Jefferson County

Population 33,970 (2025) 1,804 sq mi

Large wildfires have burned 11,075 acres of Jefferson County since 1984, 25th most of 39 counties in Washington; the largest was the Delabarre Fire in 2023.

Hazard fingerprint for Jefferson County Tornado: 0th percentile. Tropical: 0th percentile. Wildfire: 35th percentile. Flood: 6th percentile. Hail & wind: 1th percentile. Heat: 13th percentile. Cold: 0th percentile. Winter: 30th percentile. TORTROPFIREFLOODSEVEREHEATCOLDWINTER

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

2026
  • Wildfire burn scars since 19844

At a glance

The record for Jefferson County in eight numbers. Each links to its section below.

Acres burned since 1984

11,075

25th of 39 in Washington

4 large fires; the largest was Delabarre, 2023

Details

Flood insurance claims

53

27th of 39 in Washington

$623,000 paid since 1979

Details

Largest earthquake within 50 mi

6.8magnitude

February 28, 2001, 33.8 miles away

Details

Federal disaster declarations

30

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

Details

Record high

100°F

Reached 3 times, most recently June 28, 2021

Details

Record low

3°F

January 25, 1950

Details

Costliest event since 1996

$5.5M

Heavy Rain, November 4, 2006

Details

Tornadoes

No tornado is recorded here in the Storm Prediction Center database, which begins in 1950.

Hurricanes and tropical storms

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

Wildfire and smoke

11,075 acres burned in 4 large fires since 1984, equal to 1.0% of the land.

Largest

September 1, 2023

Delabarre Fire, 4,174 acres

4,177 acres inside Jefferson County.

Most recent

September 1, 2023

Delabarre Fire

4,174 acres in total.

Acres burned since 1984, cumulative 2011: 1,4012015: 2,8182016: 2,6802023: 4,177 11,075 acres 198519901995200020052010201520202025
Running total of acres burned inside the county (line) and each year’s acres (bars).

Every large fire

Large wildfires since 1984
Delabarre20234,1774,174
Hayes Two20162,6792,675
Paradise20152,8172,818
Big Hump20111,4001,400
  1. 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

2022: 29 days

Heavy smoke on 10 days in 2023, the most of any year.

Last 10 years

15.5 days a year

Medium or heavy smoke, 2016 to 2025.

2025

14 days

Medium or heavy smoke. 26 so far in 2026.

Days with medium or heavy smoke overhead, by year 2011: 8 2012: 9 2013: 2 2014: 6 2015: 14 2016: 0 2017: 18 2018: 18 2019: 6 2020: 16 2021: 15 2022: 29 29 2023: 25 2024: 14 2025: 14 201120122013201420152016201720182019202020212022202320242025
Days each year on which a satellite-traced plume of medium or heavy smoke covered the county’s population 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

53 federal flood insurance claims since 1979, with $623,000 paid.

Federal flood insurance claims by year 1982: 5 5 2007: 5 2014: 5 2022: 5 1982
Claims per year since 1979. Years with fewer than five claims are not shown.

Most claims in one year

1982: 5 claims

$17,000 paid.

2nd most

2007: 5 claims

$65,000 paid.

3rd most

2014: 5 claims

$48,000 paid.

Claims by ZIP code

Flood insurance claims by ZIP code
9832019$172,000
9836813$30,000
983768$112,000
983396$56,000
983655$92,000

Flood events since 1996

  • Heavy Rain8
  • Flood6

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.

High tide flooding

Most in one year, Port Townsend

13 days

May 2022 to April 2023.

Last ten years

3.4 days a year

At Port Townsend, 2016–26.

Moderate or major

4 days

Since 1972, 0 of them major.

High tide flooding days per year at Port Townsend 1972: 1 1973: 7 1974: 0 1980: 1 1981: 3 1982: 13 13 1983: 1 1984: 2 1985: 0 1986: 4 1987: 3 1988: 1 1989: 0 1990: 0 1991: 1 1992: 0 1993: 3 1994: 1 1995: 3 1996: 2 1997: 8 1998: 1 1999: 0 2000: 0 2001: 1 2002: 6 2003: 2 2004: 0 2005: 9 2006: 0 2007: 3 2008: 0 2009: 6 2010: 5 2011: 2 2012: 8 2013: 0 2014: 4 2015: 7 2016: 2 2017: 0 2018: 2 2019: 1 2020: 3 2021: 6 2022: 13 2023: 2 2024: 3 2025: 2 19721987199720072017
Days at or above NOAA’s minor high tide flooding threshold, each meteorological year (May to April) from 1920. Years with less than 80 percent of data are left out.
  1. 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 56 of 1,581 months since 1895 (4%); the longest spell lasted 13 months.

56

Months in severe drought or worse since 1895

8

Months in extreme drought

4%

Share of all months, severe or worse

2

Drought reports to the Weather Service since 1996

Lowest reading

June 1924

−4.60, extreme drought

Longest severe spell

13 months

February 1944 to February 1945.

Latest month

September 2026

−2.41, moderate drought

Last severe month: August 2023.

Months in severe drought or worse, by year 1895: 0 1896: 0 1897: 0 1898: 0 1899: 0 1900: 0 1901: 0 1902: 0 1903: 0 1904: 0 1905: 0 1906: 0 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: 2 1923: 2 1924: 7 1925: 1 1926: 4 1927: 0 1928: 0 1929: 4 1930: 3 1931: 0 1932: 0 1933: 0 1934: 0 1935: 1 1936: 1 1937: 0 1938: 1 1939: 1 1940: 0 1941: 0 1942: 0 1943: 1 1944: 11 11 1945: 2 1946: 0 1947: 0 1948: 0 1949: 0 1950: 0 1951: 1 1952: 2 1953: 0 1954: 0 1955: 0 1956: 0 1957: 0 1958: 0 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: 0 1977: 2 1978: 0 1979: 0 1980: 0 1981: 0 1982: 0 1983: 0 1984: 0 1985: 0 1986: 0 1987: 2 1988: 1 1989: 0 1990: 0 1991: 0 1992: 0 1993: 1 1994: 0 1995: 0 1996: 0 1997: 0 1998: 0 1999: 0 2000: 0 2001: 2 2002: 0 2003: 0 2004: 0 2005: 0 2006: 0 2007: 0 2008: 0 2009: 0 2010: 0 2011: 0 2012: 0 2013: 0 2014: 0 2015: 1 2016: 0 2017: 0 2018: 0 2019: 2 2020: 0 2021: 0 2022: 0 2023: 1 2024: 0 2025: 0 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, tsunamis and landslides

56 earthquakes of magnitude 4 or more within 50 miles since 1900; the largest was magnitude 6.8 in 2001.

69

Magnitude 2.5+ inside the county since 1973

328

Magnitude 3+ within 50 miles since 1973

56

Magnitude 4+ within 50 miles since 1900

16

Magnitude 5+ within 50 miles since 1900

Largest within 50 miles

February 28, 2001

Magnitude 6.8

The 2001 Nisqually, Washington Earthquake; 33.8 miles away, 32.2 miles deep.

Most recent, magnitude 3 or more

October 16, 2026

Magnitude 3.1

18 km ESE of Forks, Washington; 17.7 miles away.

Earthquakes of magnitude 3 or more within 50 miles, by year 1973: 11 1974: 7 1975: 8 1976: 6 1977: 8 1978: 10 1979: 4 1980: 11 1981: 4 1982: 6 1983: 7 1984: 4 1985: 13 1986: 6 1987: 0 1988: 5 1989: 8 1990: 7 1991: 3 1992: 5 1993: 1 1994: 3 1995: 5 1996: 15 15 1997: 11 1998: 3 1999: 6 2000: 6 2001: 6 2002: 5 2003: 4 2004: 6 2005: 3 2006: 3 2007: 6 2008: 3 2009: 6 2010: 3 2011: 9 2012: 4 2013: 8 2014: 7 2015: 4 2016: 7 2017: 11 2018: 4 2019: 5 2020: 6 2021: 4 2022: 5 2023: 7 2024: 6 2025: 8 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
Sep 29, 20264.218.717.46 km WNW of Wauna, Washington
Mar 3, 20254.532.39.82025 Orcas Island, Washington
Dec 24, 20234.0Inside32.66 km W of Quilcene, Washington
Oct 8, 20234.3Inside34.1Port Townsend, WA
Jul 12, 20194.627.517.92 km S of Roosevelt, Washington
Nov 19, 20184.1Inside24.538 km NE of Amanda Park, Washington
Feb 22, 20174.19.19.611 km NE of Hoodsport, Washington
Dec 29, 20154.835.732.612 km SE of North Saanich, Canada
Jan 30, 20094.75.738.76 km ESE of Lofall, Washington
Apr 25, 20034.8Inside31.426 km W of Brinnon, Washington
Sep 20, 20024.126.014.49 km SW of Friday Harbor, Washington
Jul 22, 20014.338.432.54 km WSW of DuPont, Washington
Jun 10, 20015.024.225.018 km N of Satsop, Washington
Feb 28, 20016.833.832.2The 2001 Nisqually, Washington Earthquake
Jul 2, 19995.830.724.98 km N of Satsop, Washington
Jun 23, 19974.911.48.32 km NE of Enetai, Washington
May 2, 19965.435.22.48 km NNE of Lake Marcel-Stillwater, Washington
Jan 28, 19955.028.49.63 km WSW of Des Moines, Washington
Jun 15, 19944.016.027.41 km WNW of Hoodsport, Washington
Jun 18, 19894.416.727.54 km NE of Allyn, Washington
Mar 5, 19894.230.9-0.53 km NNE of Big Lake, Washington
Mar 4, 19894.5Inside28.132 km S of Port Angeles East, Washington
Feb 14, 19894.030.9-0.52 km NNE of Big Lake, Washington
Nov 22, 19884.044.26.289 km W of Queets, Washington
Oct 31, 19834.317.526.56 km W of Skokomish, Washington
Jun 8, 19804.26.229.96 km S of Blyn, Washington
Dec 30, 19784.240.911.04 km NE of Fall City, Washington
Mar 31, 19784.118.212.86 km W of Burley, Washington
Mar 11, 19784.818.013.65 km W of Burley, Washington
Jun 16, 19774.01.811.54 km N of Bangor Trident Base, Washington
Sep 8, 19764.516.828.12 km NNE of Union, Washington
Sep 2, 19764.73.413.86 km WSW of Coupeville, Washington
Apr 22, 19754.239.427.72 km SW of DuPont, Washington
Apr 16, 19754.05.124.810 km SSW of Seabeck, Washington
May 16, 19744.02.129.68 km ESE of Jamestown, Washington
Nov 8, 19724.126.027.23 km SE of Oak Bay, Canada
Dec 27, 19714.127.412.81 km ENE of Mercer Island, Washington
Oct 24, 19704.130.47.73 km NE of Dash Point, Washington
Apr 29, 19656.730.539.91 km ENE of Dash Point, Washington
Jan 24, 19634.530.910.62 km N of West Lake Sammamish, Washington
Sep 10, 19604.63.415.52 km SSE of Bangor Trident Base, Washington
Jan 25, 19575.019.7—6 km W of Conway, Washington
May 15, 19545.029.3—4 km ENE of Machias, Washington
Apr 13, 19496.744.731.14 km WNW of Roy, Washington
Feb 14, 19465.822.915.5Puget Sound area, Washington
Nov 28, 19434.818.4—17 km SSE of Friday Harbor, Washington
Oct 27, 19405.122.5—Olympic Peninsula, Washington
Nov 12, 19396.117.734.2Puget Sound region, Washington
Jul 17, 19325.237.4—9 km NE of Lake Marcel-Stillwater, Washington
Dec 31, 19314.87.4—Olympic Peninsula, Washington
Jan 23, 19205.546.2—21 km SSE of Point Roberts, Washington
Dec 25, 19134.710.2—Near Edmonds, Washington
Sep 28, 19114.145.4—Near Bellingham, Washington
Jan 11, 19096.038.4—San Juan Islands, Washington
Mar 16, 19045.3Inside—Eastern Olympic Peninsula, Washington
Mar 13, 19034.923.0—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 county boundary (or inside the county).
  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.

Tsunamis

Highest water recorded

Mar 28, 1964

1.6 ft, Hoh River, WA

From Prince William Sound, AK (magnitude 9.2 earthquake).

On record

6 tsunamis

Since 1964.

Tsunamis recorded here
Jul 29, 2025Kamchatka Peninsula, Russia, M8.80.210
Jan 15, 2022Tonga Islands0.510
Mar 11, 2011Honshu Island, M9.10.510
Feb 27, 2010Central Chile, M8.80.310
Dec 9, 2005British Columbia0.210
Mar 28, 1964Prince William Sound, AK, M9.21.620
  1. 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

Volcanoes within 100 miles
Mount Baker61.4Very high10,781
Glacier Peak70.9Very high10,541
Mount Rainier74.9Very high14,410
  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

6,860

Landslides mapped, probable or better

5

With a recorded date

3

Source inventories

Mapped by WA WGS (6,840), West Coast Slow Moving (Yuankun and others, 2021) (16), NASA (4).

  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

78 events in the National Weather Service record, 78 of them since 1996.

0

Hail reports, 1 inch or larger

0

Hail, 2 inches or larger

0

Damaging gusts, 58 mph+

42

Winter weather events since 1996

2

Heat events since 1996

0

Cold events since 1996

More event types since 1996

Other Storm Events types since 1996
Lightning300Jul 13, 2012
Debris flows200Feb 6, 2015
Avalanches102May 19, 1996

Costliest events since 1996

  1. Nov 4, 2006Heavy Rain$5.5 million
    National Weather Service narrative

    Olympic National Park received about 36 inches of rain from Nov 2nd through the 11th. That rainfall, plus help from some strong winds, caused damage to roads, bridges and trails. A 75 foot section of road, 25 feet deep, was washed away along with adjacent power lines.

  2. Dec 2, 2007Heavy Rain$3.0 million
    National Weather Service narrative

    A house was knocked off its foundation by flood waters.

  3. Dec 3, 2007High Wind, Olympics$2.0 million
    National Weather Service narrative

    Roads were either washed out or covered by fallen trees.

  4. Oct 20, 2003Heavy Rain$800,000
    National Weather Service narrative

    An all time daily record rainfall total was set at Seatac Airport with 5.02 inches. Other daily records were set at Shelton with 7.20", Hoquaim with 5.39" and Olympia with 4.12". Almost all reporting stations had at least 2 inches of rain in the 24 hour period from midnight to midnight. Two sinkholes, one in Clallam and one in Mason county, damaged roads and cut off access to homes. In all, nearly 50 homes suffered damage from minor flooding especially in basements and garages. Traffic snarls were common as many roads throughout the region were temporarily closed. The national parks and forests suffered fairly extensive damage to several bridges and many trails or the roads that…

  5. Jan 5, 2006Heavy Rain$700,000
    National Weather Service narrative

    The Governor declared a state of emergency after rain, at times heavy, over a period of about 10 days, caused over 7 million in damage, mainly to transportation infrastructure throughout western Washington. Mudslides closed parts of I-5 near the Pierce-Thurston county line, part of Highway 20 about a half mile east of Concrete, Highway 107 near Raymond, and Highway 166 near Port Orchard - where 3 cars crashed in the mud. In Bremerton, they totaled 16.2 inches of rainfall in 3 weeks, an amount which normally falls in 2 months. Mudslides halted Amtrak passenger train service between Everett and Olympia. In King County, there were 19 road closures from water over the roadway. Many…

  6. Jan 12, 2021Flood$554,000
    National Weather Service narrative

    Heavy rain caused surface runoff, landslides, and urban and small stream flooding. One to three inches of rain fell during the day.

  7. Dec 10, 2014Flood$300,000
    National Weather Service narrative

    Fire District 4 suffered major flood damage to Station 42, near the Duckabush River. The station is reported to be a total loss (at one point fire personnel measured more than 5 feet of water in the station ��� with fire apparatus still inside) The loss of the station and equipment is estimated at nearly $200,000. About 6 homes in the area suffered damage.

  8. Nov 14, 2015Flood$200,000
    National Weather Service narrative

    Flooding from the Hoh river damaged Oil City road.

  9. Jan 7, 2002Flood, Olympics$200,000
    National Weather Service narrative

    Heavy rain caused widespread flooding in western Washington. The Cowlitz, Chehalis, Satsop, Elwha, Dungeness, Skokomish, Puyallup, Snoqualmie, Skykomish, Snohomish, Stillaguamish, Skagit, and Nooksack Rivers flooded. The Deschutes and the Tolt crested just below flood stage. The most serious flooding occurred on the Elwha, Dungeness, and Skagit Rivers. The crest on the Dungeness was probably a new record (pending certification by USGS), and was around a 25-year recurrence interval flood. Crests on most other rivers were between 2- and 10-year floods. Several roads in the region were closed and a few homes were damaged. One road in the Bremerton area was completely washed out and…

  10. Dec 15, 1999Heavy Rain$170,000
    National Weather Service narrative

    Heavy rain along the Washington coast flooded roads and damaged bridges in west Clallam and Jefferson counties and caused a mudslide in Aberdeen. Forks reported about 6 inches of rain in 24 hours. In Clallam county several State Routes and Highway 101 were either closed or reduced to one lane due to flooding. The mudslide in Aberdeen destroyed a work shed and knocked a home off of its foundation.

  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 Everett Snohomish County Airport, 25.6 miles from the county’s population centre, with records from 1948.

All-time high
100°F3 times, most recently Jun 28, 2021
All-time low
3°FJan 25, 1950
Warmest night
73°FJul 29, 2009
Coldest day
16°FJan 13, 1950
Wettest day
3.21 inJun 13, 1948
Hottest year
2015mean 53.8°F
Coldest year
1948mean 48.0°F
Wettest year
194845.38 in
Driest year
202514.42 in
Average monthly high and low temperature and precipitation, last 30 years, Everett Snohomish County Airport 32°F 46° 37° 3.8 Jan 47° 37° 2.7 Feb 51° 39° 3.5 Mar 56° 42° 2.5 Apr 62° 48° 2.1 May 67° 52° 1.7 Jun 73° 55° 0.6 Jul 74° 56° 1.0 Aug 68° 53° 1.7 Sep 58° 46° 3.1 Oct 50° 40° 4.8 Nov 45° 36° 4.6 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 1999: 12 2000: 32 2001: 22 2002: 26 2003: 30 2004: 17 2005: 42 2006: 32 2007: 35 2008: 31 2009: 50 50 2010: 12 2011: 37 2012: 21 2013: 38 2014: 33 2015: 17 2016: 21 2017: 44 2018: 20 2019: 36 2020: 23 2021: 25 2022: 37 2023: 24 2024: 12 2025: 30 199920092019
Nights at or below freezing each complete year, last 50 years. Thirty-year average: 28.1.

Station Everett Snohomish County Airport (USW00024222), 548 ft elevation, 25.6 miles from the population centre. Daily records from 1948 to October 26, 2026; 93.2% 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

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

Federal disaster declarations
Apr 7, 2026FloodSevere Storms, Straight-Line Winds, Flooding, Landslides, and MudslidesMajor disasterDR-4906-WA
Dec 12, 2025FloodSevere Storms, Straight-Line Winds, Flooding, Landslides, and MudslidesEmergencyEM-3629-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
Mar 29, 2022FloodSevere Winter Storms, Snowstorms, Straight-Line Winds, FloodingMajor disasterDR-4650-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
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
Feb 2, 2016FloodSevere Winter Storm, Straight-Line Winds, Flooding, Landslides, Mudslides, and A TMajor disasterDR-4253-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
Jan 30, 2009FloodSevere Winter Storm, Landslides, Mudslides, and FloodingMajor disasterDR-1817-WA
Dec 8, 2007Severe StormSevere Storms, Flooding, Landslides, and MudslidesMajor disasterDR-1734-WA
Dec 12, 2006Severe StormSevere Storms, Flooding, Landslides, and MudslidesMajor disasterDR-1671-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
Apr 2, 1997FloodHeavy Rains, Snow Melt, Flooding, Land & Mud SlidesMajor disasterDR-1172-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
Aug 2, 1994Fishing LossesThe El Nino (the Salmon Industry)Major disasterDR-1037-WA
Mar 8, 1991FloodSevere Storms & High TidesMajor disasterDR-896-WA
Nov 26, 1990FloodSevere Storms & FloodingMajor disasterDR-883-WA
Feb 15, 1986FloodSevere Storms & FloodingMajor disasterDR-757-WA
May 21, 1980Volcanic EruptionVolcanic Eruption, Mt. St. HelensMajor disasterDR-623-WA
Dec 31, 1979FloodStorms, High Tides, Mudslides & FloodingMajor disasterDR-612-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.

How this compares

Where Jefferson County stands among 39 counties in Washington and 3,143 in the United States.

Ranks
Tornadoes since 19500——
Tornadoes rated F3/EF3 or stronger0——
Tropical cyclones within 50 mi0——
Hurricane-strength passes within 50 mi0——
Wildfire acres since 198411,07525 / 39777 / 3,143
Flood insurance claims5327 / 391,617 / 3,143
Flood insurance paid$623,00025 / 391,691 / 3,143
Disaster declarations3011 / 39383 / 3,143
Flood events since 19961424 / 392,764 / 3,143
Hail and wind events since 19961630 / 393,084 / 3,143
Winter storm events since 19964227 / 392,152 / 3,143
Reported damage since 1996$13.7 million30 / 391,752 / 3,143
River crests at major flood stage0——
High tide flooding days a year, last 10 years3.44 / 3982 / 3,143
Months in severe drought since 18955638 / 393,087 / 3,143
Medium or heavy smoke days a year, last 10 years15.530 / 391,528 / 3,143
Earthquakes M4+ within 50 mi since 19005612 / 39165 / 3,143
Earthquakes M2.5+ in the county since 19736913 / 39157 / 3,143

Neighbouring counties

Neighbouring counties
Clallam County000101
Grays Harbor County300921
Mason County105,689305

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 USW00024222.
  • 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.