Hazard Plain Automated baseline

Garfield County, WA

Risk-assessment baseline packet

County FIPS:
53023
Release:
2026-10
Data as of:
2026-09-30
Storm Events data through:
2026-06-30

Hazard Plain is an independent product built from public federal data. It is not a FEMA document and is not reviewed or endorsed by FEMA or any state agency.

Hazard Plain release 2026-10, as of 2026-09-30.

Summary

Plan status as of 2026-09-30: Approved, expires 2028-04-16. Plan: Garfield County Multi-Hazard Mitigation Plan (FEMA plan 108715), approved 2023-04-17.

Since the plan was approved on 2023-04-17: 1 new hazard declaration (1 incident) and 19 NOAA Storm Events records; details under "What changed since your last plan".

Highest expected annual loss (FEMA National Risk Index, modeled total; see B1-a): Inland Flooding ($1,601,340 a year), Wildfire ($194,871) and Heat Wave ($41,716).

The tables that follow are organized by the items of FEMA's Local Mitigation Plan Review Tool, Element B (B1-a to B2-c); each heading says which item its tables support.

Plan clock

Status:
Approved, expires 2028-04-16
Plan:
Garfield County Multi-Hazard Mitigation Plan (FEMA plan 108715)
Approved:
2023-04-17
Days to expiry:
564

What changed since your last plan (approved 2023-04-17)

New federal declarations:
1 new hazard declaration (1 incident): DR-4906-WA (Severe Storms, Straight-Line Winds, Flooding, Landslides, and Mudslides)
Storm Events records since approval:
19 records (data through 2026-06-30)
Repetitive loss now:
FMA RL 0, SRL 0 (44 CFR 77.2); any definition: 0
Repeat-flood change:
this release sets the baseline count.

Sources: 1, 2, 4, 6 (numbered list at the end)

Plan status for every jurisdiction listed in this county

Source: 1

JurisdictionTypeStatusPlanApprovedExpiresDays to expirynegative = days since expiryUpdate underwayNotes
Garfield CountyCountyApproved, expires 2028-04-16Garfield County Multi-Hazard Mitigation Plan (FEMA plan 108715)2023-04-172028-04-16564
Pomeroy cityCityPlan 108715 approved 2023-04-17, pending adoption here; not yet eligibleGarfield County Multi-Hazard Mitigation Plan (FEMA plan 108715), pending adoption here2023-04-17 by FEMA; not yet adopted here2028-04-16 once adoptedFEMA tracker shows a plan approvable pending adoptionNot yet eligible: adopt the approved plan.
Pomeroy School DistrictSchool/School DistrictPlan 108715 approved 2023-04-17, pending adoption here; not yet eligibleGarfield County Multi-Hazard Mitigation Plan (FEMA plan 108715), pending adoption here2023-04-17 by FEMA; not yet adopted here2028-04-16 once adoptedFEMA tracker shows a plan approvable pending adoptionNot yet eligible: adopt the approved plan.
Garfield County Transportation AuthorityTransit/AirportPlan 108715 approved 2023-04-17, pending adoption here; not yet eligibleGarfield County Multi-Hazard Mitigation Plan (FEMA plan 108715), pending adoption here2023-04-17 by FEMA; not yet adopted here2028-04-16 once adoptedFEMA tracker shows a plan approvable pending adoptionNot yet eligible: adopt the approved plan.
Other (Garfield County Fire District #1)Fire/EMS DistrictPlan 108715 approved 2023-04-17, pending adoption here; not yet eligibleGarfield County Multi-Hazard Mitigation Plan (FEMA plan 108715), pending adoption here2023-04-17 by FEMA; not yet adopted here2028-04-16 once adoptedFEMA tracker shows a plan approvable pending adoptionNot yet eligible: adopt the approved plan.
Other (Garfield County Hospital)Hospital/Medical FacilityPlan 108715 approved 2023-04-17, pending adoption here; not yet eligibleGarfield County Multi-Hazard Mitigation Plan (FEMA plan 108715), pending adoption here2023-04-17 by FEMA; not yet adopted here2028-04-16 once adoptedFEMA tracker shows a plan approvable pending adoptionNot yet eligible: adopt the approved plan.
Other (Garfield County Public Health District)Special DistrictPlan 108715 approved 2023-04-17, pending adoption here; not yet eligibleGarfield County Multi-Hazard Mitigation Plan (FEMA plan 108715), pending adoption here2023-04-17 by FEMA; not yet adopted here2028-04-16 once adoptedFEMA tracker shows a plan approvable pending adoptionNot yet eligible: adopt the approved plan.
Other (Pomeroy Conservation District)Conservation DistrictPlan 108715 approved 2023-04-17, pending adoption here; not yet eligibleGarfield County Multi-Hazard Mitigation Plan (FEMA plan 108715), pending adoption here2023-04-17 by FEMA; not yet adopted here2028-04-16 once adoptedFEMA tracker shows a plan approvable pending adoptionNot yet eligible: adopt the approved plan.
Other (Port of Garfield)Highway/Port/RailPlan 108715 approved 2023-04-17, pending adoption here; not yet eligibleGarfield County Multi-Hazard Mitigation Plan (FEMA plan 108715), pending adoption here2023-04-17 by FEMA; not yet adopted here2028-04-16 once adoptedFEMA tracker shows a plan approvable pending adoptionNot yet eligible: adopt the approved plan.

State plan status and tribal plans in this state: see the state page.

Supports FEMA checklist item B1-a: hazard identification

Hazards NRI does not cover (local data needed)

  • dam failure (incl. upstream dams)
  • levee failure
  • flash flood as its own subtype
  • ice jams
  • debris flows
  • erosion (riverine and coastal)
  • land subsidence and sinkholes
  • expansive soils

The 18 National Risk Index hazards, ranked by expected annual loss (EAL)

Sources: 5, 6

Rank by EALHazardNRI risk ratingEAL ratingEAL buildingsmodeled dollars per yearEAL agriculturemodeled dollars per yearCost of expected deaths and injuriesFEMA's dollar value per year, not property damageEAL total (see note)modeled dollars per yearStorm Events records, 1996 to 2026-06-30countWhy this hazard can be left outNRI Not Applicable, no declaration and no Storm Events record since 1996Storm Events coverage note
1Inland FloodingVery LowVery Low$1,601,155$128$56$1,601,3406
2WildfireRelatively LowRelatively Low$183,830$274$10,767$194,87112
3Heat WaveVery LowVery Low$12$6,426$35,277$41,7160No recorded events in Storm Events since 1996 (data through 2026-06-30).
4Cold WaveVery LowVery Low$57$5,250$34,868$40,1750No recorded events in Storm Events since 1996 (data through 2026-06-30).
5EarthquakeVery LowVery Low$23,819n/a$6,390$30,208Storm Events does not record earthquakes.
6HailVery LowVery Low$441$18,442$1,265$20,14810
7Ice StormVery LowVery Low$435n/a$12,094$12,5280No recorded events in Storm Events since 1996 (data through 2026-06-30).
8Strong WindVery LowVery Low$3,978$2,469$5,671$12,11944Includes 35 High Wind and 1 Strong Wind records (NOAA non-thunderstorm wind types, outside NRI's Strong Wind definition).
9TornadoVery LowVery Low$1,365$77$2,751$4,1930No recorded events in Storm Events since 1996 (data through 2026-06-30).
10LandslideVery LowVery Low$2,567n/a$695$3,2620Declared 6 times; no Storm Events record of this type.
11AvalancheVery LowVery Low$26n/a$1,853$1,8790No recorded events in Storm Events since 1996 (data through 2026-06-30).
12Winter WeatherVery LowVery Low$83$312$1,341$1,73679
13LightningVery LowVery Low$216n/a$1,397$1,6140No recorded events in Storm Events since 1996 (data through 2026-06-30).
14DroughtVery LowVery Lown/a$559n/a$5590No recorded events in Storm Events since 1996 (data through 2026-06-30).
HurricaneNot ApplicableNot Applicable0NRI rates hurricane Not Applicable for this county, and no counted federal declaration for this county names it (EM-3227-WA names it but is not counted as a local occurrence; see B1-d).No recorded events in Storm Events since 1996 (data through 2026-06-30).
Volcanic ActivityNot ApplicableNot Applicable0Declared 1 time; no Storm Events record of this type.

Total = buildings + agriculture + population equivalence; FEMA values each expected death (or 10 injuries) at $13.7 million (2024 dollars).

NRI risk rating combines expected annual loss with social vulnerability and community resilience; EAL rating rates expected annual loss alone. Both compare this county with all U.S. counties.

Local data needed: state and local landslide, lightning and volcanic activity records (Storm Events records these hazards only in part).

Not applicable to this county per NRI, with no federal declaration and no Storm Events record since 1996: coastal flooding and tsunami. That is the evidence for leaving them out of the plan.

The state hazard mitigation plan also lists hazards for this county; FEMA asks the plan to explain any hazard it leaves out.

Supports FEMA checklist item B1-b: hazard location

Affects the whole county (national data give no location within it): Cold Wave, Drought, Hail, Heat Wave, Ice Storm, Lightning, Strong Wind and Winter Weather.

Inland Flooding: The FEMA Flood Insurance Rate Map (FIRM) is the required location source for flooding. See the FEMA Flood Map Service Center (https://msc.fema.gov) for this county.

NRI rating of the county's single census tract

Source: 5

HazardCensus tractNRI risk rating, score 0 to 100
Avalanchetract 9703 (Very Low, 53.5)
Earthquaketract 9703 (Relatively Low, 51.6)
Hurricaneno tract has a National Risk Index rating for this hazard
Landslidetract 9703 (Relatively Moderate, 95.8)
Tornadotract 9703 (Very Low, 10.7)
Volcanic Activityno tract has a National Risk Index rating for this hazard
Wildfiretract 9703 (Relatively High, 96.5)

A tract number is the Census tract number (for example 9703 is Census Tract 9703). FEMA's Resilience Analysis and Planning Tool maps the National Risk Index for every tract: https://www.fema.gov/emergency-managers/practitioners/resilience-analysis-and-planning-tool

Supports FEMA checklist item B1-c: hazard extent

Extent: scale, observed range and worst recorded event per hazard

Sources: 6, 7

HazardScaleRecordscount and yearsObserved rangeWorst recorded eventMost damaging (when different)How it applies to jurisdictionsNote
Avalanchenone (count and damage only)0
Cold/Wind Chill, Extreme Cold/Wind Chillwind chill0
Frost/Freeze (outside NRI's Cold Wave definition)crop damage0
DroughtU.S. Drought Monitor scale (D0 to D4)0Storm Events enters a drought at D2 or worse east of the Rockies and D3 or worse from the Rockies west (NWS Instruction 10-1605); NRI drought counts D3 and D4 only.
EarthquakeModified Mercalli (local data)0Storm Events does not record earthquakes; the USGS earthquake catalog is the source.
Hailhail size (inches)12 records, 1976 to 20210.75 in to 2 in (median 1 in); 12 with a recorded value2 in hail, 1997-05-31Hail, 2014-07-23, $5,000 property; $10,000 crops (2014 dollars)Event records naming jurisdictions in the plan: Pomeroy city (5 records).
Excessive Heat, Heatheat index (in event narratives)0
Hurricane, Tropical Storm, Tropical DepressionSaffir-Simpson0Storm Events files every zone of a storm's episode under the storm's type; flooding from the storm is filed as Flood or Flash Flood records.
Ice StormSperry-Piltz ice scale (local data)0
Flash Flood, Flood, Lakeshore Flooddamage and flood days (flood depth: FIRM)6 records, 1997 to 2025 (3 zone-level)Flood, 1999-05-26, $15,000 property; crops not reported (1999 dollars); NWS zone WAZ032No event record names a jurisdiction in the plan. Zone-level records (3) apply countywide.Flood depth: see the FEMA Flood Insurance Rate Map. Storm Events damage is often $0 or blank for floods, major ones included; FEMA Public Assistance by declaration (B1-d) shows which floods cost the most.
Debris Flownone (count and damage only)0
Lightningannualized frequency (the measure FEMA's Local Mitigation Planning Handbook names)0Storm Events lists lightning with damage or casualties.
High Wind and Strong Wind (outside NRI's Strong Wind definition)wind speed (kt and mph)36 records, 1998 to 2026 (36 zone-level)35 kt (40 mph) to 76 kt (87 mph) (median 53 kt (61 mph)); 33 with a recorded value76 kt (87 mph) measured gust, High Wind, 2006-11-13; NWS zone WAZ032High Wind, 1999-02-02, $500,000 property; crops not reported (zone total, 1999 dollars)Countywide (zone-level records).
Thunderstorm Windwind speed (kt and mph)10 records, 1995 to 202235 kt (40 mph) to 71 kt (82 mph) (median 56.5 kt (65 mph)); 8 with a recorded value71 kt (82 mph) measured gust, Thunderstorm Wind, 2010-11-16Thunderstorm Wind, 1995-07-09, property not recorded; $3,000,000 crops (1995 dollars)Event records naming jurisdictions in the plan: Pomeroy city (2 records).
TornadoEnhanced Fujita (Fujita before Feb 2007)0Before 1996 a tornado is listed once, under the county where it began, with its whole path's rating and length; from 1996 on, each county lists its own segment. Length is not used to rank tornadoes (see Methods).
Volcanic Ash, Volcanic AshfallVolcanic Explosivity Index (local data)0
Wildfireacres burned (local data)12 records, 2007 to 2024 (12 zone-level)Wildfire, 2024-08-01, $35,000,000 property; $0 crops (2024 dollars); NWS zone WAZ032Countywide (zone-level records).
Winter Storm, Heavy Snow, Blizzard, Lake-Effect Snow, Winter Weather, Sleetnone in data (snowfall: local data)79 records, 1998 to 2025 (79 zone-level)No damage reported in 79 records.Countywide (zone-level records).

In event narratives only (local data needed): wind chill, temperature, heat index, ice thickness, acres burned and snow depth; any physical measure of avalanche, debris flow, lightning and volcanic ash, volcanic ashfall.

Storm Events records are more complete after 1996; before 1996 only Tornado (from 1950), Hail and Thunderstorm Wind (from 1955) exist. Zone-level records from zones that no NWS zone-county file places in this county (mostly before 2020) are not counted here (the Methods page explains the zone matching).

Dollars are nominal (as reported), labeled with the year; not adjusted for inflation.

Supports FEMA checklist item B1-d: previous occurrences

Federal declarations for this county: 15 declarations covering 12 separate hazard incidents counted in this packet (declarations for the same incident count once; non-natural and evacuation-only declarations are not counted).

Federal disaster declarations for this county

Sources: 1, 2, 3

DeclaredIncident beganFEMA numberTypeTitleMapped hazardCounty Public Assistancefederal share obligated, nominal dollarsFlagsNotes
2026-04-072025-12-05DR-4906-WAMajor disasterSevere Storms, Straight-Line Winds, Flooding, Landslides, and MudslidesInland Flooding (primary); also designated: Landslide, Strong Windno Public Assistance recordednew since last plan; within last 5 years
2020-04-232020-01-20DR-4539-WAMajor disasterSevere Storms, Flooding, Landslides, and MudslidesInland Flooding (primary); also designated: Landslide$162,514.82
2020-03-222020-01-20DR-4481-WAMajor disasterCOVID-19 PandemicNon-natural, not countedno Public Assistance recorded
2020-03-132020-01-20EM-3427-WAEmergencyCOVID-19Non-natural, not countedno Public Assistance recordedsame incident as DR-4481
2016-01-152015-11-12DR-4249-WAMajor disasterSevere Storms, Straight-Line Winds, Flooding, Landslides, and MudslidesInland Flooding; Landslide; Strong Windno Public Assistance recorded
2009-03-022008-12-12DR-1825-WAMajor disasterSevere Winter Storm and Record and Near Record SnowWinter Weather$4,483.31
2009-01-302009-01-06DR-1817-WAMajor disasterSevere Winter Storm, Landslides, Mudslides, and FloodingInland Flooding (primary); also designated: Landslide, Winter Weatherno Public Assistance recorded
2005-09-072005-08-29EM-3227-WAEmergencyHurricane Katrina EvacuationHurricane: evacuation support, not a local hazard event; not countedno Public Assistance recorded
2005-08-072005-08-07FM-2575-WAFire managementSchool FireWildfireno Public Assistance recorded
1997-01-171996-12-26DR-1159-WAMajor disasterSevere Winter Storms, Land & Muds Slides,FloodingInland Flooding; Landslide; Winter Weatherno Public Assistance recorded
1996-02-091996-01-26DR-1100-WAMajor disasterHigh Winds, Severe Storms and FloodingInland Flooding (primary); also designated: Strong Windno Public Assistance recorded
1980-05-211980-05-21DR-623-WAMajor disasterVolcanic Eruption, Mt. St. HelensVolcanic Activityno Public Assistance recorded
1977-12-101977-12-10DR-545-WAMajor disasterSevere Storms,Mudslides, & FloodingInland Flooding (primary); also designated: Landslideno Public Assistance recorded
1971-02-091971-02-09DR-300-WAMajor disasterHeavy Rains, Melting Snows & FloodingInland Floodingno Public Assistance recorded
1964-12-291964-12-29DR-185-WAMajor disasterHeavy Rains & FloodingInland Floodingno Public Assistance recorded

County Public Assistance: applicants the FEMA record places in this county, including any state agencies FEMA files there; statewide rows are listed on the state page; federal share obligated, nominal dollars.

Statewide declarations

Source: 2

DeclaredIncident beganFEMA numberTypeTitleMapped hazard
1963-03-021963-03-02DR-146-WAMajor disasterFloodsInland Flooding
1962-10-201962-10-20DR-137-WAMajor disasterSevere StormsHazard not mapped (severe storm title names no single hazard); not counted
1957-03-061957-03-06DR-70-WAMajor disasterFloodsInland Flooding
1956-02-251956-02-25DR-50-WAMajor disasterFloodInland Flooding

FEMA recorded these with designated area Statewide and no county, so they are listed on every county page in the state and not counted with county rows. Local data needed: whether each one affected this county.

16 Fire Management declarations (1970-07-18 to 1998-09-25) FEMA filed as Statewide with no county; each names one local fire. Listed on the state page.

Public Assistance not placed in any Washington county: 1 row, $248,381.20; listed on the Washington state page.

Source: 3

Previous occurrences by hazard, with explicit no-event rows

Sources: 2, 6, 7

HazardStorm Events records, all years on file(years in the Period column)Since plan approvalrecordsIn the 12 months before plan approvalrecordsLast 5 yearsrecordsDeclared incidents, all yearsseparate disastersDeclared since approvalseparate disastersPeriodStatement
Avalanche0000001996 to 2026-06-30No recorded events, 1996 to 2026-06-30, NOAA NCEI Storm Events
Cold Wave0000001996 to 2026-06-30No recorded events, 1996 to 2026-06-30, NOAA NCEI Storm Events
Drought0000001996 to 2026-06-30No recorded events, 1996 to 2026-06-30, NOAA NCEI Storm Events
Earthquake000000Storm Events does not record earthquakes; the USGS earthquake catalog is the source.
Hail12000001955 to 2026-06-30
Heat Wave0000001996 to 2026-06-30No recorded events, 1996 to 2026-06-30, NOAA NCEI Storm Events
Hurricane0000001996 to 2026-06-30No recorded events, 1996 to 2026-06-30, NOAA NCEI Storm Events
Ice Storm0000001996 to 2026-06-30No recorded events, 1996 to 2026-06-30, NOAA NCEI Storm Events
Inland Flooding6112911996 to 2026-06-30
Landslide0000611996 to 2026-06-30No Storm Events records of this type; 6 federal declared incidents (see declarations table)
Lightning0000001996 to 2026-06-30No recorded events, 1996 to 2026-06-30, NOAA NCEI Storm Events
Strong Wind468213311955 to 2026-06-30Includes 35 High Wind and 1 Strong Wind records.
Tornado0000001950 to 2026-06-30No recorded events, 1950 to 2026-06-30, NOAA NCEI Storm Events
Volcanic Activity0000101996 to 2026-06-30No Storm Events records of this type; 1 federal declared incident (see declarations table)
Wildfire12404101996 to 2026-06-30
Winter Weather79619301996 to 2026-06-30

Notable Storm Events records

Sources: 1, 6, 7

DateEvent typeMagnitude or extentDamagenominal dollarsDeaths, injuriesdirect onlyLocationFlagsWhy listed
2024-08-01Wildfire$35,000,000 property; $0 crops (zone total, 2024 dollars)0, 0NWS zone WAZ032 (LOWER GARFIELD & ASOTIN), zone-levelnew since last plan; within last 5 yearsB1-c worst recorded: Wildfire
2014-07-23Hail1.75 in$5,000 property; $10,000 crops (2014 dollars)0, 0POMEROY to MAYVIEWB1-c most damaging: Hail
2010-11-16Thunderstorm Wind71 kt (82 mph) measured gust$5,000 property; $0 crops (2010 dollars)0, 0PEOLAB1-c worst recorded: Thunderstorm Wind
2010-11-16Thunderstorm Wind67 kt (77 mph) measured gust$5,000 property; $0 crops (2010 dollars)0, 0PEOLAlarge reported damage
2006-11-13High Wind76 kt (87 mph) measured gust$0 property; $0 crops (zone total, 2006 dollars)0, 0NWS zone WAZ032 (LOWER GARFIELD & ASOTIN), zone-levelB1-c worst recorded: High Wind and Strong Wind
2000-01-16Thunderstorm Windspeed not recorded$15,000 property; crops not reported (2000 dollars)0, 0POMEROYlarge reported damage
1999-06-15Hail0.75 in$5,000 property; $10,000 crops (1999 dollars)0, 0DODGElarge reported damage
1999-05-26Flood$15,000 property; crops not reported (zone total, 1999 dollars)0, 0NWS zone WAZ032 (N GARFIELD & NE ASOTIN), zone-levelB1-c worst recorded: Flash Flood, Flood, Lakeshore Flood
1999-02-02High Windspeed not recorded$500,000 property; crops not reported (zone total, 1999 dollars)0, 0NWS zone WAZ032 (N GARFIELD & NE ASOTIN), zone-levelB1-c most damaging: High Wind and Strong Wind
1997-05-31Hail2 in$0 property; crops not reported (1997 dollars)0, 0POMEROYB1-c worst recorded: Hail
1995-07-09Thunderstorm Windspeed not recordedproperty not recorded; $3,000,000 crops (1995 dollars)0, 0location not recordedB1-c most damaging: Thunderstorm Wind
1995-07-06Thunderstorm Wind56 kt (64 mph), measurement type not recordedproperty not recorded; $140,000 crops (1995 dollars)0, 0location not recordedlarge reported damage

The full list is in the Excel file, sheet "B1-d Storm Events history" (155 rows).

Location is the place NOAA recorded, as written in its data; it need not be a jurisdiction in this plan.

Local data needed: state-declared emergencies, from your state emergency management agency (federal data do not include them).

Tribal and special-area declarations in this state are listed on the state page.

Supports FEMA checklist item B1-e: probability of future events

Probability: FEMA annualized frequency and descriptor per hazard

Sources: 5, 6

HazardFEMA annualized frequency (modeled)unit per rowUnitIn plain termsDescriptorDescriptor basisNRI events or days in its record period (hail, wind and tornado are area-weighted, so can be fractional)NRI periodLocationNote
Avalanche0.01events per yearabout 1 in 100 yearsPossibleFEMA annualized frequency (modeled)01994 to 2023 (30 years)see B1-f0.01 is NRI's minimum avalanche frequency for a county in an avalanche susceptibility zone; NRI records no avalanche here, so the descriptor reflects the floor, not local events.
Cold Wave0.133event-days per yearabout 0.133 days per yearStorm Events event-days in 0 of 30 years, 1996 to 2025 (0%)2.552005-11-12 to 2024-11-12 (19 years)countywideNo Storm Events cold wave record, 1996 to 2025.
Drought24.1event-days per yearabout 24.1 days per yearStorm Events event-days in 0 of 30 years, 1996 to 2025 (0%)6092000 to 2025 (25.25 years; D3 and D4 only)countywideNo Storm Events drought record, 1996 to 2025
Earthquake0.0017annual probability at a locationchance a given location in the county has at least minor-damage shaking in a year: 0.17%not shownmodeledsee B1-fNo descriptor (Storm Events does not record earthquakes).
Hail0.358events per yearabout 1 in 3 yearsLikelyFEMA annualized frequency (modeled)13.6 (modeled)1986 to 2023 (38 years)countywide
Heat Wave4.19event-days per yearabout 4.19 days per yearStorm Events event-days in 0 of 30 years, 1996 to 2025 (0%)42.52005-11-12 to 2024-11-12 (19 years)countywideNo Storm Events heat wave record, 1996 to 2025
Hurricaneevents per year1851 to 2024 (Atlantic); 1949 to 2024 (Pacific)see B1-fNot Applicable in NRI for this county; no descriptor.
Ice Storm0.223event-days per yearabout 0.223 days per yearStorm Events event-days in 0 of 30 years, 1996 to 2025 (0%)161946-12-31 to 2014-02-12 (67 years)countywideNo Storm Events ice storm record, 1996 to 2025
Inland Flooding0.143event-days per yearabout 0.143 days per yearLikelyStorm Events event-days in 6 of 30 years, 1996 to 2025 (20%)41996 to 2023 (28 years)see B1-f
Landslide0.583events per year (modeled)about 0.58 per yearLikelyFEMA annualized frequency (modeled)not shownmodeledsee B1-f
Lightning14.3days per year with a strikeabout 14.3 days per yearHighly likelyFEMA annualized frequency (modeled)not shown1995 to 2023 (29 years; CONUS)countywide
Strong Wind0.225events per yearabout 1 in 4 yearsLikelyFEMA annualized frequency (modeled)91986 to 2023 (38 years)countywide
Tornado0.0218events per yearabout 1 in 46 yearsPossibleFEMA annualized frequency (modeled)not shown1950 to 2023 (EF2+); 1986 to 2023 (EF0-1)see B1-f
Volcanic Activityannual probabilitynot shownmodeledsee B1-fNot Applicable in NRI for this county; no descriptor.
Wildfire0.00361annual probability at a locationchance a given location in the county burns in a year: 0.361%LikelyStorm Events records in 8 of 30 years, 1996 to 2025 (26.7%)not shownmodeledsee B1-f
Winter Weather10.8event-days per yearabout 10.8 days per yearLikelyStorm Events event-days in 25 of 30 years, 1996 to 2025 (83.3%)2052005-11-12 to 2024-11-12 (19 years)countywide

FEMA annualized frequency (modeled) is the National Risk Index v1.20 (December 2025) estimate of how often a hazard affects this county in a year; it is not recorded events divided by years, and its unit differs by hazard (events, event-days, or days with a lightning strike per year). For earthquake, wildfire, coastal flooding and tsunami the value is the chance (or number of events) at a location in the county, not across the county, so no "1 in N years" is given and the descriptor comes from Storm Events where it has a record (none for earthquake). The Methods page gives each hazard's method, from FEMA's National Risk Index Technical Documentation v1.20.

Descriptor scale used in this packet (defined per unit)

Sources: 5, 6

UnitDescriptorDefinition
events per yearHighly likely1 or more per year
events per yearLikelyabout once in 1 to 10 years
events per yearPossibleabout once in 10 to 100 years
events per yearUnlikelyless than once in 100 years
annual probabilityLikely10% to under 100% chance in a given year
annual probabilityPossible1% to under 10% chance in a given year
annual probabilityUnlikelyunder 1% chance in a given year
event-days (share of years)Highly likelyevent-days recorded in 90% or more of years
event-days (share of years)Likelyevent-days recorded in 10% to under 90% of years
event-days (share of years)Possibleevent-days recorded in some years but under 10% of years
lightning strike-daysHighly likelycloud-to-ground strikes on 1 or more days per year

Intensity bands: historical frequency (Storm Events)

Source: 6

HazardBandYearsEventscounty-coded recordsYears in periodEvents per yearevents / years
Hail1.00-1.99 in1996 to 20256300.2
Hail2.00 in+1996 to 20251300.0333
Thunderstorm Wind (counted as NRI Strong Wind)50-64 kt1996 to 20253300.1
Thunderstorm Wind (counted as NRI Strong Wind)65 kt+1996 to 20253300.1
Thunderstorm Wind (counted as NRI Strong Wind)unmeasured or below 50 kt1996 to 20252300.0667
TornadoEF0-11996 to 20250300
TornadoEF2-31996 to 20250300
TornadoEF4-51996 to 20250300
Tornadounrated (EFU)1996 to 20250300

The bands show how often events of each severity were recorded in this county, to profile how severe events have been (FEMA's probability item asks for the range of intensities).

Hail smaller than 1 inch is not counted: on 2010-01-05 the National Weather Service raised its severe-hail threshold from 3/4 inch to 1 inch, so smaller reports became less common after 2009 (NWS Service Change Notice 09-52). NRI hail frequency uses a 0.75 inch threshold.

Optional: future conditions. Not a required item in the 2025 FEMA Local Mitigation Planning Policy Guide; some states ask for it. The federal Climate Mapping for Resilience and Adaptation (CMRA) site gives county exposure to future climate conditions (https://resilience.climate.gov/).

Supports FEMA checklist item B1-f: hazards that vary across jurisdictions

NRI risk score of the county's single census tract

Source: 5

HazardTract scoreNRI score, 0 to 100Rating
Avalanche53.5Very Low
Cold Wave45.6Relatively Low
Drought77.7Very Low
Earthquake51.6Relatively Low
Hail70.2Relatively Moderate
Heat Wave54.9Relatively Low
HurricaneNot Applicable
Ice Storm76.2Relatively Moderate
Inland Flooding91.7Relatively High
Landslide95.8Relatively Moderate
Lightning11.2Very Low
Strong Wind42.8Relatively Low
Tornado10.7Very Low
Volcanic ActivityNot Applicable
Wildfire96.5Relatively High
Winter Weather42.9Relatively Low

The score ranks a tract against all U.S. tracts (100 = highest). The rating is FEMA's category for the tract's risk value, computed differently, so the two can disagree.

Each jurisdiction (starting figures from federal data)

Sources: 1, 3, 4, 6

JurisdictionTypePlan statusRepetitive lossFMA RL and SRL (44 CFR 77.2); repeat-flood, any definitionPublic Assistance to this jurisdictionFEMA records matched by applicant name; federal share obligated, nominal dollarsEvent records naming this placeall years; since its plan
Garfield CountyCountyApproved, expires 2028-04-16FMA RL 0, SRL 0; any 0$166,998.130 total; 0 since its plan
Pomeroy cityCityPlan 108715 approved 2023-04-17, pending adoption here; not yet eligibleFMA RL 0, SRL 0; any 0no Public Assistance recorded7 total; no approved plan

Repetitive-loss counts are for whole NFIP communities, which can extend beyond this county (see the note in B2-c).

School districts and special districts get a plan clock row only.

Supports FEMA checklist items B2-a and B2-b: vulnerability and potential impacts

Local data needed

The table below gives county-level starting figures; the plan describes impacts for each jurisdiction and its own assets.

  • Critical facilities and lifelines per hazard
  • A problem statement per jurisdiction per hazard
  • Changes in development in hazard-prone areas since the last approval, or a statement of none (E1-a)
  • Future assets

County-level starter: exposure, expected annual loss and damage since the plan

Sources: 1, 2, 3, 5, 6, 7

HazardBuilding exposuremodeled dollarsAgriculture exposuremodeled dollarsPopulation exposedpeopleEAL buildingsmodeled dollars per yearEAL agriculturemodeled dollars per yearCost of expected deaths and injuriesFEMA's dollar value per year, not property damageEAL as % of exposurebuildings; agriculture where notedStorm Events damage since 2023-04-17county-coded records, property plus crops, nominal dollarsZone-level damage since planproperty plus crops, reported for the zonePublic Assistance since plannominal dollars; see noteNote
Avalanche$642,145n/aunder 1$26n/a$1,8530.00398%
Cold Wave$637,968,739$43,799,9022,166$57$5,250$34,868under 0.0001%
Droughtn/a$21,687,807n/an/a$559n/a0.00258% (agriculture)NRI has no building exposure for this hazard; agriculture shown
Earthquake$1,180,874,003n/a2,286$23,819n/a$6,3900.00202%
Hail$674,839,694$47,826,2672,285$441$18,442$1,265under 0.0001%
Heat Wave$674,839,694$47,826,2672,285$12$6,426$35,277under 0.0001%
HurricaneNot Applicable in NRI for this county
Ice Storm$673,954,487n/a2,279$435n/a$12,094under 0.0001%
Inland Flooding$674,592,131$966,823498$1,601,155$128$56n/a (see note)$0no Public Assistance recorded (1 declaration)NRI counts the full building value of any census block with some flood loss; this is not the value of buildings in the floodplain. Use local FIRM overlays for B2-a/B2-b.
Landslide$90,402,758n/a290$2,567n/a$6950.00284%no Public Assistance recorded (1 declaration)
Lightning$674,839,694n/a2,285$216n/a$1,397under 0.0001%
Strong Wind$674,839,694$47,826,2672,285$3,978$2,469$5,6710.00059%$10,000no Public Assistance recorded (1 declaration)Storm Events damage since the plan includes 1 zone-level High Wind record ($10,000): a NOAA non-thunderstorm wind type, outside NRI's Strong Wind definition.
Tornado$674,839,694$47,826,2672,285$1,365$77$2,7510.000202%
Volcanic ActivityNot Applicable in NRI for this county
Wildfire$170,806,511$25,997,264901$183,830$274$10,7670.108%$71,375,000
Winter Weather$674,839,694$47,826,2672,285$83$312$1,341under 0.0001%$0

Totals since 2023-04-17 (Storm Events through 2026-06-30): 1 county-coded records, 1 with a damage value recorded (including $0), $0; 18 zone-level records, 18 with a damage value recorded (including $0), $71,385,000 reported for the zone; Public Assistance: none recorded on the 1 counted declaration.

FEMA does not split Public Assistance by hazard. A declaration mapped to several hazards is listed under each of them with its full amount, so the per-hazard column does not add up to the total; the unit total counts each declaration once.

NRI computes earthquake exposure on its own basis, so it exceeds the county building value in B2-a.

Supports FEMA checklist item B2-a: vulnerability (county context)

County context

Source: 5

MeasureValue
Population2,285
Building value (total, not at risk)$674,839,694
Agriculture value (total, not at risk)$47,826,267
NRI risk rating (all hazards)Very Low
Expected annual loss, buildings and agriculture, all hazards$1,851,923
Expected annual loss, population equivalence, all hazards (NRI values each statistical life at $13.7M; a modeled value of expected deaths and injuries, not property damage)$114,425
Social vulnerability ratingVery Low
Community resilience ratingRelatively Low
NRI versionDecember 2025

FEMA's all-hazard expected annual loss adds buildings, agriculture and population equivalence; this table gives the property part and the population-equivalence part as separate rows.

Social vulnerability: higher means people are more likely to be harmed and slower to recover. Community resilience: lower means the community is less able to recover. High social vulnerability and low resilience both raise the NRI risk rating.

Supports FEMA checklist item B2-c: repetitive loss properties

Repetitive loss in this county, both definitions

Sources: 1, 4

DefinitionPropertiesSevere repetitive lossProperties
Repetitive loss, FMA definition (44 CFR 77.2)0Severe repetitive loss, FMA definition (44 CFR 77.2)0
Repetitive loss, NFIP insurance definition0Severe repetitive loss, NFIP insurance definition0

The state NFIP coordinator's list, the source FEMA's Handbook names, often uses the NFIP insurance definition (second row).

Repeat-flood properties: county and state-level rows

Sources: 1, 4

ScopeRL, FMApropertiesSRL, FMApropertiesRL, NFIPpropertiesSRL, NFIPpropertiesAny categorypropertiesMitigatedpropertiesCurrently insuredproperties
County total0000000
Statewide, no county in FEMA's file0020200

The statewide row counts properties FEMA's file gives with no county in this state; they are listed for reference and are not in this county's counts.

Repeat-flood properties by jurisdiction in the plan (NFIP community)

Sources: 1, 4

JurisdictionNFIP community IDRL, FMApropertiesSRL, FMApropertiesRL, NFIPpropertiesSRL, NFIPpropertiesAny categorypropertiesMitigatedpropertiesCurrently insuredproperties
Garfield County5300470000000
Pomeroy city5300480000000

Counts by occupancy group for each jurisdiction are in the Excel file, sheet "B2-c Jurisdictions".

Jurisdiction rows are whole NFIP communities and need not add up to the county total: a community that extends into another county is counted in full on each jurisdiction row, while the county table counts only its part in this county.

County repeat-flood properties by occupancy group: 0 in every occupancy group.

Sources: 1, 4

FMA RL and FMA SRL are the Flood Mitigation Assistance definitions (44 CFR 77.2), the ones the FEMA Local Mitigation Planning Policy Guide cites. NFIP repetitive loss (the FEMA insurance definition) is 2 or more claims over $1,000 in 10 years, and a property can leave that group once it is mitigated. Also shown: NFIP severe repetitive loss, any category, mitigated and currently insured. The Methods page gives the OpenFEMA field details.

Counts are aggregates of FEMA's public NFIP Multiple Loss Properties file (FEMA's data date 2026-08-02; file version 2026-08-04). No property is identified. County assignment is FEMA's geocode.

In this county 0 properties are FMA repetitive loss but not NFIP repetitive loss, and 0 properties are NFIP repetitive loss but not FMA repetitive loss.

Exact counts; no count suppression.

Sources

Tables cite these sources by number. The full list, for the plan's bibliography (FEMA review item A4-a):

  1. FEMA, OpenFEMA HazardMitigationPlanStatuses v1, version 2026-09-29T134039Z, pulled 2026-09-30, https://www.fema.gov/api/open/v1/HazardMitigationPlanStatuses (API)
  2. FEMA, OpenFEMA DisasterDeclarationsSummaries v2, version 2026-09-29T162832Z, pulled 2026-09-30, https://www.fema.gov/api/open/v2/DisasterDeclarationsSummaries (API)
  3. FEMA, OpenFEMA PublicAssistanceFundedProjectsSummaries v1, version 2026-09-29T150754Z, pulled 2026-09-30, https://www.fema.gov/api/open/v1/PublicAssistanceFundedProjectsSummaries (API)
  4. FEMA, OpenFEMA NfipMultipleLossProperties v1, version 2026-08-04T164045Z, pulled 2026-09-30, https://www.fema.gov/api/open/v1/NfipMultipleLossProperties (API)
  5. FEMA, FEMA National Risk Index 1.20.0 (December 2025), county and census tract tables, version 1.20.0, pulled 2026-09-30, https://www.fema.gov/about/reports-and-data/openfema/nri/v120/NRI_Table_Counties.zip (download, 25 MB), https://www.fema.gov/about/reports-and-data/openfema/nri/v120/NRI_Table_CensusTracts.zip (download, 635 MB)
  6. NOAA NCEI, NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database, details files (csvfiles v1.0), version c20260918, pulled 2026-09-30, https://www.ncei.noaa.gov/pub/data/swdi/stormevents/csvfiles/
  7. NOAA National Weather Service, NWS county-public forecast zones correlation file, version bp03mr20 to bp16ap26 (11 files; newest bp16ap26), pulled 2026-09-30, https://www.weather.gov/gis/ZoneCounty
  8. U.S. Census Bureau, Census 2024 Gazetteer, 2020 place by county, CT county-to-cousub crosswalk, version 2024-gazetteer, pulled 2026-09-30, https://www2.census.gov/geo/docs/maps-data/data/gazetteer/2024_Gazetteer/2024_Gaz_counties_national.zip, https://www2.census.gov/geo/docs/maps-data/data/gazetteer/2024_Gazetteer/2024_Gaz_cousubs_national.zip, https://www2.census.gov/geo/docs/maps-data/data/gazetteer/2024_Gazetteer/2024_Gaz_place_national.zip, https://www2.census.gov/geo/docs/maps-data/data/gazetteer/2024_Gazetteer/2024_Gaz_unsd_national.zip, https://www2.census.gov/geo/docs/maps-data/data/gazetteer/2024_Gazetteer/2024_Gaz_elsd_national.zip, https://www2.census.gov/geo/docs/maps-data/data/gazetteer/2024_Gazetteer/2024_Gaz_scsd_national.zip, https://www2.census.gov/geo/docs/reference/codes2020/national_place_by_county2020.txt, https://www2.census.gov/geo/docs/reference/ct_change/ct_cou_to_cousub_crosswalk.xlsx (used to match place names and codes; no table prints its values)

What this packet is and what the plan adds

This packet is the federal data for the plan's risk assessment (the summary on page 1 says how it is organized); the plan and FEMA's review decide whether each item is met.

The plan adds what only the community has: local data on assets, critical facilities, development and each jurisdiction's impacts; local hazard history, including state-declared emergencies; the mitigation strategy; and adoption.

How the federal data are built: National Risk Index values are FEMA's model, not counts of events. Storm Events is more complete from 1996; zone-level records are placed by forecast zone, not by location in the county. Public Assistance for a jurisdiction is matched by applicant name. The Methods page gives every rule and the known edge cases.

OpenFEMA disclaimer

This product uses the Federal Emergency Management Agency's OpenFEMA API, but is not endorsed by FEMA. The Federal Government or FEMA cannot vouch for the data or analyses derived from these data after the data have been retrieved from the Agency's website(s).

Reuse, citation and corrections

Reuse and citation: Hazard Plain text and tables are licensed under Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International (CC BY 4.0, https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/); credit Hazard Plain and the release. The underlying federal data are public domain; OpenFEMA data are also subject to the OpenFEMA terms and conditions.

Cite this: Hazard Plain (2026). Garfield County, WA: risk-assessment baseline packet, release 2026-10 (data as of 2026-09-30; County FIPS 53023). Automated baseline. https://hazardplain.org/wa/53023/ Built from FEMA OpenFEMA, the FEMA National Risk Index and NOAA NCEI Storm Events; source versions in the packet's Sources list.

Corrections: to report an error, name the packet, the table and what your records show. Contact: [email protected]