Washington strong wind risk
Spokane County has the highest strong wind risk in Washington, scoring 91.2 out of 100 — rated "Relatively High" by FEMA's National Risk Index.
| # | County | NRI score | Rating |
NOAA events 2016–2026 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Spokane County | 91.2 | Relatively High | 0 |
| 2 | Clark County | 82.3 | Relatively Moderate | 0 |
| 3 | Yakima County | 70.1 | Relatively Moderate | 0 |
| 4 | Benton County | 46.4 | Relatively Low | 0 |
| 5 | Pierce County | 41.8 | Relatively Low | 0 |
| 6 | Franklin County | 41.2 | Relatively Low | 0 |
| 7 | Cowlitz County | 38.2 | Relatively Low | 0 |
| 8 | Walla Walla County | 34.9 | Relatively Low | 0 |
| 9 | Grant County | 30.4 | Relatively Low | 0 |
| 10 | Thurston County | 25.2 | Relatively Low | 0 |
| 11 | Lincoln County | 23.8 | Relatively Low | 0 |
| 12 | Okanogan County | 23.3 | Relatively Low | 0 |
| 13 | Pend Oreille County | 22 | Relatively Low | 0 |
| 14 | Lewis County | 21.4 | Relatively Low | 0 |
| 15 | Klickitat County | 20.9 | Relatively Low | 0 |
| 16 | Whitman County | 19.4 | Relatively Low | 0 |
| 17 | Adams County | 18 | Relatively Low | 0 |
| 18 | Douglas County | 17.7 | Relatively Low | 0 |
| 19 | Skamania County | 14.1 | Very Low | 0 |
| 20 | Stevens County | 12.2 | Very Low | 0 |
| 21 | Chelan County | 10.8 | Very Low | 1 |
| 22 | Asotin County | 10.1 | Very Low | 0 |
| 23 | Kitsap County | 9.1 | Very Low | 0 |
| 24 | Kittitas County | 8.4 | Very Low | 0 |
| 25 | Snohomish County | 7.8 | Very Low | 0 |
| 26 | Grays Harbor County | 7.3 | Very Low | 0 |
| 27 | Mason County | 6.3 | Very Low | 0 |
| 28 | Ferry County | 6 | Very Low | 0 |
| 29 | Pacific County | 5.9 | Very Low | 0 |
| 30 | Columbia County | 4.8 | Very Low | 0 |
| 31 | King County | 4.5 | Very Low | 0 |
| 32 | Wahkiakum County | 3.4 | Very Low | 0 |
| 33 | Clallam County | 3.1 | Very Low | 0 |
| 34 | Garfield County | 2.2 | Very Low | 0 |
| 35 | Whatcom County | 2.2 | Very Low | 0 |
| 36 | Jefferson County | 2 | Very Low | 0 |
| 37 | Island County | 1.6 | Very Low | 0 |
| 38 | Skagit County | 1.5 | Very Low | 0 |
| 39 | San Juan County | 1.1 | 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.
Strong Wind risk nationally:
Other hazard risks in Washington:
Frequently asked questions
What is the highest strong wind risk county in Washington?
Spokane County, WA has the highest strong wind risk in Washington, with a FEMA National Risk Index score of 91.2 out of 100 (rated "Relatively High").
What causes strong wind risk in Washington?
Strong wind risk covers non-convective, non-tropical sustained high winds — including derechos and general high-wind events, but excluding tornado and hurricane winds. High scores appear in mountain passes, coastal headlands, and open plains where topography amplifies wind speeds. Damage concentrates on utility infrastructure, trees, and lightweight structures.