Photo: Kgrr · CC BY-SA 3.0FEMA puts Hobart’s expected hazard damage per building above that of 91% of U.S. towns, mostly from river and rain flooding
On FEMA’s National Risk Index, Hobart gets a D for hazard risk: higher expected damage per building than 91% of U.S. towns, #252 of 285 in Washington. Most of that expected damage is river and rain flooding (69%), then earthquakes (31%). Flood insurance has paid 74 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 Hobart 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
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.
What’s behind Hobart’s grade
River and rain flooding is 69% of the building damage FEMA expects in Hobart, and Hobart’s rate of river and rain flooding damage is in the top 8% of U.S. census tracts. Next is earthquakes at 31% (higher than 89% of U.S. census tracts).
D #252 of 285 in Washington; higher expected damage per building than 91% of U.S. towns (21,298).
Hobart’s residents live in 3 census tracts; FEMA’s figures are combined by where they live.
The typical Washington town has higher expected damage than 76% of U.S. towns; within the state, Hobart has more expected damage per building than 88% of Washington towns.
In dollars, FEMA expects about $15.9M a year in losses across Hobart: $4.4M to buildings, the rest to people and crops.
Does Hobart flood? Sometimes: 74 flood claims since 1990
Every paid claim on a federal flood insurance policy in Hobart, from FEMA’s records: 30.7 per 1,000 homes, more than 88% of the 13,809 U.S. towns with a flood insurance record.
- The 2025-12-AtmosphericRiver9 claims · $653K
- The Torrential rain1 claim · $20K
Hobart isn’t in FEMA’s Community Rating System, which cuts flood insurance up to 45% in towns that do extra flood-proofing.
Insurance rates: King County.The storms Hobart remembers
None of the 30 disasters declared for King County shows FEMA aid or repair money reaching Hobart itself in FEMA’s records, so these are its biggest flood-claim years.
- 200921 flood claims paidThe year of Severe Winter Storm, Landslides, Mudslides, and Flooding, declared for King County
- 199019 flood claims paidThe year of Severe Storms and High Tides, declared for King County
- 202012 flood claims paidThe year of Severe Storms, Flooding, Landslides, and Mudslides, declared for King County
King County has had 30 natural disasters declared by the President since 1953, most often floods, then severe storms. 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 King County, 2022–2022.
Old photos of Hobart after a storm or flood belong in the town’s history. Add one, or share what you remember below.
Add to the Hobart archive →Hobart and its neighbors
Hobart is 3rd of the 4 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Maple Valley | C−more damage than 76% | river and rain flooding | — |
| East Renton Highlands | Dmore damage than 87% | river and rain flooding | 35 |
| Hobart | Dmore damage than 91% | river and rain flooding | 74 |
| Mirrormont | Dmore damage than 92% | river and rain flooding | 22 |
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 Hobart 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.
- 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 Hobart
Is Hobart at risk for natural disasters?
On FEMA’s National Risk Index, Hobart has higher expected damage per building than 91% of U.S. towns: D for hazard risk, #252 of 285 in Washington. Most of the expected damage is river and rain flooding (69%) and earthquakes (31%). This is FEMA’s model of an average year for today’s buildings, not a forecast.
Does Hobart flood?
Flood insurance has paid 74 claims in Hobart since 1990, $2.0M in all, or 30.7 per 1,000 homes, more than 88% of U.S. towns with a flood insurance record. The most claims came from 2025-12-AtmosphericRiver (9).
Is Hobart 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 King County, 44% of homes in mapped flood zones carry federal flood insurance, and 0.8% of all homes do.
How much is flood insurance in Hobart?
FEMA’s Community Rating System list shows no discount for Hobart’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 Hobart?
By flood claims, 2025-12-AtmosphericRiver: 9 paid, $653K.
Is Hobart at risk from river and rain flooding?
It is the largest share of the building damage FEMA expects here (69%), and Hobart’s rate for it is in the top 8% of U.S. census tracts.
Storm stories
Memories, warnings and help from neighbors in Hobart.
Sources: FEMA National Risk Index v1.20 (December 2025), census-tract table, combined by where Hobart’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.