Photo: Dieter F · CC BY-SA 3.0On FEMA’s figures, Seaside faces more hazard damage per building than 96% of U.S. towns, led by tsunamis
On FEMA’s National Risk Index, Seaside gets a D− for hazard risk: higher expected damage per building than 96% of U.S. towns, #140 of 142 in Oregon. Most of that expected damage is tsunamis (34%), then river and rain flooding (30%). Flood insurance has paid 18 claims here since 1990.
Graded on FEMA’s expected yearly building damage per dollar of building value (NRI v1.20, December 2025), weighted by where residents live; flood claims are shown, not graded. How hazard risk is graded
What stands out about Seaside’s natural hazards
From FEMA’s model and FEMA’s records, below.
What Seaside faces
Each hazard’s share of the building damage FEMA expects here, and how its rate compares with the rest of the country.
Tsunamis
River and rain flooding
Earthquakes
Coastal flooding
Shares are of FEMA’s expected building damage, the measure the grade uses; ranks compare each hazard’s building-damage rate with all 85,154 U.S. census tracts. In FEMA’s terms, river and rain flooding is FEMA’s “Inland Flooding” (rivers and streams overflowing their banks, or rain overwhelming drainage). FEMA defines coastal flooding as high or rising tides and storm surge, so surge damage is counted there. Drought isn’t listed: FEMA counts its losses in crops only.
What’s behind Seaside’s grade
Tsunamis are 34% of the building damage FEMA expects in Seaside, and Seaside’s rate of tsunamis damage is in the top 1% of U.S. census tracts. Earthquakes add 28%, at a rate in the top 9% of U.S. census tracts.
D− #140 of 142 in Oregon; higher expected damage per building than 96% of U.S. towns (21,298).
Seaside’s residents live in 3 census tracts; FEMA’s figures are combined by where they live.
The typical Oregon town has higher expected damage than 69% of U.S. towns; within the state, Seaside has more expected damage per building than 99% of Oregon towns.
In dollars, FEMA expects about $73.3M a year in losses across Seaside: $9.8M to buildings, the rest to people and crops.
Does Seaside flood? Sometimes: 18 flood claims since 1990
Every paid claim on a federal flood insurance policy in Seaside, from FEMA’s records: 3.5 per 1,000 homes, more than 52% of the 13,809 U.S. towns with a flood insurance record.
- The Winter storm1 claim · $9K
Seaside isn’t in FEMA’s Community Rating System, which cuts flood insurance up to 45% in towns that do extra flood-proofing.
Insurance rates: Clatsop County.2 federal disasters brought FEMA money to Seaside
Disasters that paid out in Seaside itself (aid to households or repair grants to the City of Seaside), newest first, with that year’s flood claims.
- 2007Severe Storms, Flooding, Landslides, and Mudslides490 households applied for aid$429K aid approved$61K to the City of Seaside for repairs1 flood claim paid that year
- 2005Severe Storms, Flooding, Landslides, and Mudslides$17K to the City of Seaside for repairs
Clatsop County has had 15 natural disasters declared by the President since 1953, most often severe storms, then floods. Not counted: the 2005 Hurricane Katrina evacuee emergency, which covered counties that took in evacuees.
Old photos of Seaside after a storm or flood belong in the town’s history. Add one, or share what you remember below.
Add to the Seaside archive →Seaside and its neighbors
Seaside is 2nd of the 2 graded towns here, from least expected damage per building to most. Tap a town to see its hazards.
| Town | Hazard risk | Mostly (buildings) | Flood claims |
|---|---|---|---|
| Gearhart | Dmore damage than 90% | earthquakes | 4 |
| Seaside | D−more damage than 96% | tsunamis | 18 |
Hazard risk = FEMA’s expected yearly building damage per dollar of building value, vs. the 21,298 U.S. towns we grade; the map is shaded by fifths of the same scale. Flood claims = paid federal flood insurance claims on record.
Get ready for what Seaside faces
A short kit for the hazards that drive the building damage here, what to check before you buy, and where neighbors get alerts.
- Strong shaking or a sudden drop in the sea means head for high ground now.
- Learn the tsunami route signs near the shore.
- Stay away until officials say it’s safe.
- Turn around at flooded roads: a foot of moving water can carry off a car.
- Flood insurance usually takes 30 days to start, so buy it before the forecast.
- Keep papers and medicines up high, in a grab-and-go bag.
- Drop, cover and hold on.
- Strap tall furniture and the water heater to the wall.
- Know how to shut off the gas.
- Know your evacuation zone and the way off the coast.
- Storm surge comes fast: leave when you’re told, not when the water arrives.
- Move cars to high ground before king tides and nor’easters.
- Look up the address on FEMA’s flood map.
- Ask the seller or landlord whether it has ever flooded, and what flood insurance costs there.
- Get a flood insurance quote early: policies usually start 30 days after you buy.
Know where neighbors sign up for alerts? Add it to the Handbook so everyone has it.
Questions about natural hazards in Seaside
Is Seaside at risk for natural disasters?
On FEMA’s National Risk Index, Seaside has higher expected damage per building than 96% of U.S. towns: D− for hazard risk, #140 of 142 in Oregon. Most of the expected damage is tsunamis (34%) and river and rain flooding (30%). This is FEMA’s model of an average year for today’s buildings, not a forecast.
Does Seaside flood?
Flood insurance has paid 18 claims in Seaside since 1990, $114K in all, or 3.5 per 1,000 homes, more than 52% of U.S. towns with a flood insurance record. 2 properties have flooded more than once. The most claims came from Winter storm (1).
Is Seaside in a flood zone?
Flood zones are drawn street by street, so the answer depends on the address: look it up on FEMA’s flood map. In Clatsop County, 19% of homes in mapped flood zones carry federal flood insurance, and 4.8% of all homes do.
How much is flood insurance in Seaside?
FEMA’s Community Rating System list shows no discount for Seaside’s flood program. Premiums depend on the building; policies usually start 30 days after you buy, so get a quote early.
What was the biggest storm in Seaside?
By FEMA money that reached Seaside, Severe Storms, Flooding, Landslides, and Mudslides (2007): 490 households applied for aid, $429K approved, and $61K to the City of Seaside for repairs. By flood claims, Winter storm: 1 paid, $9K.
Is Seaside at risk from tsunamis?
It is the largest share of the building damage FEMA expects here (34%), and Seaside’s rate for it is in the top 1% of U.S. census tracts.
Storm stories
Memories, warnings and help from neighbors in Seaside.
Sources: FEMA National Risk Index v1.20 (December 2025), census-tract table, combined by where Seaside’s residents lived in the 2020 census; OpenFEMA: NFIP redacted claims, multiple-loss properties, community status book and residential penetration rates, housing assistance (owners and renters), public assistance funded projects, hazard mitigation properties and disaster declarations. Homes: Census ACS 2020–24. Preparedness tips: Ready.gov. FEMA’s model is an average of expected damage, not a forecast. How hazard risk is graded.