Lincoln County
Population 50,636 (2025) 981 sq mi
Property owners in Lincoln County have filed 462 federal flood insurance claims since 1978, 3rd most of 36 counties in Oregon.
Hazard fingerprint Each spoke is this county’s percentile among U.S. counties where that hazard occurs. How it is computed
- Tornado damage paths since 19504
- Wildfire burn scars since 19841
- Major flood years since 19784
At a glance
The record for Lincoln County in eight numbers. Each links to its section below.
Tornadoes
About one every 19 years since 1950, none rated F3/EF3 or stronger.
Strongest
October 31, 2024
EF0, 0.2 mile path
20 yards wide.
Most recent
Thursday, October 31, 2024
EF0, 0.2 mile path
2 years ago.
Every recorded tornado
| Oct 31, 2024 | EF0 | 0.2 | 0 | 0 |
| Nov 6, 2009 | EF0 | 0.1 | 0 | 0 |
| Oct 24, 1996 | F0 | 0.1 | 0 | 0 |
| Nov 2, 1984 | F0 | 0.1 | 0 | 0 |
- Injuries and deaths are for the tornado’s whole path, which may extend beyond the county. Deaths recorded within Lincoln County: 0.
- 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
2,163 acres burned in 1 large fire since 1984, equal to 0.3% of the land.
Largest
September 8, 2020
Echo Mtn Complex, 2,161 acres
2,162 acres inside Lincoln County.
Most recent
September 8, 2020
Echo Mtn Complex
2,161 acres in total.
Every large fire
| Echo Mtn Complex | 2020 | 2,162 | 2,161 |
- Large fires mapped by the Monitoring Trends in Burn Severity program since 1984: 1,000 acres or more in the West, 500 or more in the East. Prescribed burns are excluded. Acres here are the part of each perimeter inside this place.
Monitoring Trends in Burn Severity (USGS and U.S. Forest Service), 1984 to 2026.
Smoke overhead
Smokiest year
2020: 21 days
Heavy smoke on 11 days in 2020, the most of any year.
Last 10 years
13.3 days a year
Medium or heavy smoke, 2016 to 2025.
2025
4 days
Medium or heavy smoke. 10 so far in 2026.
- 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
462 federal flood insurance claims since 1979, with $6.3 million paid.
Most claims in one year
1999: 131 claims
$3.1 million paid.
2nd most
1998: 71 claims
$858,000 paid.
3rd most
1996: 58 claims
$443,000 paid.
Claims by ZIP code
| 97367 | 287 | $4.9 million |
| 97394 | 60 | $386,000 |
| 97390 | 23 | $218,000 |
| 97380 | 19 | $312,000 |
| 97388 | 15 | $168,000 |
| 97498 | 14 | $86,000 |
| 97368 | 10 | $79,000 |
| 97341 | 8 | $5,222 |
| 97391 | 8 | $97,000 |
| 97365 | 5 | $1,006 |
Flood events since 1996
- Flood22
- Heavy Rain12
1 death recorded in flood events since 1996.
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.
River crests
Most severe crest
November 26, 1999
Siletz River at Siletz, 28.62 ft
12.62 feet above the 16.0 ft flood stage; major flooding by today’s categories.
Most recent moderate or major crest
December 19, 2025
Siletz River at Siletz, 21.48 ft
Moderate flooding.
| Nov 26, 1999 | Siletz River at Siletz | 28.62 | +12.62 |
| Feb 3, 1890 | Alsea River near Tidewater | 29.50 | +11.50 |
| Jan 28, 1965 | Siletz River at Siletz | 27.32 | +11.32 |
| Jan 11, 1972 | Siletz River at Siletz | 25.76 | +9.76 |
| Dec 22, 1964 | Siletz River at Siletz | 25.74 | +9.74 |
| Dec 22, 1964 | Alsea River near Tidewater | 27.44 | +9.44 |
| Feb 17, 1949 | Siletz River at Siletz | 25.17 | +9.17 |
| Jan 21, 1972 | Alsea River near Tidewater | 25.71 | +7.71 |
| Jan 16, 1974 | Alsea River near Tidewater | 24.55 | +6.55 |
| Dec 28, 1998 | Alsea River near Tidewater | 24.04 | +6.04 |
| Nov 4, 1960 | Alsea River near Tidewater | 24.02 | +6.02 |
| Dec 26, 1980 | Alsea River near Tidewater | 23.92 | +5.92 |
| Feb 7, 1996 | Alsea River near Tidewater | 23.88 | +5.88 |
| Dec 21, 1955 | Alsea River near Tidewater | 23.80 | +5.80 |
| Jan 19, 2012 | Alsea River near Tidewater | 23.61 | +5.61 |
| Jan 28, 1965 | Alsea River near Tidewater | 23.26 | +5.26 |
| Nov 15, 1973 | Alsea River near Tidewater | 23.10 | +5.10 |
| Dec 28, 1998 | Siletz River at Siletz | 24.72 | +8.72 |
| Dec 15, 1946 | Siletz River at Siletz | 24.53 | +8.53 |
| Feb 7, 1996 | Siletz River at Siletz | 24.49 | +8.49 |
| Nov 20, 1962 | Siletz River at Siletz | 23.40 | +7.40 |
| Nov 7, 2006 | Siletz River at Siletz | 22.95 | +6.95 |
| Dec 25, 1980 | Siletz River at Siletz | 22.95 | +6.95 |
| Jan 18, 1953 | Siletz River at Siletz | 22.26 | +6.26 |
| Nov 24, 1960 | Siletz River at Siletz | 22.12 | +6.12 |
River gauges
| Alsea River near Tidewater | 18.0 | 29.50 ft | 12 |
| Drift Creek of Lincoln Co. above Waldport | 10.0 | 10.69 ft | 0 |
| Siletz River at Siletz | 16.0 | 28.62 ft | 5 |
| Yachats River near Yachats | 14.2 | 15.65 ft | 0 |
| Yaquina River near Chitwood | 12.0 | 13.30 ft | 0 |
- Crests are the highest and the recent crests the National Weather Service lists for each river gauge in the county that has a flood stage, not every flood. Flood categories use each gauge's current flood stages; crests from before levees, dams or channel changes may not be comparable. Crests measured on an old datum are left out of the rankings.
NOAA National Water Prediction Service gauge records, retrieved October 30, 2026.
High tide flooding
Most in one year, South Beach
25 days
May 1997 to April 1998.
Last ten years
7.1 days a year
At South Beach, 2016–26.
Moderate or major
37 days
Since 1967, 0 of them major.
- High tide flooding days are days on which a NOAA tide gauge recorded water at or above NOAA's minor flood threshold, set from the gauge's tide range, counted by meteorological year (May to April). These are the counts in NOAA's annual high tide flooding reports; they are not National Weather Service flood stages. Years with less than 80 percent of data are left out.
NOAA CO-OPS high tide flooding counts, through April 2026, retrieved October 30, 2026.
Drought
In severe drought or worse for 98 of 1,581 months since 1895 (6%); the longest spell lasted 11 months.
98
Months in severe drought or worse since 1895
12
Months in extreme drought
6%
Share of all months, severe or worse
Lowest reading
July 1924
−4.78, extreme drought
Longest severe spell
11 months
May 1992 to March 1993.
Latest month
September 2026
−3.36, severe drought
- 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, tsunamis and landslides
8 earthquakes of magnitude 4 or more within 50 miles since 1900; the largest was magnitude 4.9 in 2004.
11
Magnitude 2.5+ inside the county since 1973
33
Magnitude 3+ within 50 miles since 1973
8
Magnitude 4+ within 50 miles since 1900
0
Magnitude 5+ within 50 miles since 1900
Largest within 50 miles
July 12, 2004
Magnitude 4.9
30 km W of Yachats, Oregon; 18.8 miles away, 17.9 miles deep.
Most recent, magnitude 3 or more
November 23, 2025
Magnitude 3.2
5 km SE of Amity, Oregon; 27.8 miles away.
Every earthquake of magnitude 4 or more within 50 miles
| Jul 4, 2015 | 4.1 | 44.8 |
| Aug 18, 2004 | 4.7 | 10.9 |
| Jul 12, 2004 | 4.9 | 18.8 |
| Jun 11, 1989 | 4.1 | 40.2 |
| Dec 26, 1963 | 4.5 | 48.0 |
| Mar 7, 1963 | 4.6 | 43.7 |
| Aug 20, 1959 | 4.6 | 30.7 |
| Nov 16, 1957 | 4.0 | 18.0 |
- 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 county boundary (or inside the county).
- 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.
Tsunamis
Highest water recorded
Mar 28, 1964
11.5 ft, Yaquina Bay, OR
From Prince William Sound, AK (magnitude 9.2 earthquake).
On record
19 tsunamis
Since 1946; 4 deaths recorded here.
| Jul 29, 2025 | Kamchatka Peninsula, Russia, M8.8 | 0.7 | 0 |
| Jan 15, 2022 | Tonga Islands | 0.7 | 0 |
| Jul 29, 2021 | Kodiak Island, AK, M8.2 | 0.4 | 0 |
| Mar 4, 2021 | S Of Raoul Island, Kermadec Islands, M8.1 | 0.2 | 0 |
| Jan 23, 2018 | Kodiak Island, AK, M7.9 | 0.2 | 0 |
| Sep 16, 2015 | Central Chile, M8.3 | 0.2 | 0 |
| Oct 28, 2012 | British Columbia, M7.7 | 0.2 | 0 |
| Mar 11, 2011 | Honshu Island, M9.1 | 1.4 | 0 |
| Feb 27, 2010 | Central Chile, M8.8 | 0.5 | 0 |
| Oct 7, 2009 | Vanuatu Islands, M7.6 | 0.1 | 0 |
| Sep 29, 2009 | Samoa Islands, M8.1 | 0.3 | 0 |
| Nov 15, 2006 | S. Kuril Islands, M8.3 | 0.6 | 0 |
| Jun 10, 1996 | Andreanof Islands, AK, M7.9 | 0.1 | 0 |
| Feb 17, 1996 | Irian Jaya, M8.2 | 0.1 | 0 |
| Oct 4, 1994 | S. Kuril Islands, M8.3 | 0.2 | 0 |
| May 16, 1968 | Off East Coast Of Honshu Island, M8.2 | 0.7 | 0 |
| Mar 28, 1964 | Prince William Sound, AK, M9.2 | 11.5 | 4 |
| May 22, 1960 | Southern Chile, M9.5 | 3.0 | 0 |
| Apr 1, 1946 | Unimak Island, AK, M8.6 | 5.0 | 0 |
- Places where NOAA's Global Historical Tsunami Database records a tsunami's water arriving, with the greatest height it reached above sea level at the time. Only tsunamis NOAA rates probable or definite are counted. Heights from eyewitness accounts and tide gauges are mixed, and older events are less completely recorded.
NOAA NCEI/WDS Global Historical Tsunami Database, retrieved October 30, 2026.
Volcanoes within 100 miles
| Sand Mountain volcanic field | 82.4 | Very low |
| Belknap Crater | 87.4 | Low |
| Mount Jefferson | 88.6 | Low |
| Blue Lake Crater | 90.0 | Low |
| Three Sisters | 93.4 | Very high |
| West Crater volcanic field | 98.4 | Low |
| Mount Bachelor | 99.6 | Moderate |
- 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
7,735
Landslides mapped, probable or better
921
With a recorded date
2
Source inventories
Mapped by OR DOGAMI (7,642), NASA (93).
- 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
67 events in the National Weather Service record, 65 of them since 1996.
0
Hail reports, 1 inch or larger
0
Hail, 2 inches or larger
5
Damaging gusts, 58 mph+
3
Winter weather events since 1996
0
Heat events since 1996
3
Cold events since 1996
Strongest measured or estimated gust
November 20, 2012
71 mph
More event types since 1996
| High surf and sneaker waves | 1 | 1 |
Costliest events since 1996
- Jan 18, 2012Flood$3.0 million
National Weather Service narrative
Heavy rain caused the Alsea River near Tidewater to overflow its banks, causing a major flood to the surrounding area. The Alsea River crested at 23.6 feet on January 19th at 5 pm PST, 5.6 feet above flood stage.
- Jan 18, 2012Flood$2.0 million
National Weather Service narrative
Heavy rain caused the Siletz River near Siletz to overflow its banks and flood low lying areas. The Siletz River crested at 23.5 feet on January 19th at 2 pm PST, 7.5 feet above flood stage.
- Jan 15, 1996Thunderstorm Wind$1.5 million
- Dec 17, 2015Heavy Rain$1.2 million
National Weather Service narrative
Heavy rain resulted in a multiple of large land slides from Florence to Newport. A landslide in Newport damaged 6 homes and resulted in the evacuation of other near by homes. A car fell into a sink hole in Newport as it opened up a garage. One landslide that struck a home killed an elderly woman and her dog, and injured her husband. A creek near Yachats River Rd pushed a home off of its foundation as it rerouted from the heavy rain. Highway 229 in Siletz flooded. The Siletz River near Siletz and the Alsea River near Tidewater exceeded flood stage. A new daily rainfall record was set in Newport when 3.08 inches of rain on the 17th broke the previous record of 2 inches that was last…
- Dec 7, 2015Flood$128,000
National Weather Service narrative
Heavy rain resulted in flooding of the Siltez river near Siletz and the Alsea River near Tidewater. High water covered many roads.
- Dec 3, 2007Flood$124,000
National Weather Service narrative
The Siletz River near Siletz had moderate flooding, causing flood damage near Siletz and Lincoln City and surrounding areas. NOTE: Damage estimates are for the entire Lincoln county.
- Nov 6, 2009Tornado$35,000
National Weather Service narrative
The tornado caused widespread damage to a neighborhood in the Roads End area of Lincoln City, damaging 11 homes, 3 automobiles, and uprooting a couple trees and snapping another. The uprooted trees were about 20-24 inches in diameter, and one was carried 20 yards downwind. One home had major roof damage, with 40-50% of the roof collapsed.
- Oct 31, 2024Tornado$8,000
National Weather Service narrative
At the Oregon State University Ship Operations Facility in South Beach, Oregon, security camera footage showed a distinct circulation move northeastward across a lot before moving over the bay and impacting pilings and a dock in the water. About 20 square feet of concrete shingles were torn off the main building. Various items weighing up to 1100 pounds in the parking lot were flipped upside down or pushed aside.
- Oct 14, 2016Heavy Rain$5,000
National Weather Service narrative
KVAL News reported a landslide blocking the northbound lane of Highway 101 near Yachats.
- 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 Corvallis Water Bureau, 30.3 miles from the county’s population centre, with records from 1963.
- All-time high
- 110°FJun 28, 2021
- All-time low
- 2°F7 times, most recently Dec 9, 2009
- Warmest night
- 71°FJun 28, 2021
- Coldest day
- 19°F2 times, most recently Feb 4, 1989
- Wettest day
- 6.29 inNov 19, 1996
- Snowiest day
- 36.0 inJan 31, 1937
- Hottest year
- 2021mean 54.1°F
- Coldest year
- 2009mean 48.7°F
- Wettest year
- 1950107.05 in
- Driest year
- 194439.31 in
- Snowiest season
- 103.0 in1949-50
Median first snow
December 26
Earliest: November 2, 2003
Median last snow
February 23
Latest: April 20, 2008
21 of 71 winters had no measurable snow.
Station Corvallis Water Bureau (USC00351877), 592 ft elevation, 30.3 miles from the population centre. Daily records from 1963 to October 20, 2026; 92.6% 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
24 since 1953. The most recent: Severe Storms, Straight-Line Winds, Flooding, Landslides, and Mudslides, April 7, 2026.
| Apr 7, 2026 | Severe Storm | DR-4907-OR |
| Apr 13, 2024 | Severe Storm | DR-4768-OR |
| Sep 15, 2020 | Fire | DR-4562-OR |
| Sep 10, 2020 | Fire | EM-3542-OR |
| Sep 9, 2020 | Fire | FM-5362-OR |
| Mar 28, 2020 | Biological | DR-4499-OR |
| Mar 13, 2020 | Biological | EM-3429-OR |
| Feb 17, 2016 | Severe Storm | DR-4258-OR |
| Apr 4, 2014 | Severe Storm | DR-4169-OR |
| Mar 2, 2012 | Flood | DR-4055-OR |
| Mar 25, 2011 | Tsunami | DR-1964-OR |
| Feb 17, 2011 | Severe Storm | DR-1956-OR |
| Dec 8, 2007 | Severe Storm | DR-1733-OR |
| Feb 22, 2007 | Severe Storm | DR-1683-OR |
| Dec 29, 2006 | Severe Storm | DR-1672-OR |
| Mar 20, 2006 | Severe Storm | DR-1632-OR |
| Sep 7, 2005 | Coastal Storm | EM-3228-OR |
| Feb 19, 2004 | Severe Storm | DR-1510-OR |
| Mar 19, 1996 | Severe Storm | DR-1107-OR |
| Feb 9, 1996 | Flood | DR-1099-OR |
| Aug 2, 1994 | Fishing Losses | DR-1036-OR |
| Jan 25, 1974 | Flood | DR-413-OR |
| Jan 21, 1972 | Flood | DR-319-OR |
| Dec 24, 1964 | Flood | DR-184-OR |
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.
How this compares
Where Lincoln County stands among 36 counties in Oregon and 3,143 in the United States.
| Tornadoes since 1950 | 4 | 17 / 36 |
| Tornadoes rated F3/EF3 or stronger | 0 | — |
| Tropical cyclones within 50 mi | 0 | — |
| Hurricane-strength passes within 50 mi | 0 | — |
| Wildfire acres since 1984 | 2,163 | 28 / 36 |
| Flood insurance claims | 462 | 3 / 36 |
| Flood insurance paid | $6.3 million | 4 / 36 |
| Disaster declarations | 24 | 5 / 36 |
| Flood events since 1996 | 34 | 13 / 36 |
| Hail and wind events since 1996 | 20 | 26 / 36 |
| Winter storm events since 1996 | 3 | 32 / 36 |
| Reported damage since 1996 | $8.0 million | 16 / 36 |
| River crests at major flood stage | 17 | 6 / 36 |
| High tide flooding days a year, last 10 years | 7.1 | 2 / 36 |
| Months in severe drought since 1895 | 98 | 20 / 36 |
| Medium or heavy smoke days a year, last 10 years | 13.3 | 34 / 36 |
| Earthquakes M4+ within 50 mi since 1900 | 8 | 22 / 36 |
| Earthquakes M2.5+ in the county since 1973 | 11 | 12 / 36 |
Neighbouring counties
| Benton County | 2 | 0 |
| Lane County | 7 | 0 |
| Polk County | 3 | 0 |
| Tillamook County | 7 | 0 |
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 USC00351877.
- River crests NOAA National Weather Service, National Water Prediction Service river gauges, retrieved October 30, 2026.
- Tide gauges NOAA CO-OPS high tide flooding counts, 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.
- Tsunamis NOAA NCEI/WDS Global Historical Tsunami Database.
- 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.