Washington drought risk
Yakima County has the highest drought risk in Washington, scoring 36.1 out of 100 — rated "Relatively Low" by FEMA's National Risk Index.
| # | County | NRI score | Rating |
NOAA events 2016–2026 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Yakima County | 36.1 | Relatively Low | 0 |
| 2 | Grant County | 32.7 | Relatively Low | 0 |
| 3 | Benton County | 28.1 | Very Low | 0 |
| 4 | Walla Walla County | 23.5 | Very Low | 0 |
| 5 | Franklin County | 22.7 | Very Low | 0 |
| 6 | Adams County | 20.5 | Very Low | 0 |
| 7 | Okanogan County | 20.3 | Very Low | 0 |
| 8 | Whitman County | 20 | Very Low | 0 |
| 9 | Douglas County | 18.2 | Very Low | 0 |
| 10 | Lincoln County | 17.8 | Very Low | 0 |
| 11 | Klickitat County | 17.6 | Very Low | 0 |
| 12 | Chelan County | 17.5 | Very Low | 0 |
| 13 | Spokane County | 16.6 | Very Low | 0 |
| 14 | Kittitas County | 16.5 | Very Low | 0 |
| 15 | Columbia County | 14.9 | Very Low | 0 |
| 16 | Garfield County | 14.6 | Very Low | 0 |
| 17 | Whatcom County | 14.5 | Very Low | 0 |
| 18 | Stevens County | 13.9 | Very Low | 0 |
| 19 | Asotin County | 13.8 | Very Low | 0 |
| 20 | King County | 13.7 | Very Low | 0 |
| 21 | Skagit County | 13.7 | Very Low | 0 |
| 22 | Thurston County | 13.3 | Very Low | 0 |
| 23 | Lewis County | 13.1 | Very Low | 0 |
| 24 | Pend Oreille County | 13.1 | Very Low | 0 |
| 25 | Ferry County | 13 | Very Low | 0 |
| 26 | Grays Harbor County | 13 | Very Low | 0 |
| 27 | Snohomish County | 13 | Very Low | 0 |
| 28 | Pacific County | 12.8 | Very Low | 0 |
| 29 | Pierce County | 12.8 | Very Low | 0 |
| 30 | Clallam County | 12.7 | Very Low | 0 |
| 31 | Skamania County | 12.7 | Very Low | 0 |
| 32 | Mason County | 12.6 | Very Low | 0 |
| 33 | Jefferson County | 12.5 | Very Low | 0 |
| 34 | Clark County | 0 | No Rating | 0 |
| 35 | Cowlitz County | 0 | No Rating | 0 |
| 36 | Island County | 0 | No Rating | 0 |
| 37 | Kitsap County | 0 | No Rating | 0 |
| 38 | San Juan County | 0 | No Rating | 0 |
| 39 | Wahkiakum County | 0 | No Rating | 0 |
Source: FEMA National Risk Index v1.20.0, December 2025. Scores are 0–100 percentile rankings among all US counties. See the methodology page for definitions. Download the full CSV for all counties.
Drought risk nationally:
Other hazard risks in Washington:
Frequently asked questions
What is the highest drought risk county in Washington?
Yakima County, WA has the highest drought risk in Washington, with a FEMA National Risk Index score of 36.1 out of 100 (rated "Relatively Low").
What causes drought risk in Washington?
Drought risk captures expected annual losses from prolonged precipitation deficits affecting agriculture, water supply, and ecosystems. High scores cover the western Great Plains, Southwest, and California's Central Valley. Climate change is increasing drought frequency and severity across much of the US, with multi-year droughts becoming more common in the West.