Washington lightning risk
Pierce County has the highest lightning risk in Washington, scoring 89.9 out of 100 — rated "Relatively High" by FEMA's National Risk Index.
| # | County | NRI score | Rating |
NOAA events 2016–2026 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Pierce County | 89.9 | Relatively High | 0 |
| 2 | Snohomish County | 86.1 | Relatively High | 0 |
| 3 | Chelan County | 84.3 | Relatively High | 0 |
| 4 | Clark County | 80.6 | Relatively Moderate | 0 |
| 5 | King County | 74.7 | Relatively Moderate | 0 |
| 6 | Yakima County | 67.6 | Relatively Moderate | 0 |
| 7 | Okanogan County | 63.8 | Relatively Moderate | 0 |
| 8 | Benton County | 63 | Relatively Moderate | 0 |
| 9 | Whatcom County | 62.2 | Relatively Moderate | 0 |
| 10 | Spokane County | 57.1 | Relatively Moderate | 3 |
| 11 | Klickitat County | 55.7 | Relatively Low | 0 |
| 12 | Kitsap County | 54.7 | Relatively Low | 0 |
| 13 | Douglas County | 53.9 | Relatively Low | 0 |
| 14 | Skagit County | 50.4 | Relatively Low | 0 |
| 15 | Grant County | 50.2 | Relatively Low | 0 |
| 16 | Franklin County | 45 | Relatively Low | 1 |
| 17 | Kittitas County | 39.3 | Relatively Low | 0 |
| 18 | Lewis County | 32.4 | Relatively Low | 0 |
| 19 | Thurston County | 30.3 | Relatively Low | 0 |
| 20 | Walla Walla County | 29.7 | Relatively Low | 0 |
| 21 | Island County | 24.5 | Relatively Low | 0 |
| 22 | Cowlitz County | 22.8 | Very Low | 1 |
| 23 | Mason County | 20.3 | Very Low | 0 |
| 24 | Pend Oreille County | 15.4 | Very Low | 0 |
| 25 | Grays Harbor County | 13.9 | Very Low | 0 |
| 26 | Clallam County | 13.1 | Very Low | 0 |
| 27 | Ferry County | 10.3 | Very Low | 1 |
| 28 | Stevens County | 10 | Very Low | 1 |
| 29 | Asotin County | 8.9 | Very Low | 2 |
| 30 | Lincoln County | 8 | Very Low | 0 |
| 31 | Whitman County | 7.5 | Very Low | 0 |
| 32 | Adams County | 6.4 | Very Low | 0 |
| 33 | Jefferson County | 6.2 | Very Low | 0 |
| 34 | San Juan County | 5.5 | Very Low | 0 |
| 35 | Pacific County | 4.3 | Very Low | 0 |
| 36 | Skamania County | 4.1 | Very Low | 0 |
| 37 | Columbia County | 1.7 | Very Low | 0 |
| 38 | Wahkiakum County | 0.8 | Very Low | 0 |
| 39 | Garfield County | 0.3 | Very Low | 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.
Lightning risk nationally:
Other hazard risks in Washington:
Frequently asked questions
What is the highest lightning risk county in Washington?
Pierce County, WA has the highest lightning risk in Washington, with a FEMA National Risk Index score of 89.9 out of 100 (rated "Relatively High").
What causes lightning risk in Washington?
Lightning risk reflects expected annual losses from cloud-to-ground strikes, which ignite building fires, damage electrical systems, and cause fatalities. Florida consistently leads the US in lightning density. High scores also appear across the Gulf Coast, Southeast, and central Plains, where afternoon convective storms are most frequent in summer months.