Natural Disasters in Chelan, WA
Hazard risk, disaster history, and FEMA data
Natural Hazard Risk
Source: FEMA National Risk IndexRisk Score
90.9
Relatively Moderate
Expected Annual Loss
89.6
Score (0-100)
Social Vulnerability
48.6
Score (0-100)
Community Resilience
70.4
Score (0-100)
Scores range from 0 (lowest risk) to 100 (highest risk) relative to all U.S. communities. Data from FEMA National Risk Index.
Disaster History & Federal Spending
Source: FEMATotal Declarations
51
Public Assistance
$6.5M
Individual Assistance
$3K
Most Common Type
Fire
33 declarations
Public Assistance by Category
| Disaster | Type | Date | PA $ | IA $ |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Severe Storms, Straight-line Winds, Flooding, Landslides, and Mudslides → | Flood | Dec 2025 | — | — |
| Lower Sugarloaf Fire → | Fire | Sep 2025 | — | — |
| Severe Winter Storms, Snowstorms, Straight-line Winds, Floodin → | Flood | Mar 2022 | $513K | — |
| Twentyfive Mile Fire → | Fire | Aug 2021 | — | — |
| Red Apple Fire → | Fire | Jul 2021 | — | — |
| Apple Acres Fire → | Fire | Sep 2020 | — | — |
| Covid-19 Pandemic → | Biological | Mar 2020 | $1.2M | $3K |
| Covid-19 → | Biological | Mar 2020 | — | — |
| Cougar Creek Fire → | Fire | Aug 2018 | — | — |
| Spromberg Fire → | Fire | May 2017 | — | — |
| Suncrest Fire → | Fire | Aug 2016 | — | — |
| Severe Storms, Straight-line Winds, Flooding, Landslides, and Mudslides → | Severe Storm | Jan 2016 | $1.1M | — |
| Wildfires and Mudslides → | Fire | Oct 2015 | $2.6M | — |
| Wildfires → | Fire | Aug 2015 | — | — |
| Chelan Fire Complex → | Fire | Aug 2015 | — | — |
| Sleepy Hollow Fire → | Fire | Jun 2015 | — | — |
| Hansel Fire → | Fire | Aug 2014 | — | — |
| Wildfires → | Fire | Jul 2014 | — | — |
| Chiwaukum Fire → | Fire | Jul 2014 | — | — |
| Mills Canyon Fire → | Fire | Jul 2014 | — | — |
Showing 20 of 51 disasters
PA = FEMA Public Assistance (infrastructure recovery). IA = Individual Assistance (homeowner/renter aid).
Flood Insurance (NFIP)
Source: FEMA NFIPTotal Claims
182
Total Claims Paid
$2,206,386
Avg Claim Payout
$12,123
County-level NFIP data from FEMA National Flood Insurance Program.
Hazard Mitigation
Source: FEMA Hazard Mitigation AssistanceMitigation Projects
18
Federal Funding
$4,393,571
Properties Protected
225
Avg Benefit-Cost Ratio
1.68
BCR
Top Mitigation Project Types
| Project Type | Projects | Federal $ |
|---|---|---|
| 300.2: Vegetation Management - Wildfire | 2 | $148,943 |
| 100.1: Public Awareness and Education (Brochures, Workshops, Videos, etc.) | 2 | $0 |
| 205.1: Retrofitting Private Structures - Wildfire; 300.2: Vegetation Management - Wildfire | 2 | $803,687 |
| 205.1: Retrofitting Private Structures - Wildfire; 304.1: (Creation of) Defensible Space (Wildfire) | 1 | $712,338 |
| 904.2: Advance Assistance (FMA and PDMC) | 1 | $30,042 |
Federally funded projects to reduce future disaster risk. Only includes completed or obligated projects.
Chelan has a relatively moderate overall natural hazard risk rating according to FEMA's National Risk Index. The top hazard risks are wildfire, landslide, avalanche. The area has had 51 federal disaster declarations. The most common disaster type is fire (33 declarations). 182 flood insurance claims have been filed in the area. FEMA has obligated $6,509,577 in public assistance recovery funding. $2,752 has been distributed in individual assistance to disaster-affected residents. 18 hazard mitigation projects have been funded to reduce future risk.