Guest, Sign inJoin

Post to Bonney Lake

We’ll email a one-tap link to publish your post. No password, and nothing is public until you click it.
Already a member? Sign in
CHazard risk
Natural hazards in Bonney Lake · FEMA

FEMA puts Bonney Lake’s expected hazard damage per building above that of 70% of U.S. towns, mostly from river and rain flooding

On FEMA’s National Risk Index, Bonney Lake gets a C for hazard risk: higher expected damage per building than 70% of U.S. towns, #105 of 285 in Washington. Most of that expected damage is river and rain flooding (50%), then earthquakes (49%). Flood insurance has paid 3 claims here since 2006.

River and rain flooding 50%Earthquakes 49%

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

more than 70%of U.S. townsLess damageMoreExpected yearly damage per dollar of building, vs. the 21,298 U.S. towns we grade#105 of 285 in Washington
Hazard risk
C#105 of 285
in Washington · higher than 70% of U.S. towns
Main hazard
River and rain flooding
50% of expected building damage
Flood claims
3
paid since 2006 · $28K
Flooded more than once
1
properties
Disasters paid out here
6
of 21 declared for Pierce County
By hazard

What Bonney Lake faces

Each hazard’s share of the building damage FEMA expects here, and how its rate compares with the rest of the country.

River and rain flooding

50%of expected building damage
About average · lower than 50% of U.S. census tracts
Recorded about once every 9 years in the area

Earthquakes

49%of expected building damage
Well above average · higher than 88% of U.S. census tracts
Smaller shares here
 Volcanic activity top 0% Strong wind Tornadoes Ice storms Hail Wildfire Winter storms Cold waves Heat waves Landslides Lightning
FEMA models no building damage here
Coastal floodingHurricanesAvalanchesTsunamis
People, not buildings.Counting harm to people as well as buildings, FEMA’s model puts cold waves at 21% of Bonney Lake’s expected losses. Cold waves do little damage to buildings (0.0%), so they aren’t part of the grade.

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.

Flood risk changes street by street. Check a specific address on FEMA’s flood map, and ask about flood insurance before you buy.
Hazard risk grade

What’s behind Bonney Lake’s grade

River and rain flooding is 50% of the building damage FEMA expects in Bonney Lake, and Bonney Lake’s rate of river and rain flooding damage is lower than 50% of U.S. census tracts. Next is earthquakes at 49% (higher than 88% of U.S. census tracts).

Where Bonney Lake sits
Bonney Lake
Least damageMiddleMost damage

C #105 of 285 in Washington; higher expected damage per building than 70% of U.S. towns (21,298).

Bonney Lake’s residents live in 9 census tracts; FEMA’s figures are combined by where they live.

What drives the damage to buildings
River and rain flooding50%Earthquakes49%Everything else1%

The typical Washington town has higher expected damage than 76% of U.S. towns; within the state, Bonney Lake has less expected damage per building than 63% of Washington towns.

In dollars, FEMA expects about $8.8M a year in losses across Bonney Lake: $5.7M to buildings, the rest to people and crops.

A firm figure. It combines 9 census tracts by where Bonney Lake’s residents live. FEMA’s model is an average year for today’s buildings, not a record: the claims and disasters below are the record.

How TownRatings grades hazard risk →

Flood insurance claims

Does Bonney Lake flood? Rarely: 3 flood claims since 2006

Every paid claim on a federal flood insurance policy in Bonney Lake, from FEMA’s records: 0.4 per 1,000 homes, fewer than 92% of the 13,809 U.S. towns with a flood insurance record.

Paid flood claims, by year
2006: 1 claim2007: 0 claims2008: 0 claims2009: 1 claim2010: 0 claims2011: 0 claims2012: 0 claims2013: 0 claims2014: 0 claims2015: 0 claims2016: 0 claims2017: 0 claims2018: 0 claims2019: 0 claims2020: 0 claims2021: 0 claims2022: 0 claims2023: 0 claims2024: 0 claims2025: 1 claim2026: 0 claims200620092025
20062026
Biggest named events
  • The 2025-12-AtmosphericRiver1 claim · $20K
  • The Torrential rain1 claim · $3K
3
paid claims since 2006
$28K
paid to owners
1
homes flooded more than once
$9K
average claim
Homes that flooded again and again
FEMA “severe repetitive loss” (0)Flooded 2+ times
of homes in flood zones are insured
of all homes are insured
No community discount

Bonney Lake isn’t in FEMA’s Community Rating System, which cuts flood insurance up to 45% in towns that do extra flood-proofing.

Insurance rates: Pierce County.
Disasters

6 federal disasters brought FEMA money to Bonney Lake

Disasters that paid out in Bonney Lake itself (aid to households or repair grants to the City of Bonney Lake), newest first, with that year’s flood claims.

  1. 2025Severe Storms, Straight-line Winds, Flooding, Landslides, and Mudslides19 households applied for aid$29K aid approved1 flood claim paid that year
  2. 2012Severe Winter Storm, Flooding, Landslides, and Mudslides$112K to the City of Bonney Lake for repairs
  3. 2009Severe Winter Storm, Landslides, Mudslides, and Flooding12 households applied for aid$10K aid approved1 flood claim paid that year
  4. 2008Severe Winter Storm and Record and Near Record Snow$12K to the City of Bonney Lake for repairs
  5. 2006Severe Winter Storm, Landslides, and Mudslides$51K to the City of Bonney Lake for repairs
  6. 2006Severe Storms, Flooding, Landslides, and Mudslides5 households applied for aid$2K aid approved$9K to the City of Bonney Lake for repairs
Disasters declared, by decade
Paid out in Bonney LakePierce County only

Pierce County has had 21 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.

Also 1 FEMA wildfire suppression grant (Fire Management Assistance, not a disaster declaration) for fires in Pierce County, 2020–2020.

Were you here?

Old photos of Bonney Lake after a storm or flood belong in the town’s history. Add one, or share what you remember below.

Add to the Bonney Lake archive →
Next door

Bonney Lake and its neighbors

Bonney Lake is 2nd of the 6 graded towns here, from least expected damage per building to most. Tap a town to see its hazards.

Alderton: hazard risk DLake Tapps: hazard risk C+Prairie Ridge: hazard risk C−Prairie Heights: hazard risk C−Sumner: hazard risk D−AldertonLake TappsPrairie RidgePrairie HeightsSumnerBonney Lake
Lowest fifthSecondMiddleFourthHighest fifth
TownHazard riskMostly (buildings)Flood claims
Lake TappsC+more damage than 65%earthquakes1
Bonney LakeCmore damage than 70%river and rain flooding3
Prairie RidgeC−more damage than 76%earthquakes20
Prairie HeightsC−more damage than 78%river and rain flooding—
AldertonDmore damage than 87%river and rain flooding53
SumnerD−more damage than 97%earthquakes131

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.

Be ready

Get ready for what Bonney Lake faces

A short kit for the hazards that drive the building damage here, what to check before you buy, and where neighbors get alerts.

When the river rises
  • 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.
More from Ready.gov ↗
Earthquakes
  • Drop, cover and hold on.
  • Strap tall furniture and the water heater to the wall.
  • Know how to shut off the gas.
More from Ready.gov ↗
Before you buy or rent
  • 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.
When a storm is coming
Forecast and alertsWeather →911, the nearest ERSafety →

Know where neighbors sign up for alerts? Add it to the Handbook so everyone has it.

Questions about natural hazards in Bonney Lake

Is Bonney Lake at risk for natural disasters?

On FEMA’s National Risk Index, Bonney Lake has higher expected damage per building than 70% of U.S. towns: C for hazard risk, #105 of 285 in Washington. Most of the expected damage is river and rain flooding (50%) and earthquakes (49%). This is FEMA’s model of an average year for today’s buildings, not a forecast.

Does Bonney Lake flood?

Flood insurance has paid 3 claims in Bonney Lake since 2006, $28K in all, or 0.4 per 1,000 homes, fewer than 92% of U.S. towns with a flood insurance record. 1 properties have flooded more than once. The most claims came from 2025-12-AtmosphericRiver (1).

Is Bonney Lake 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 Pierce County, 44% of homes in mapped flood zones carry federal flood insurance, and 0.7% of all homes do.

How much is flood insurance in Bonney Lake?

FEMA’s Community Rating System list shows no discount for Bonney Lake’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 Bonney Lake?

By FEMA money that reached Bonney Lake, Severe Winter Storm, Flooding, Landslides, and Mudslides (2012): $112K to the City of Bonney Lake for repairs. By flood claims, 2025-12-AtmosphericRiver: 1 paid, $20K.

Is Bonney Lake at risk from river and rain flooding?

It is the largest share of the building damage FEMA expects here (50%), and Bonney Lake’s rate for it is lower than 50% of U.S. census tracts.

Storm stories

Memories, warnings and help from neighbors in Bonney Lake.

Town Square →
Start the conversation

Sources: FEMA National Risk Index v1.20 (December 2025), census-tract table, combined by where Bonney Lake’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.