Hazard Plain Automated baseline

Mason County, WA

Risk-assessment baseline packet

County FIPS:
53045
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 2028-09-12. Plan: Mason County Hazard Mitigation Plan (FEMA plan 109120), approved 2023-09-13.

Since the plan was approved on 2023-09-13: 3 new hazard declarations (2 incidents): DR-4775-WA (Severe Winter Storms, Straight-Line Winds, Flooding, Landslides, and Mudslides), EM-3629-WA (Severe Storms, Straight-Line Winds, Flooding, Landslides, and Mudslides), DR-4906-WA (Severe Storms, Straight-Line Winds, Flooding, Landslides, and Mudslides).

NOAA Storm Events records since that date: 4 records (data through 2026-06-30).

Highest expected annual loss (FEMA National Risk Index, modeled total; see B1-a): Earthquake ($26,332,449 a year), Inland Flooding ($14,807,871) and Coastal Flooding ($1,276,639).

Repetitive-loss flood properties now: FMA RL 1, SRL 4 (44 CFR 77.2); any definition: 27.

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 2028-09-12
Plan:
Mason County Hazard Mitigation Plan (FEMA plan 109120)
Approved:
2023-09-13
Days to expiry:
713

What changed since your last plan (approved 2023-09-13)

New federal declarations:
3 new hazard declarations (2 incidents): DR-4775-WA (Severe Winter Storms, Straight-Line Winds, Flooding, Landslides, and Mudslides), EM-3629-WA (Severe Storms, Straight-Line Winds, Flooding, Landslides, and Mudslides), DR-4906-WA (Severe Storms, Straight-Line Winds, Flooding, Landslides, and Mudslides)
Storm Events records since approval:
4 records (data through 2026-06-30)
Repetitive loss now:
FMA RL 1, SRL 4 (44 CFR 77.2); any definition: 27
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 expiry
Mason CountyCountyApproved, expires 2028-09-12Mason County Hazard Mitigation Plan (FEMA plan 109120)2023-09-132028-09-12713
Shelton cityCityApproved, expires 2028-09-12Mason County Hazard Mitigation Plan (FEMA plan 109120)2023-09-132028-09-12713
Central Mason Fire & EMSFire/EMS DistrictApproved, expires 2028-09-12Mason County Hazard Mitigation Plan (FEMA plan 109120)2023-09-132028-09-12713
Fire District #16Fire/EMS DistrictApproved, expires 2028-09-12Mason County Hazard Mitigation Plan (FEMA plan 109120)2023-09-132028-09-12713
Mason County Fire District #4Fire/EMS DistrictApproved, expires 2028-09-12Mason County Hazard Mitigation Plan (FEMA plan 109120)2023-09-132028-09-12713
PUD #1Electric/Power AuthorityApproved, expires 2028-09-12Mason County Hazard Mitigation Plan (FEMA plan 109120)2023-09-132028-09-12713
PUD #3Electric/Power AuthorityApproved, expires 2028-09-12Mason County Hazard Mitigation Plan (FEMA plan 109120)2023-09-132028-09-12713

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
1EarthquakeRelatively ModerateRelatively Moderate$18,360,232n/a$7,972,216$26,332,449Storm Events does not record earthquakes.
2Inland FloodingRelatively ModerateRelatively Low$14,760,445$5,581$41,845$14,807,8715
3Coastal FloodingRelatively ModerateRelatively Moderate$1,181,997n/a$94,642$1,276,6391
4Heat WaveRelatively LowRelatively Low$177$5,969$647,321$653,4673
5LandslideRelatively HighRelatively Moderate$10,894n/a$489,286$500,1804
6TsunamiVery LowVery Low$85,988n/a$347,131$433,1190No recorded events in Storm Events since 1996 (data through 2026-06-30).
7TornadoVery LowVery Low$29,695$152$63,718$93,5661
8LightningVery LowVery Low$5,282n/a$48,929$54,2112
9Winter WeatherRelatively LowRelatively Low$7,398$436$38,952$46,78667
10Strong WindVery LowVery Low$25,852$2$7,536$33,39032Includes 21 High Wind and 11 Strong Wind records (NOAA non-thunderstorm wind types, outside NRI's Strong Wind definition).
11WildfireVery LowVery Low$24,600$2$1,264$25,8662
12Ice StormVery LowVery Low$16,170n/a$3,297$19,4681
13HailVery LowVery Low$2,869$325$646$3,8390No recorded events in Storm Events since 1996 (data through 2026-06-30).
14AvalancheVery LowVery Low$4n/a$221$2250No recorded events in Storm Events since 1996 (data through 2026-06-30).
15Volcanic ActivityVery LowVery Lowunder $1n/a$8$80Declared 1 time; no Storm Events record of this type.
16DroughtVery LowVery Lown/a$5n/a$50No recorded events in Storm Events since 1996 (data through 2026-06-30).
17Cold WaveNo RatingNo Expected Annual Losses$0$0$0$00No 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).

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 tsunami and volcanic activity records (Storm Events records these hazards only in part).

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.

Coastal Flooding and 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.

Hazards that vary within the county: highest-rated census tracts

Source: 5

HazardHighest-rated census tractsNRI risk rating, score 0 to 100
Avalanchetract 9602.01 (Very Low, 29.5); tract 9613 (Very Low, 28.5); tract 9400 (Very Low, 27.2)
Earthquaketract 9608 (Very High, 99.4); tract 9604.01 (Very High, 98.4); tract 9605 (Relatively High, 97.0)
Hurricaneno tract has a National Risk Index rating for this hazard
Landslidetract 9601 (Relatively High, 99.8); tract 9603.01 (Relatively High, 99.6); tract 9613 (Relatively High, 99.4)
Tornadotract 9604.01 (Very Low, 24.9); tract 9605 (Very Low, 24.3); tract 9608 (Very Low, 20.4)
Tsunamitract 9605 (Relatively Moderate, 80.5); tract 9604.02 (Relatively Low, 73.8); tract 9603.02 (Relatively Low, 63.2)
Volcanic Activitytract 9611.01 (Very Low, 81.2); tract 9604.03 (Very Low, 76.5); tract 9610 (Very Low, 68.2)
Wildfiretract 9605 (Relatively Low, 80.8); tract 9603.01 (Relatively Low, 77.8); tract 9602.02 (Relatively Low, 76.1)

Up to 3 census tracts per hazard, highest National Risk Index rating first, then highest score; a tract number is the Census tract number (for example 9602.01 is Census Tract 9602.01). 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)0Physical measure: in event narratives only (local data needed).
Coastal Flood, Storm Surge/Tidenone in data (flood depth: FIRM)1 record, 2012 (1 zone-level)Coastal Flood, 2012-12-17, $2,000 property; $0 crops (2012 dollars); NWS zone WAZ511Countywide (zone-level records).Flood depth: see the FEMA Flood Insurance Rate Map.
Cold/Wind Chill, Extreme Cold/Wind Chillwind chill0Wind chill: in event narratives only (local data needed).
Frost/Freeze (outside NRI's Cold Wave definition)crop damage0Temperature: in event narratives only (local data needed).
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)1 record, 19851 in; 1 with a recorded value1 in hail, 1985-10-22No event record names a jurisdiction in the plan.
Excessive Heat, Heatheat index (in event narratives)3 records, 2021 to 2023 (3 zone-level)1 day to 5 days (median 3 days); 3 with a recorded value5 consecutive days, 2023-05-12 to 2023-05-16, zone-levelCountywide (zone-level records).Heat index: in event narratives only (local data needed).
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)1 record, 2012 (1 zone-level)No damage reported in 1 record.Countywide (zone-level records).Ice thickness: in event narratives only (local data needed).
Flash Flood, Flood, Lakeshore Flooddamage and flood days (flood depth: FIRM)5 records, 2007 to 2021Flood, 2009-01-07, $900,000 property; $0 crops (2009 dollars)Event records naming jurisdictions in the plan: Shelton city (1 record).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)4 records, 2006 to 2011 (4 zone-level)Debris Flow, 2007-12-03, $500,000 property; $0 crops (2007 dollars), 1 direct death (reported for the zone); NWS zone WAZ511Countywide (zone-level records).Physical measure: in event narratives only (local data needed).
Lightningannualized frequency (the measure FEMA's Local Mitigation Planning Handbook names)2 records, 1997 to 2013Lightning, 1997-07-05, $70,000 property; crops not reported (1997 dollars)No event record names a jurisdiction in the plan.Storm Events lists lightning with damage or casualties; physical measure in event narratives only (local data needed).
High Wind and Strong Wind (outside NRI's Strong Wind definition)wind speed (kt and mph)32 records, 2006 to 2021 (32 zone-level)35 kt (40 mph) to 93 kt (107 mph) (median 48.5 kt (56 mph)); 32 with a recorded value93 kt (107 mph) measured gust, High Wind, 2009-11-18; NWS zone WAZ513High Wind, 2006-12-14, $2,800,000 property; $0 crops, reported for the zone (2006 dollars)Countywide (zone-level records).
Thunderstorm Windwind speed (kt and mph)0
TornadoEnhanced Fujita (Fujita before Feb 2007)1 record, 2019F/EF1; 1 with a recorded valueEF1 tornado, 2019-10-18, 0.68 mi within this county, 90 yd wide, $150,000 property; $0 crops (2019 dollars)No event record names a jurisdiction in the plan.Before 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).
Tsunaminone (count and damage only)0Physical measure: in event narratives only (local data needed).
Volcanic Ash, Volcanic AshfallVolcanic Explosivity Index (local data)0Physical measure: in event narratives only (local data needed).
Wildfireacres burned (local data)2 records, 2012 to 2015 (2 zone-level)Wildfire, 2012-10-04, property not reported; $1,100,000 crops (2012 dollars); NWS zone WAZ511Countywide (zone-level records).Acres burned: in event narratives only (local data needed).
Winter Storm, Heavy Snow, Blizzard, Lake-Effect Snow, Winter Weather, Sleetnone in data (snowfall: local data)67 records, 2006 to 2025 (67 zone-level)Heavy Snow, 2008-12-21, $600,000 property; $0 crops (2008 dollars); NWS zone WAZ511Countywide (zone-level records).Snow depth: in event narratives only (local data needed).

Storm Events records are more complete after 1996; before 1996 only Tornado (from 1950), Hail and Thunderstorm Wind (from 1955) exist. Zone-level records whose zone 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: 32 declarations covering 28 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 Wind$21,139.41new since last plan; within last 5 years
2025-12-122025-12-09EM-3629-WAEmergencySevere Storms, Straight-Line Winds, Flooding, Landslides, and MudslidesInland Flooding (primary); also designated: Landslide, Strong Windno Public Assistance recordednew since last plan; within last 5 yearssame incident as DR-4906
2024-04-282024-01-05DR-4775-WAMajor disasterSevere Winter Storms, Straight-Line Winds, Flooding, Landslides, and MudslidesInland Flooding; Landslide; Strong Wind; Winter Weather$811,465.35new since last plan; within last 5 years
2023-07-052023-07-04FM-5468-WAFire managementMcEwan FireWildfireno Public Assistance recordedin the 12 months before plan approval; within last 5 years
2022-03-292021-12-26DR-4650-WAMajor disasterSevere Winter Storms, Snowstorms, Straight-Line Winds, FloodingInland Flooding (primary); also designated: Strong Wind, Winter Weather$1,212,247.94within last 5 years
2021-04-082020-12-29DR-4593-WAMajor disasterSevere Winter Storm, Straight-Line Winds, Flooding, Landslides, and MudslidesInland Flooding; Landslide; Strong Wind; Winter Weather$379,021.60
2020-04-232020-01-20DR-4539-WAMajor disasterSevere Storms, Flooding, Landslides, and MudslidesInland Flooding (primary); also designated: Landslide$475,508.69
2020-03-222020-01-20DR-4481-WAMajor disasterCOVID-19 PandemicNon-natural, not counted$1,479,283.26
2020-03-132020-01-20EM-3427-WAEmergencyCOVID-19Non-natural, not countedno Public Assistance recordedsame incident as DR-4481
2019-03-042018-12-10DR-4418-WAMajor disasterSevere Winter Storms, Straight-Line Winds, Flooding, Landslides, Mudslides, TornadoInland Flooding; Landslide; Strong Wind; Tornado; Winter Weather$243,912.75
2016-02-022015-12-01DR-4253-WAMajor disasterSevere Winter Storm, Straight-Line Winds, Flooding, Landslides, Mudslides, and a TInland Flooding (primary); also designated: Landslide, Strong Wind, Winter Weather$425,012.93
2016-01-152015-11-12DR-4249-WAMajor disasterSevere Storms, Straight-Line Winds, Flooding, Landslides, and MudslidesInland Flooding; Landslide; Strong Wind$349,126.39
2012-03-052012-01-14DR-4056-WAMajor disasterSevere Winter Storm, Flooding, Landslides, and MudslidesInland Flooding; Landslide; Winter Weather$428,114.57
2009-03-022008-12-12DR-1825-WAMajor disasterSevere Winter Storm and Record and Near Record SnowWinter Weather$264,414.13
2009-01-302009-01-06DR-1817-WAMajor disasterSevere Winter Storm, Landslides, Mudslides, and FloodingInland Flooding (primary); also designated: Landslide, Winter Weather$496,490.87
2007-12-082007-12-01DR-1734-WAMajor disasterSevere Storms, Flooding, Landslides, and MudslidesInland Flooding; Landslide$3,879,707.73
2007-02-142006-12-14DR-1682-WAMajor disasterSevere Winter Storm, Landslides, and MudslidesLandslide; Winter Weather$1,157,097.26
2006-05-172006-01-27DR-1641-WAMajor disasterSevere Storms, Flooding, Tidal Surge, Landslides, and MudslidesInland Flooding; Landslide$208,865.99
2005-09-072005-08-29EM-3227-WAEmergencyHurricane Katrina EvacuationHurricane: evacuation support, not a local hazard event; not countedno Public Assistance recorded
2003-11-072003-10-15DR-1499-WAMajor disasterSevere Storms and FloodingInland Flooding$538,767.85
2001-03-012001-02-28DR-1361-WAMajor disasterEarthquakeEarthquake$371,411.99
1997-04-021997-03-18DR-1172-WAMajor disasterHeavy Rains, Snow Melt, Flooding, Land & Mud SlidesInland Flooding (primary); also designated: Landslideno Public Assistance recorded
1997-01-171996-12-26DR-1159-WAMajor disasterSevere Winter Storms, Land & Muds Slides,FloodingInland Flooding; Landslide; Winter Weatherno Public Assistance recorded
1996-01-031995-11-07DR-1079-WAMajor disasterSevere Storms, High Wind, and FloodingInland Flooding; Strong Windno Public Assistance recorded
1993-03-041993-01-20DR-981-WAMajor disasterSevere Storms & High WindStrong Windno Public Assistance recorded
1990-11-261990-11-09DR-883-WAMajor disasterSevere Storms & FloodingInland Floodingno Public Assistance recorded
1980-05-211980-05-21DR-623-WAMajor disasterVolcanic Eruption, Mt. St. HelensVolcanic Activityno Public Assistance recorded
1979-12-311979-12-31DR-612-WAMajor disasterStorms, High Tides, Mudslides & FloodingInland Flooding (primary); also designated: Coastal Flooding, LandslidePA not declared for this county
1975-12-131975-12-13DR-492-WAMajor disasterSevere Storms & FloodingInland Floodingno Public Assistance recorded
1974-01-251974-01-25DR-414-WAMajor disasterSevere Storms, Snowmelt & FloodingInland Floodingno Public Assistance recorded
1965-05-111965-05-11DR-196-WAMajor disasterEarthquakeEarthquakeno 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 filed under this county for declarations that do not list it: 1 row, $42,311.71

Sources: 2, 3

FEMA numberDeclaredTitleApplicantPA obligatedfederal share obligated, nominal dollars
DR-4635-WA2022-01-05Severe Storms, Straight-Line Winds, Flooding, Landslides, and MudslidesPublic Utility District #1 of Mason County$42,311.71

FEMA's Public Assistance summaries file these applicants under this county, but FEMA's declaration rows for these disasters do not designate it (an electric cooperative or district serving several counties, for example). Not in any declaration row above and not counted.

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
Coastal Flooding1000101996 to 2026-06-30
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
Earthquake000020Storm Events does not record earthquakes; the USGS earthquake catalog is the source.
Hail1000001955 to 2026-06-30
Heat Wave3012001996 to 2026-06-30
Hurricane0000001996 to 2026-06-30No recorded events, 1996 to 2026-06-30, NOAA NCEI Storm Events
Ice Storm1000001996 to 2026-06-30
Inland Flooding50002121996 to 2026-06-30
Landslide40001521996 to 2026-06-30
Lightning2000001996 to 2026-06-30
Strong Wind32000921955 to 2026-06-30Includes 21 High Wind and 11 Strong Wind records.
Tornado1000101950 to 2026-06-30
Tsunami0000001996 to 2026-06-30No recorded events, 1996 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)
Wildfire2000101996 to 2026-06-30
Winter Weather6744121011996 to 2026-06-30

Notable Storm Events records

Sources: 1, 6, 7

DateEvent typeMagnitude or extentDamagenominal dollarsDeaths, injuriesdirect onlyLocationFlagsWhy listed
2023-05-12Heat$0 property; $0 crops, reported for the zone (2023 dollars)0, 0NWS zone WAZ511 (HOOD CANAL AREA), zone-levelin the 12 months before plan approval; within last 5 yearsB1-c worst recorded: Excessive Heat, Heat
2019-10-18TornadoEF1, 0.68 mi within this county, 90 yd wide$150,000 property; $0 crops (2019 dollars)0, 0BAY SHRB1-c worst recorded: Tornado
2012-12-17Coastal Flood$2,000 property; $0 crops, reported for the zone (2012 dollars)0, 0NWS zone WAZ511 (HOOD CANAL AREA), zone-levelB1-c worst recorded: Coastal Flood, Storm Surge/Tide
2012-10-04Wildfireproperty not reported; $1,100,000 crops, reported for the zone (2012 dollars)0, 0NWS zone WAZ511 (HOOD CANAL AREA), zone-levelB1-c worst recorded: Wildfire
2009-11-18High Wind93 kt (107 mph) measured gust$0 property; $0 crops, reported for the zone (2009 dollars)0, 0NWS zone WAZ513 (OLYMPICS), zone-levelB1-c worst recorded: High Wind and Strong Wind
2009-01-07Flood$900,000 property; $0 crops (2009 dollars)0, 0SHELTONB1-c worst recorded: Flash Flood, Flood, Lakeshore Flood
2008-12-21Heavy Snow$600,000 property; $0 crops, reported for the zone (2008 dollars)0, 0NWS zone WAZ511 (HOOD CANAL AREA), zone-levelB1-c worst recorded: Winter Storm, Heavy Snow, Blizzard, Lake-Effect Snow, Winter Weather, Sleet
2008-01-14Strong Wind43 kt (49 mph) estimated gust$0 property; $0 crops, reported for the zone (2008 dollars)1, 0NWS zone WAZ511 (HOOD CANAL AREA), zone-leveldeaths or injuries recorded
2007-12-03Debris Flow$500,000 property; $0 crops, reported for the zone (2007 dollars)1, 0NWS zone WAZ511 (HOOD CANAL AREA), zone-leveldeaths or injuries recorded
2006-12-14High Wind78 kt (90 mph) measured gust$1,000,000 property; $0 crops, reported for the zone (2006 dollars)1, 1NWS zone WAZ512 (LOWER CHEHALIS VALLEY AREA), zone-leveldeaths or injuries recorded
1997-07-05Lightning$70,000 property; crops not reported (1997 dollars)0, 0BELFAIRB1-c worst recorded: Lightning
1985-10-22Hail1 indamage not recorded (pre-1996 record)0, 0location not recordedB1-c worst recorded: Hail

The full list is in the Excel file, sheet "B1-d Storm Events history" (119 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.
Coastal Flooding3.15events per year at a location (modeled)about 3.1 per year at a given location in the countyHighly likelyFEMA annualized frequency (modeled)not shownmodeledsee B1-fDescriptor from NRI: the rate at a location is 1 or more a year, so the county rate is at least that.
Cold Wave0event-days per yearnone modeledevent-days in 0 of 30 years, 1996 to 2025 (0%)02005-11-12 to 2024-11-12 (19 years)countywideNo Storm Events cold wave record, 1996 to 2025.
Drought1.27event-days per yearabout 1.27 days per yearevent-days in 0 of 30 years, 1996 to 2025 (0%)352000 to 2025 (25.25 years; D3 and D4 only)countywideNo Storm Events drought record, 1996 to 2025
Earthquake0.0294annual probability at a locationchance a given location in the county has at least minor-damage shaking in a year: 2.94%not shownmodeledsee B1-fNo descriptor (Storm Events does not record earthquakes).
Hail0.0103events per yearabout 1 in 97 yearsPossibleFEMA annualized frequency (modeled)0.4 (modeled)1986 to 2023 (38 years)countywide
Heat Wave2.67event-days per yearabout 2.67 days per yearLikely (from Storm Events: 3 of 30 years)event-days in 3 of 30 years, 1996 to 2025 (10%)35.32005-11-12 to 2024-11-12 (19 years)countywide
Hurricaneevents per year1851 to 2024 (Atlantic); 1949 to 2024 (Pacific)see B1-fNot Applicable in NRI for this county; no descriptor.
Ice Storm0.306event-days per yearabout 0.306 days per yearPossible (from Storm Events: 1 of 30 years)event-days in 1 of 30 years, 1996 to 2025 (3.33%)211946-12-31 to 2014-02-12 (67 years)countywide
Inland Flooding0.179event-days per yearabout 0.179 days per yearLikely (from Storm Events: 4 of 30 years)event-days in 4 of 30 years, 1996 to 2025 (13.3%)51996 to 2023 (28 years)see B1-f
Landslide10.9events per year (modeled)about 10.9 per yearHighly likelyFEMA annualized frequency (modeled)not shownmodeledsee B1-f
Lightning5.15days per year with a strikeabout 5.15 days per yearHighly likelyFEMA annualized frequency (modeled)not shown1995 to 2023 (29 years; CONUS)countywide
Strong Wind0.00883events per yearabout 1 in 113 yearsUnlikelyFEMA annualized frequency (modeled)11986 to 2023 (38 years)countywide
Tornado0.0434events per yearabout 1 in 23 yearsPossibleFEMA annualized frequency (modeled)not shown1950 to 2023 (EF2+); 1986 to 2023 (EF0-1)see B1-f
Tsunami0.0553annual probability at the most exposed location (used in place of a county value)chance at the county's most exposed location in a year: 5.53%Storm Events records in 0 of 30 years, 1996 to 2025 (0%)not shownmodeledsee B1-fNo descriptor: no Storm Events record 1996 to 2025
Volcanic Activity0.001annual probabilityabout 1 in 1,000 yearsUnlikelyFEMA annualized frequency (modeled)not shownmodeledsee B1-f
Wildfire0.0000654annual probability at a locationchance a given location in the county burns in a year: 0.00654%Possible (from Storm Events: 2 of 30 years)Storm Events records in 2 of 30 years, 1996 to 2025 (6.67%)not shownmodeledsee B1-fDescriptor from Storm Events, not NRI.
Winter Weather11.8event-days per yearabout 11.8 days per yearLikely (from Storm Events: 18 of 30 years)event-days in 18 of 30 years, 1996 to 2025 (60%)2092005-11-12 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.

Where NRI gives event-days, the descriptor comes from the share of years with a Storm Events record; NRI's source records more events, so the two differ.

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 20250300
Hail2.00 in+1996 to 20250300
Thunderstorm Wind (counted as NRI Strong Wind)50-64 kt1996 to 20250300
Thunderstorm Wind (counted as NRI Strong Wind)65 kt+1996 to 20250300
Thunderstorm Wind (counted as NRI Strong Wind)unmeasured or below 50 kt1996 to 20250300
TornadoEF0-11996 to 20251300.0333
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

Range of census tract risk within the county

Source: 5

HazardTractsrated of allNRI risk score, 0 to 100Tracts by rating
MinMedianMax
Avalanche5 of 1925.327.229.5Very Low 5, Not Applicable 14
Coastal Flooding16 of 1969.693.098.1Relatively High 5, Relatively Moderate 9, Very Low 2, No Rating 3
Cold Wave0 of 19No Rating 19
Drought7 of 1967.067.168.5Very Low 7, No Rating 12
Earthquake19 of 1982.794.499.4Very High 2, Relatively High 14, Relatively Moderate 3
Hail19 of 191.25.512.8Very Low 19
Heat Wave19 of 196.553.070.3Relatively Moderate 7, Relatively Low 10, Very Low 2
Hurricane0 of 19Not Applicable 19
Ice Storm19 of 191.714.139.7Relatively Low 1, Very Low 18
Inland Flooding19 of 198.274.493.8Relatively High 7, Relatively Moderate 7, Relatively Low 4, Very Low 1
Landslide19 of 1928.797.399.8Relatively High 4, Relatively Moderate 8, Relatively Low 6, Very Low 1
Lightning19 of 192.719.333.0Relatively Low 9, Very Low 10
Strong Wind19 of 195.014.220.2Relatively Low 1, Very Low 18
Tornado19 of 193.514.524.9Very Low 19
Tsunami14 of 1920.847.080.5Relatively Moderate 1, Relatively Low 5, Very Low 8, No Rating 2, Not Applicable 3
Volcanic Activity5 of 1942.168.281.2Very Low 5, No Rating 14
Wildfire19 of 1928.571.480.8Relatively Low 10, Very Low 9
Winter Weather19 of 1926.452.167.0Relatively Moderate 12, Relatively Low 7

Drought: Agriculture is all of NRI's expected annual loss for this hazard in the county, so the tract range mostly reflects where crop and livestock value is.

Rated tracts only: No Rating (score 0.0), Not Applicable and Insufficient Data tracts are counted but not used for the minimum, median and maximum.

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.

Frequency data for drought, hail, heat wave, ice storm, lightning, strong wind and winter weather are county-wide or coarse (49 km grid or NWS zone), the same for every jurisdiction; the tract range mostly reflects where buildings and people are (crop and livestock value where a line above names agriculture).

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 planNotes
Mason CountyCountyApproved, expires 2028-09-12FMA RL 1, SRL 4; any 26$5,333,313.730 total; 0 since its planIncludes $126,284.52 for declarations not counted as hazard incidents (DR-4481-WA).
Shelton cityCityApproved, expires 2028-09-12FMA RL 0, SRL 0; any 0$238,744.991 total; 0 since its planIncludes $48,385.72 for declarations not counted as hazard incidents (DR-4481-WA).

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.

County Public Assistance in B1-d also includes applicants filed under the county that are not jurisdictions in this plan (for example state agencies, special districts and nonprofits), so the jurisdiction rows add up to less.

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 2023-09-13county-coded records, property plus crops, nominal dollarsZone-level damage since planproperty plus crops, reported for the zonePublic Assistance since plannominal dollars; see noteNote
Avalanche$3,338,700n/aunder 1$4n/a$2210.000105%
Coastal Flooding$878,725,748n/a3,113$1,181,997n/a$94,6420.135%
Cold Wave$0$00$0$0$0building exposure is 0 in NRI
Droughtn/a$3,313,695n/an/a$5n/a0.000144% (agriculture)NRI has no building exposure for this hazard; agriculture shown
Earthquake$23,442,671,922n/a65,726$18,360,232n/a$7,972,2160.0783%
Hail$13,634,127,879$62,486,33365,689$2,869$325$646under 0.0001%
Heat Wave$13,634,127,879$62,486,33365,689$177$5,969$647,321under 0.0001%
HurricaneNot Applicable in NRI for this county
Ice Storm$13,574,312,529n/a65,383$16,170n/a$3,2970.000119%
Inland Flooding$13,490,182,707$17,617,4752,787$14,760,445$5,581$41,845n/a (see note)$832,604.76NRI 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$1,097,794,317n/a4,793$10,894n/a$489,2860.000992%$832,604.76
Lightning$13,634,127,879n/a65,689$5,282n/a$48,929under 0.0001%
Strong Wind$13,634,127,879$62,486,33365,689$25,852$2$7,5360.00019%$832,604.76
Tornado$13,634,127,879$62,486,33365,689$29,695$152$63,7180.000218%
Tsunami$3,343,238,561n/a1,218$85,988n/a$347,1310.00257%
Volcanic Activity$13,634,127,879n/a65,689under $1n/a$8under 0.0001%
Wildfire$1,591,891,365$8,058,0028,552$24,600$2$1,2640.00155%
Winter Weather$13,634,127,879$62,486,33365,689$7,398$436$38,952under 0.0001%$0$811,465.35

Totals since 2023-09-13 (Storm Events through 2026-06-30): 0 county-coded records, 0 with a damage value recorded (including $0), $0; 4 zone-level records, 2 with a damage value recorded (including $0), $0 reported for the zone; Public Assistance: $832,604.76 on 3 counted declarations, 2 of them with Public Assistance.

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
Population65,689
Building value (total, not at risk)$13,634,127,879
Agriculture value (total, not at risk)$62,486,333
NRI risk rating (all hazards)Relatively Moderate
Expected annual loss, buildings and agriculture, all hazards$34,524,076
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)$9,757,013
Social vulnerability ratingRelatively High
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)1Severe repetitive loss, FMA definition (44 CFR 77.2)4
Repetitive loss, NFIP insurance definition26Severe repetitive loss, NFIP insurance definition3

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 total1426327011
of which: Mason County (unincorporated area)1425326010
of which: Skokomish Indian Tribe (community ID not in plan data)0010101
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
Mason County5301151425326010
Shelton city5301160000000

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

Sources: 1, 4

Occupancy groupRL, FMApropertiesSRL, FMApropertiesRL, NFIPpropertiesSRL, NFIPpropertiesAny categorypropertiesMitigatedpropertiesCurrently insuredproperties
single-family residential1425326010
2 to 4 unit residential0000000
other residential0000000
non-residential0010101
not reported0000000

FEMA's occupancy groups have no institutional class; institutional properties are counted in non-residential or other residential in the table by occupancy group.

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 25 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, organized by the items of FEMA's Local Mitigation Plan Review Tool, Element B. Each section heading names the item its tables support; the plan and FEMA's review decide whether the 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). Mason County, WA: risk-assessment baseline packet, release 2026-10 (data as of 2026-09-30; County FIPS 53045). Automated baseline. https://hazardplain.org/wa/53045/ 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]

Hazard Plain release 2026-10. As of 2026-09-30; Storm Events data through 2026-06-30. Automated baseline.