Oregon tornado risk
Washington County has the highest tornado risk in Oregon, scoring 53.1 out of 100 — rated "Relatively Low" by FEMA's National Risk Index. Recorded tornado events across Oregon have decreased 25% over the past five years compared to the prior five-year period.
| # | County | NRI score | Rating |
NOAA events 2016–2026 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Washington County | 53.1 | Relatively Low | 1 |
| 2 | Multnomah County | 47.4 | Relatively Low | 3 |
| 3 | Clackamas County | 38.1 | Relatively Low | 2 |
| 4 | Marion County | 22.5 | Very Low | 3 |
| 5 | Lane County | 21 | Very Low | 0 |
| 6 | Yamhill County | 18.4 | Very Low | 0 |
| 7 | Linn County | 15.7 | Very Low | 2 |
| 8 | Columbia County | 13.3 | Very Low | 1 |
| 9 | Umatilla County | 13 | Very Low | 4 |
| 10 | Benton County | 12.7 | Very Low | 1 |
| 11 | Polk County | 12.7 | Very Low | 0 |
| 12 | Clatsop County | 12.1 | Very Low | 0 |
| 13 | Lincoln County | 11.2 | Very Low | 1 |
| 14 | Tillamook County | 10.8 | Very Low | 3 |
| 15 | Malheur County | 8.8 | Very Low | 0 |
| 16 | Deschutes County | 8.7 | Very Low | 1 |
| 17 | Hood River County | 6.6 | Very Low | 0 |
| 18 | Jackson County | 6.5 | Very Low | 0 |
| 19 | Douglas County | 6.4 | Very Low | 0 |
| 20 | Union County | 6.1 | Very Low | 0 |
| 21 | Baker County | 5.9 | Very Low | 0 |
| 22 | Josephine County | 4.9 | Very Low | 0 |
| 23 | Wasco County | 4.7 | Very Low | 0 |
| 24 | Klamath County | 4.3 | Very Low | 1 |
| 25 | Wallowa County | 4.3 | Very Low | 1 |
| 26 | Morrow County | 4.2 | Very Low | 0 |
| 27 | Coos County | 4.1 | Very Low | 0 |
| 28 | Crook County | 3.6 | Very Low | 0 |
| 29 | Curry County | 3.1 | Very Low | 0 |
| 30 | Jefferson County | 3 | Very Low | 0 |
| 31 | Harney County | 2.5 | Very Low | 2 |
| 32 | Grant County | 2.3 | Very Low | 1 |
| 33 | Lake County | 2 | Very Low | 0 |
| 34 | Sherman County | 1.5 | Very Low | 0 |
| 35 | Gilliam County | 1.4 | Very Low | 0 |
| 36 | Wheeler County | 1.2 | Very Low | 1 |
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.
Tornado risk nationally:
Other hazard risks in Oregon:
Frequently asked questions
What is the highest tornado risk county in Oregon?
Washington County, OR has the highest tornado risk in Oregon, with a FEMA National Risk Index score of 53.1 out of 100 (rated "Relatively Low").
What causes tornado risk in Oregon?
Tornado risk concentrates in the central and southern plains ("Tornado Alley") and the Southeast ("Dixie Alley"), where atmospheric conditions favor supercell thunderstorm development. The highest scores often belong to counties with significant mobile home and manufactured housing stock, which carries disproportionate tornado mortality risk.