Yakima County, WA
FEMA National Risk Index scores, disaster declarations & hazard data
Yakima County has experienced 39 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.
Yakima County's highest-rated hazards are wildfire, landslide, and cold wave, with its top risk rated "Relatively High" by FEMA's National Risk Index. Community vulnerability is elevated (96th percentile nationally), suggesting residents may face greater difficulty recovering from major disasters.
Past disasters & FEMA designations
A federal disaster declaration officially designates a county for FEMA disaster assistance. Yakima County has been designated in 39 declarations since 1965, covering 8 disaster types including fire (20), flood (10), severe storm (3).
| Year | Type | Event name |
|---|---|---|
| 2026 | Fire | Wildfires |
| 2026 | Fire | Signal Peak Fire |
| 2026 | Flood | Severe Storms, Straight-Line Winds, Flooding, Landslides, And Mudslides |
| 2026 | Flood | Severe Storms, Straight-Line Winds, Flooding, Landslides, And Mudslides |
| 2026 | Fire | Ransier Fire |
| 2024 | Fire | West White Swan Fire |
| 2024 | Fire | Slide Ranch Fire |
| 2024 | Fire | Retreat Fire |
| 2021 | Fire | Wildfires And Straight-Line Winds |
| 2021 | Fire | Schneider Springs Fire |
Showing the 10 most recent of 39 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 | 98.9 | 0 | 0 | — |
| Inland Flooding | Relatively Moderate | 92.9 | 11 | 0 | $320K |
| Coastal Flooding | Not Applicable | — | 0 | 0 | — |
| Earthquake | Relatively Moderate | 97.4 | 8 | — | — |
| Heat Wave | Relatively Moderate | 93.5 | 5 | 0 | — |
| Tornado | Very Low | 19.5 | 0 | 0 | — |
| Hurricane | Not Applicable | — | 0 | 0 | — |
| Hail | Relatively Moderate | 92.7 | 0 | 0 | — |
| Strong Wind | Relatively Moderate | 70.1 | 0 | 0 | — |
| Winter Weather | Relatively High | 85.5 | 0 | 0 | — |
| Ice Storm | Relatively Low | 53.6 | — | — | — |
| Cold Wave | Relatively High | 98.2 | — | — | — |
| Lightning | Relatively Moderate | 67.6 | 0 | 0 | — |
| Drought | Relatively Low | 36.1 | 0 | 0 | — |
| Landslide | Relatively High | 98.4 | 0 | 0 | — |
| Avalanche | Very High | 94.9 | — | — | — |
| Tsunami | Not Applicable | — | — | — | — |
| Volcanic Activity | Relatively Low | 87.9 | — | — | — |
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
Yakima County ranks in the 96th percentile (High) 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 | 96th | High |
| Socioeconomic status | 97th | High |
| Household characteristics | 90th | High |
| Racial & ethnic minority status | 92nd | High |
| Housing type & transportation | 83rd | High |
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 | 99th | Very High |
| Risk to homes | 99th | Very High |
| Buildings in direct exposure zone | 40.8% | — |
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 Yakima County?
According to the FEMA National Risk Index, the highest-risk hazards in Yakima County, Washington are wildfire, landslide, and cold wave. The county's overall natural hazard risk is rated Relatively Moderate — near the middle compared to other US counties.
Has Yakima County received federal disaster declarations?
Yes. Yakima County has received 39 federal disaster declarations since 1965, including declarations in 2026. The most common disaster type on record is fire (20 declarations).
Has Yakima County had any FEMA disaster declarations in 2024, 2025, or 2026?
Yes. Recent federal disaster declarations for Yakima County include Wildfires (2026), Signal Peak Fire (2026), Severe Storms, Straight-Line Winds, Flooding, Landslides, And Mudslides (2026), Severe Storms, Straight-Line Winds, Flooding, Landslides, And Mudslides (2026), Ransier Fire (2026), West White Swan Fire (2024), Slide Ranch Fire (2024), Retreat Fire (2024). See the declarations table above for the full history since 1965.
How does Yakima County's natural hazard risk compare to nearby counties?
Among neighboring counties, Kittitas County, WA has the highest overall natural hazard risk (Relatively Moderate) and Gilliam County, OR has the lowest (Very Low). Yakima County is rated Relatively Moderate overall.
How is Yakima County's composite disaster risk index calculated?
Yakima 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. Yakima County's composite score of 94 means its overall natural hazard risk is higher than 94% of US counties.