Kittitas County, WA
FEMA National Risk Index scores, disaster declarations & hazard data
Kittitas County has experienced 29 federally declared disasters since 1965, most recently Severe Storms, Straight-Line Winds, Flooding, Landslides, And Mudslides in 2026. Its overall natural hazard risk is rated Relatively Moderate — near the middle compared to other US counties.
Kittitas County's highest-rated hazards are wildfire, landslide, and avalanche, with its top risk rated "Relatively High" by FEMA's National Risk Index.
Past disasters & FEMA designations
A federal disaster declaration officially designates a county for FEMA disaster assistance. Kittitas County has been designated in 29 declarations since 1965, covering 8 disaster types including fire (10), flood (8), severe storm (5).
| Year | Type | Event name |
|---|---|---|
| 2026 | Flood | Severe Storms, Straight-Line Winds, Flooding, Landslides, And Mudslides |
| 2026 | Flood | Severe Storms, Straight-Line Winds, Flooding, Landslides, And Mudslides |
| 2021 | Fire | Wildfires And Straight-Line Winds |
| 2020 | Biological | Covid-19 Pandemic |
| 2020 | Biological | Covid-19 |
| 2018 | Fire | Ryegrass Coulee Fire |
| 2017 | Fire | Jolly Mountain Fire |
| 2016 | Severe Storm | Severe Storms, Straight-Line Winds, Flooding, Landslides, And Mudslides |
| 2014 | Fire | Wildfires |
| 2014 | Fire | Snag Canyon Fire |
Showing the 10 most recent of 29 total declarations since 1965.
Source: FEMA OpenFEMA Disaster Declarations Summaries. A single disaster can produce more than one record per county. Data current through September 2026.
Risk by hazard type
| Hazard | Risk rating | Risk score | Recorded events | Deaths | Prop. damage |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Wildfire | Relatively High | 99.7 | 0 | 0 | — |
| Inland Flooding | Relatively Moderate | 74.8 | 1 | 0 | — |
| Coastal Flooding | Not Applicable | — | 0 | 0 | — |
| Earthquake | Relatively Moderate | 93.9 | 6 | — | — |
| Heat Wave | Relatively Low | 66.2 | 3 | 0 | — |
| Tornado | Very Low | 7.4 | 1 | 0 | — |
| Hurricane | Not Applicable | — | 0 | 0 | — |
| Hail | Very Low | 14.2 | 0 | 0 | — |
| Strong Wind | Very Low | 8.4 | 0 | 0 | — |
| Winter Weather | Relatively Low | 53.3 | 0 | 0 | — |
| Ice Storm | Very Low | 22.6 | — | — | — |
| Cold Wave | Relatively Low | 65.3 | — | — | — |
| Lightning | Relatively Low | 39.3 | 0 | 0 | — |
| Drought | Very Low | 16.5 | 0 | 0 | — |
| Landslide | Relatively High | 98.2 | 0 | 0 | — |
| Avalanche | Very High | 97.7 | — | — | — |
| Tsunami | Not Applicable | — | — | — | — |
| Volcanic Activity | Very Low | 83.1 | — | — | — |
Scores are 0–100 percentiles relative to all US counties — higher means more exposed, not that a disaster is likely this year. Event counts: NOAA Storm Events 2016–2026; earthquake counts from USGS ComCat (M3.0+, 1996–2026). See the methodology page for details.
Community vulnerability
Kittitas County ranks in the 34th percentile (Low) for community vulnerability — a measure of how hard disaster impacts tend to hit residents. Higher vulnerability means more displacement, worse health outcomes, and slower recovery after a disaster.
| SVI theme | Percentile | Vulnerability level |
|---|---|---|
| Overall | 34th | Low |
| Socioeconomic status | 51st | Moderate |
| Household characteristics | 1st | Very low |
| Racial & ethnic minority status | 52nd | Moderate |
| Housing type & transportation | 63rd | Moderate |
Source: CDC/ATSDR Social Vulnerability Index 2022. Percentiles compare counties nationally — higher means more vulnerable relative to other counties. See CDC SVI for full methodology.
Future risk outlook
| Wildfire metric | National percentile | Level |
|---|---|---|
| Burn probability | 100th | Very High |
| Risk to homes | 100th | Very High |
| Buildings in direct exposure zone | 67.6% | — |
Wildfire: USDA Forest Service Wildfire Risk to Communities (RDS-2020-0016-2) — modeled values, not annual forecasts. See wildfirerisk.org. Inland flood and heat projections pending data availability; coastal sea-level projections are available for select coastal counties below — see the data page.
Nearby counties
Frequently asked questions
What natural hazards pose the greatest risk in Kittitas County?
According to the FEMA National Risk Index, the highest-risk hazards in Kittitas County, Washington are wildfire, landslide, and avalanche. The county's overall natural hazard risk is rated Relatively Moderate — near the middle compared to other US counties.
Has Kittitas County received federal disaster declarations?
Yes. Kittitas County has received 29 federal disaster declarations since 1965, including declarations in 2026. The most common disaster type on record is fire (10 declarations).
Has Kittitas County had any FEMA disaster declarations in 2024, 2025, or 2026?
Yes. Recent federal disaster declarations for Kittitas County include Severe Storms, Straight-Line Winds, Flooding, Landslides, And Mudslides (2026), Severe Storms, Straight-Line Winds, Flooding, Landslides, And Mudslides (2026). See the declarations table above for the full history since 1965.
How does Kittitas County's natural hazard risk compare to nearby counties?
Among neighboring counties, King County, WA has the highest overall natural hazard risk (Very High) and Douglas County, WA has the lowest (Relatively Low). Kittitas County is rated Relatively Moderate overall.
How is Kittitas County's composite disaster risk index calculated?
Kittitas County's composite disaster risk index — officially FEMA's National Risk Index (NRI) — scores every US county on a 0–100 percentile scale across 18 natural hazard types, factoring in expected annual loss, social vulnerability, and community resilience. Kittitas County's composite score of 89 means its overall natural hazard risk is higher than 89% of US counties.