

Hurricanes and tropical storms

No tropical storm or hurricane has tracked within 100 miles since records began in 1851.

Wildfire and smoke

No large wildfire has been mapped within 25 miles since satellite mapping began in 1984.

Smoke overhead

Smokiest year

2022: 32 days

Heavy smoke on 12 days in 2017, the most of any year.

Last 10 years

16.1 days a year

Medium or heavy smoke, 2016 to 2025.

2025

14 days

Medium or heavy smoke. 27 so far in 2026.

Days with medium or heavy smoke overhead, by year 2011: 5 2012: 8 2013: 4 2014: 8 2015: 14 2016: 0 2017: 18 2018: 19 2019: 4 2020: 15 2021: 17 2022: 32 32 2023: 26 2024: 16 2025: 14 201120122013201420152016201720182019202020212022202320242025
Days each year on which a satellite-traced plume of medium or heavy smoke covered the city centre, 2011 to 2025.
  1. A smoke day is a date on which a smoke plume traced by NOAA Hazard Mapping System analysts from satellite imagery covered this place's point (the county's population centre or the city centre). Counts here are of medium or heavy smoke. Since 2018 analysts have often drawn light smoke as one area over most of the continent, so light-smoke counts are not comparable from year to year. The plumes show smoke anywhere in the air above, not air quality at the ground, and smoke hidden by cloud is missed.

NOAA Hazard Mapping System smoke analysis, 2011 to 2026, retrieved October 30, 2026.

Floods and flood insurance

279 federal flood insurance claims since 1979, with $4.1 million paid.

Flood insurance figures are for Island County, the county that contains Oak Harbor.

Federal flood insurance claims by year 1979: 5 1982: 5 1990: 5 1996: 14 1997: 12 1999: 12 2006: 46 46 2012: 19 2016: 35 2018: 7 2021: 21 2022: 38 2024: 6 197919992021
Claims per year since 1979. Years with fewer than five claims are not shown.

Most claims in one year

2006: 46 claims

$581,000 paid.

2nd most

2022: 38 claims

$971,000 paid.

3rd most

2016: 35 claims

$746,000 paid.

Claims by ZIP code

Flood insurance claims by ZIP code
9828293$1.7 million
9823651$658,000
9824942$401,000
9827738$698,000
9826028$297,000
9825313$258,000
982397$18,000
982925$30,000

Flood events since 1996

  • Heavy Rain2
  • Flood1

This product uses the Federal Emergency Management Agency's OpenFEMA API, 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).

OpenFEMA NFIP Redacted Claims v3, refreshed August 4, 2026. NOAA Storm Events through 2026.

Drought

In severe drought or worse for 175 of 1,581 months since 1895 (11%); the longest spell lasted 24 months.

The drought index is for Island County, the county that contains Oak Harbor.

175

Months in severe drought or worse since 1895

66

Months in extreme drought

11%

Share of all months, severe or worse

Lowest reading

January 1945

−6.26, extreme drought

Longest severe spell

24 months

September 1929 to August 1931.

Latest month

September 2026

−2.76, moderate drought

Last severe month: February 2026.

Months in severe drought or worse, by year 1895: 1 1896: 0 1897: 0 1898: 0 1899: 0 1900: 0 1901: 0 1902: 0 1903: 0 1904: 0 1905: 0 1906: 1 1907: 0 1908: 0 1909: 0 1910: 0 1911: 0 1912: 0 1913: 0 1914: 0 1915: 0 1916: 0 1917: 0 1918: 0 1919: 0 1920: 0 1921: 0 1922: 0 1923: 0 1924: 0 1925: 0 1926: 7 1927: 4 1928: 3 1929: 11 1930: 12 12 1931: 8 1932: 0 1933: 0 1934: 1 1935: 2 1936: 4 1937: 3 1938: 3 1939: 0 1940: 1 1941: 12 1942: 4 1943: 1 1944: 12 1945: 8 1946: 0 1947: 0 1948: 0 1949: 0 1950: 0 1951: 0 1952: 2 1953: 4 1954: 0 1955: 0 1956: 0 1957: 1 1958: 6 1959: 0 1960: 0 1961: 0 1962: 0 1963: 0 1964: 0 1965: 0 1966: 0 1967: 0 1968: 0 1969: 0 1970: 0 1971: 0 1972: 0 1973: 0 1974: 0 1975: 0 1976: 1 1977: 4 1978: 0 1979: 0 1980: 0 1981: 0 1982: 0 1983: 0 1984: 0 1985: 0 1986: 0 1987: 3 1988: 2 1989: 0 1990: 0 1991: 0 1992: 0 1993: 0 1994: 10 1995: 0 1996: 0 1997: 0 1998: 0 1999: 0 2000: 0 2001: 2 2002: 2 2003: 8 2004: 2 2005: 0 2006: 0 2007: 0 2008: 0 2009: 0 2010: 0 2011: 0 2012: 0 2013: 0 2014: 0 2015: 2 2016: 0 2017: 0 2018: 0 2019: 11 2020: 0 2021: 1 2022: 0 2023: 6 2024: 3 2025: 5 18951905191519251935194519551965197519851995200520152025
Months each year with a Palmer index of −3 or lower, 1895 to 2025. Twelve means the whole year.
  1. The Palmer Drought Severity Index is computed by NOAA each month from the county's average temperature and precipitation, relative to the county's own climate. Zero is normal; -3 or lower is severe drought and -4 or lower extreme drought. It describes the long-term balance of moisture, not water supply or crop losses.

NOAA NCEI nClimDiv county Palmer Drought Severity Index, 1895 to September 2026, issued October 6, 2026.

Earthquakes, volcanoes and landslides

33 earthquakes of magnitude 4 or more within 50 miles since 1900; the largest was magnitude 6.0 in 1909.

209

Magnitude 3+ within 50 miles since 1973

33

Magnitude 4+ within 50 miles since 1900

7

Magnitude 5+ within 50 miles since 1900

Largest within 50 miles

January 11, 1909

Magnitude 6.0

San Juan Islands, Washington; 29.1 miles away.

Most recent, magnitude 3 or more

July 1, 2026

Magnitude 3.8

2 km E of Oak Harbor, Washington; 1.1 miles away.

Earthquakes of magnitude 3 or more within 50 miles, by year 1973: 5 1974: 6 1975: 3 1976: 5 1977: 7 1978: 5 1979: 3 1980: 6 1981: 5 1982: 3 1983: 2 1984: 5 1985: 8 1986: 7 1987: 0 1988: 2 1989: 5 1990: 18 18 1991: 1 1992: 2 1993: 1 1994: 1 1995: 0 1996: 4 1997: 9 1998: 2 1999: 2 2000: 6 2001: 4 2002: 5 2003: 0 2004: 2 2005: 3 2006: 3 2007: 5 2008: 2 2009: 3 2010: 2 2011: 7 2012: 4 2013: 5 2014: 3 2015: 2 2016: 4 2017: 8 2018: 3 2019: 2 2020: 3 2021: 1 2022: 3 2023: 4 2024: 3 2025: 3 19731978198319881993199820032008201320182023
Per year, 1973 to 2025.

Every earthquake of magnitude 4 or more within 50 miles

Earthquakes of magnitude 4 or more within 50 miles
Mar 3, 20254.523.49.82025 Orcas Island, Washington
Dec 24, 20234.036.232.66 km W of Quilcene, Washington
Oct 8, 20234.318.234.1Port Townsend, WA
Jul 12, 20194.640.517.92 km S of Roosevelt, Washington
Dec 29, 20154.836.932.612 km SE of North Saanich, Canada
Jan 30, 20094.735.138.76 km ESE of Lofall, Washington
Nov 23, 20054.044.7-0.46 km ENE of Deming, Washington
Sep 20, 20024.126.414.49 km SW of Friday Harbor, Washington
Jun 23, 19974.948.18.32 km NE of Enetai, Washington
Apr 13, 19904.041.71.82 km ESE of Deming, Washington
Apr 13, 19905.043.77.44 km ENE of Deming, Washington
Apr 2, 19904.042.80.63 km ENE of Deming, Washington
Apr 2, 19904.342.3-0.02 km ENE of Deming, Washington
Mar 5, 19894.220.5-0.53 km NNE of Big Lake, Washington
Mar 4, 19894.547.328.132 km S of Port Angeles East, Washington
Feb 14, 19894.020.6-0.52 km NNE of Big Lake, Washington
Jun 8, 19804.228.829.96 km S of Blyn, Washington
Jun 16, 19774.037.111.54 km N of Bangor Trident Base, Washington
Sep 2, 19764.79.513.86 km WSW of Coupeville, Washington
May 16, 19765.148.338.510 km ESE of Salt Spring Island, Canada
May 16, 19744.020.529.68 km ESE of Jamestown, Washington
Nov 8, 19724.131.227.23 km SE of Oak Bay, Canada
Jul 14, 19644.648.88.19 km NNE of Custer, Washington
Sep 10, 19604.641.215.52 km SSE of Bangor Trident Base, Washington
Jan 25, 19575.09.4—6 km W of Conway, Washington
May 15, 19545.035.4—4 km ENE of Machias, Washington
Nov 28, 19434.814.5—17 km SSE of Friday Harbor, Washington
Jan 23, 19205.538.9—21 km SSE of Point Roberts, Washington
Dec 25, 19134.738.0—Near Edmonds, Washington
Sep 28, 19114.135.1—Near Bellingham, Washington
Jan 11, 19096.029.1—San Juan Islands, Washington
Mar 16, 19045.338.2—Eastern Olympic Peninsula, Washington
Mar 13, 19034.945.6—Near Kirkland, Washington
  1. Earthquakes of magnitude 2.5 or more in the USGS Comprehensive Catalog since 1900. Within 50 miles means the epicentre lies within 50 miles of the city centre.
  2. Small earthquakes were under-recorded before the modern seismic networks of the 1970s and are still missed in remote areas, so early decades read low. Magnitudes are as the catalogue reports them and mix scales (moment, local and body-wave).

USGS ANSS Comprehensive Earthquake Catalog, 1900 to present, retrieved October 30, 2026.

Volcanoes within 100 miles

Volcanoes within 100 miles
Mount Baker50.1Very high10,781
Glacier Peak70.9Very high10,541
  1. U.S. volcanoes within 100 miles, from the USGS Volcano Hazards Program. The threat category is the USGS 2018 National Volcanic Threat Assessment, which ranks volcanoes by how hazardous their past eruptions were and how many people and how much infrastructure lie near them. It is not a forecast of eruption.

USGS Volcano Hazards Program, retrieved October 30, 2026.

Mapped landslides

Landslides mapped in Island County.

199

Landslides mapped, probable or better

17

With a recorded date

2

Source inventories

Mapped by WA WGS (183), NASA (16).

  1. Landslides mapped in the USGS compilation of landslide inventories across the United States (version 3.0, 2025), rated probable or better. The compilation joins inventories made by federal and state agencies for different purposes and areas, so the number mapped in a county reflects how closely it has been surveyed as much as how often its slopes fail. An area with few records may simply not have been mapped. Deaths are as recorded in the inventories; a slide listed in two inventories is counted once.

USGS Landslide Inventories across the United States, version 3.0, retrieved October 27, 2026.

Severe weather and other events

6 events in the National Weather Service record for Island County, 5 of them since 1996.

0

Hail reports, 1 inch or larger

0

Hail, 2 inches or larger

1

Damaging gusts, 58 mph+

0

Winter weather events since 1996

0

Heat events since 1996

0

Cold events since 1996

Strongest measured or estimated gust

January 6, 1986

61 mph

More event types since 1996

Other Storm Events types since 1996
Debris flows200Dec 28, 2014

Costliest events since 1996

  1. Dec 28, 2014Debris Flow$250,000
    National Weather Service narrative

    A house along the private sidewalk Brighton Boardwalk in Clinton was destroyed by a Sunday afternoon mudslide. The house next door was also damaged.

  2. Jan 31, 2013Debris Flow$250,000
    National Weather Service narrative

    Neighbors are cleaning up after a Wednesday afternoon landslide destroyed a home and damaged others on Whidbey Island. The house that took the brunt of the force was turned almost sideways and is now just inches away from falling into Puget Sound. Nobody was hurt in the 100-yard slide, but a lot of damage was done to several summer homes.

  3. Dec 3, 2007Heavy Rain$20,000
    National Weather Service narrative

    A private school in Clinton was flooded by over an inch of water.

  4. Apr 3, 2009Flood$10,000
    National Weather Service narrative

    Heavy rain over Whidbey Island, from a stationary Puget Sound convergence zone, caused enough flow on Glendale Creek to burst a beaver dam. Subsequent rain and plugging of a culvert on Glendale Road led to part of the road being washed away. The flood stream eventually damaged about 8 homes.

  1. Storm Events records before 1996 cover only tornadoes, thunderstorm wind and hail. Damage figures are as reported by the National Weather Service at the time, not adjusted for inflation.

NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database, 1950 to 2026, issued October 26, 2026.

Weather records

From Sedro-woolley, 22.8 miles from the city centre, with records from 1896.

All-time high
99°FJun 30, 1915
All-time low
−2°FJan 26, 1957
Warmest night
74°FAug 16, 2023
Coldest day
11°FJan 7, 1909
Wettest day
4.01 inNov 18, 1911
Snowiest day
13.0 inFeb 24, 2011
Hottest year
1958mean 53.2°F
Coldest year
1955mean 47.8°F
Wettest year
199069.20 in
Driest year
198728.22 in
Snowiest season
41.0 in1949-50
Average monthly high and low temperature and precipitation, last 30 years, Sedro-woolley 32°F 46° 35° 6.1 Jan 48° 35° 4.2 Feb 53° 38° 5.1 Mar 58° 41° 3.9 Apr 65° 47° 3.4 May 69° 51° 2.5 Jun 75° 53° 1.1 Jul 76° 53° 1.4 Aug 70° 50° 2.8 Sep 60° 44° 5.2 Oct 51° 39° 7.0 Nov 45° 34° 5.8 Dec Precipitation, inches
Average daily high and low by month, and average monthly precipitation, over the last 30 years.
Nights at or below freezing per year 1976: 42 1977: 58 1978: 45 1979: 61 1980: 47 1981: 44 1982: 65 1983: 33 1984: 42 1985: 93 93 1986: 35 1987: 38 1988: 38 1989: 44 1990: 47 1991: 41 1992: 26 1993: 68 1994: 37 1996: 47 1997: 32 1999: 67 2000: 63 2001: 28 2002: 56 2003: 40 2004: 26 2005: 51 2006: 28 2007: 43 2008: 45 2009: 60 2010: 18 2011: 61 2017: 62 2018: 41 2019: 59 2020: 46 2021: 35 2022: 61 2023: 46 2024: 32 2025: 47 19761986199720082023
Nights at or below freezing each complete year, last 50 years. Thirty-year average: 45.6.
Snowfall by winter 1976: 0.0 in 1977: 3.0 in 1979: 8.0 in 1980: 4.5 in 1981: 6.0 in 1982: 0.5 in 1983: 0.6 in 1984: 12.5 in 1986: 0.0 in 1987: 1.5 in 1988: 14.3 in 1989: 9.5 in 1990: 14.7 in 1991: 2.0 in 1992: 16.0 in 1993: 0.0 in 1994: 0.0 in 1995: 2.1 in 1996: 22.3 in 1998: 0.0 in 1999: 0.0 in 2000: 0.0 in 2001: 7.4 in 2002: 0.0 in 2003: 3.8 in 2004: 0.0 in 2005: 0.9 in 2006: 9.7 in 2007: 0.8 in 2008: 33.9 in 33.9 2009: 2.2 in 2023: 2.1 in 2024: 0.0 in 2025: 0.0 in 1976198819992009
Total snowfall each winter (July to June), last 50 winters.

Median first snow

December 22

Earliest: October 29, 1991

Median last snow

February 7

Latest: April 12, 1968

18 of 77 winters had no measurable snow.

Station Sedro-woolley (USC00457507), 52 ft elevation, 22.8 miles from the city centre. Daily records from 1896 to September 30, 2026; 90.9% of days in the last 30 years are complete. Records at a single station can differ from a city’s official threaded record, which may combine several stations.

NOAA NCEI Global Historical Climatology Network Daily.

Federal disaster declarations

22 since 1953. The most recent: Severe Storms, Straight-Line Winds, Flooding, Landslides, and Mudslides, April 7, 2026.

Declarations for Island County.

Federal disaster declarations
Apr 7, 2026FloodSevere Storms, Straight-Line Winds, Flooding, Landslides, and MudslidesMajor disasterDR-4906-WA
Apr 28, 2024Severe StormSevere Winter Storms, Straight-Line Winds, Flooding, Landslides, and MudslidesMajor disasterDR-4775-WA
Jan 12, 2023Severe StormSevere Winter Storm, Straight-Line Winds, Flooding, Landslides, and MudslidesMajor disasterDR-4682-WA
Jan 5, 2022FloodSevere Storms, Straight-Line Winds, Flooding, Landslides, and MudslidesMajor disasterDR-4635-WA
Apr 8, 2021Severe StormSevere Winter Storm, Straight-Line Winds, Flooding, Landslides, and MudslidesMajor disasterDR-4593-WA
Apr 23, 2020FloodSevere Storms, Flooding, Landslides, and MudslidesMajor disasterDR-4539-WA
Mar 22, 2020BiologicalCovid-19 PandemicMajor disasterDR-4481-WA
Mar 13, 2020BiologicalCovid-19EmergencyEM-3427-WA
Mar 4, 2019Severe StormSevere Winter Storms, Straight-Line Winds, Flooding, Landslides, Mudslides, TornadoMajor disasterDR-4418-WA
Jan 15, 2016Severe StormSevere Storms, Straight-Line Winds, Flooding, Landslides, and MudslidesMajor disasterDR-4249-WA
Oct 15, 2015Severe StormSevere WindstormMajor disasterDR-4242-WA
Mar 2, 2009Severe StormSevere Winter Storm and Record and Near Record SnowMajor disasterDR-1825-WA
Feb 14, 2007Severe StormSevere Winter Storm, Landslides, and MudslidesMajor disasterDR-1682-WA
May 17, 2006Severe StormSevere Storms, Flooding, Tidal Surge, Landslides, and MudslidesMajor disasterDR-1641-WA
Sep 7, 2005Coastal StormHurricane Katrina EvacuationEmergencyEM-3227-WA
Nov 7, 2003Severe StormSevere Storms and FloodingMajor disasterDR-1499-WA
Mar 1, 2001EarthquakeEarthquakeMajor disasterDR-1361-WA
Jan 17, 1997Severe StormSevere Winter Storms, Land & Muds Slides,FloodingMajor disasterDR-1159-WA
Jan 3, 1996Severe StormSevere Storms, High Wind, and FloodingMajor disasterDR-1079-WA
Mar 8, 1991FloodSevere Storms & High TidesMajor disasterDR-896-WA
Nov 26, 1990FloodSevere Storms & FloodingMajor disasterDR-883-WA
May 21, 1980Volcanic EruptionVolcanic Eruption, Mt. St. HelensMajor disasterDR-623-WA

This product uses the Federal Emergency Management Agency's OpenFEMA API, 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).

OpenFEMA Disaster Declarations Summaries, retrieved October 30, 2026. Statewide declarations are not listed.

Sources and vintage

Every number on this page comes from these public records.

  • Tornadoes NOAA Storm Prediction Center severe weather database, through 2025.
  • Tropical cyclones NOAA National Hurricane Center HURDAT2 (Atlantic; Northeast and Central Pacific), through 2025.
  • Wildfire USGS/USFS Monitoring Trends in Burn Severity, through 2026.
  • Storm events NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database, through 2026.
  • Flood insurance OpenFEMA NFIP Redacted Claims v3, refreshed August 4, 2026.
  • Declarations OpenFEMA Disaster Declarations Summaries v2, retrieved October 30, 2026.
  • Weather records NOAA NCEI Global Historical Climatology Network Daily, station USC00457507.
  • River crests NOAA National Weather Service, National Water Prediction Service river gauges, retrieved October 30, 2026.
  • Drought NOAA NCEI nClimDiv county Palmer Drought Severity Index, through September 2026.
  • Smoke NOAA NESDIS Hazard Mapping System smoke analysis, retrieved October 30, 2026.
  • Volcanoes USGS Volcano Hazards Program, U.S. volcanoes and 2018 threat assessment.
  • Landslides USGS Landslide Inventories across the United States, version 3.0 (2025).
  • Earthquakes USGS ANSS Comprehensive Earthquake Catalog (ComCat), retrieved October 30, 2026.

Joins, thresholds and known limits are set out in the methodology. Found an error? Report it. Page built October 30, 2026.