Photo: SounderBruce · CC BY-SA 4.0Storms, floods and disasters in Cathlamet
Cathlamet isn’t graded for hazard risk: Cathlamet has 616 residents; we grade towns of 1,000 or more. Flood insurance has paid 1 claim here since 1996.
What Cathlamet 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
Coastal flooding
Earthquakes
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.
Does Cathlamet flood? Rarely: 1 flood claim since 1996
Every paid claim on a federal flood insurance policy in Cathlamet, from FEMA’s records.
Cathlamet isn’t in FEMA’s Community Rating System, which cuts flood insurance up to 45% in towns that do extra flood-proofing.
Insurance rates: Wahkiakum County.3 federal disasters brought FEMA money to Cathlamet
Disasters that paid out in Cathlamet itself (aid to households or repair grants to the Town of Cathlamet), newest first, with that year’s flood claims.
- 2009Severe Winter Storm, Landslides, Mudslides, and Flooding16 households applied for aid$71K aid approved
- 2007Severe Storms, Flooding, Landslides, and Mudslides13 households applied for aid$55K aid approved$1K to the Town of Cathlamet for repairs
- 2006Severe Storms, Flooding, Landslides, and Mudslides10 households applied for aid$45K aid approved$3K to the Town of Cathlamet for repairs
Wahkiakum County has had 28 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 Cathlamet after a storm or flood belong in the town’s history. Add one, or share what you remember below.
Add to the Cathlamet archive →Cathlamet and its neighbors
How expected damage per building compares across the town line. Tap a town to see its hazards.
| Town | Hazard risk | Mostly (buildings) | Flood claims |
|---|---|---|---|
| Lower Elochoman | — | 271 residents; we grade 1,000+ | |
| East Cathlamet | — | 934 residents; we grade 1,000+ | |
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 Cathlamet faces
A short kit for the hazards that drive the building damage here, what to check before you buy, and where neighbors get alerts.
- 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.
- 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.
- Drop, cover and hold on.
- Strap tall furniture and the water heater to the wall.
- Know how to shut off the gas.
- 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 Cathlamet
Does Cathlamet flood?
Flood insurance has paid 1 claim in Cathlamet since 1996, $5K in all.
Is Cathlamet 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 Wahkiakum County, 5.3% of all homes carry federal flood insurance.
How much is flood insurance in Cathlamet?
FEMA’s Community Rating System list shows no discount for Cathlamet’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 Cathlamet?
By FEMA money that reached Cathlamet, Severe Winter Storm, Landslides, Mudslides, and Flooding (2009): 16 households applied for aid, $71K approved.
Storm stories
Memories, warnings and help from neighbors in Cathlamet.
Sources: FEMA National Risk Index v1.20 (December 2025), census-tract table, combined by where Cathlamet’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.