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Peter Roose HomesteadPeter Roose Homestead · Photo: Dog Walking Girl · CC BY-SA 3.0
–Not graded
Natural hazards in Neah Bay · FEMA

Storms, floods and disasters in Neah Bay

Neah Bay isn’t graded for hazard risk: Neah Bay has 955 residents; we grade towns of 1,000 or more.

Flood claims
0
paid since 1978 · $0
Disasters paid out here
3
of 25 declared for Clallam County
By hazard

What Neah Bay 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

44%of expected building damage
Above average · higher than 78% of U.S. census tracts
Recorded about once every 5 years in the area

Tsunamis

30%of expected building damage
Well above average · in the top 1% of U.S. census tracts

Earthquakes

25%of expected building damage
Well above average · higher than 88% of U.S. census tracts
Smaller shares here
 Winter storms Tornadoes Wildfire Ice storms Cold waves Heat waves Landslides Lightning
FEMA models no building damage here
Coastal floodingHurricanesHailStrong windAvalanchesVolcanic activity
People, not buildings.Counting harm to people as well as buildings, FEMA’s model puts tsunamis at 90% of Neah Bay’s expected losses. Tsunamis do little damage to buildings (30.2%), 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.
Flood insurance claims

Does Neah Bay flood? No paid flood claims on record

FEMA’s records show no paid flood insurance claims in Neah Bay. That’s not a promise: most homes don’t carry flood insurance, so small floods go unrecorded.

of all homes are insured
No community discount

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

Insurance rates: Clallam County.
Disasters

3 federal disasters brought FEMA money to Neah Bay

Disasters that paid out in Neah Bay itself (aid to households or repair grants to Neah Bay), newest first, with that year’s flood claims.

  1. 2021Severe Storms, Straight-line Winds, Flooding, Landslides, and Mudslides2 households applied for aid$3K aid approved
  2. 2009Severe Winter Storm, Landslides, Mudslides, and Flooding9 households applied for aid$15K aid approved
  3. 2007Severe Storms, Flooding, Landslides, and Mudslides56 households applied for aid$62K aid approved
Disasters declared, by decade
Paid out in Neah BayClallam County only

Clallam County has had 25 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.

Were you here?

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

Add to the Neah Bay archive →
Be ready

Get ready for what Neah Bay 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 ↗
Tsunamis
  • 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.
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 Neah Bay

Is Neah Bay 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 Clallam County, 0.8% of all homes carry federal flood insurance.

How much is flood insurance in Neah Bay?

FEMA’s Community Rating System list shows no discount for Neah Bay’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 Neah Bay?

By FEMA money that reached Neah Bay, Severe Storms, Flooding, Landslides, and Mudslides (2007): 56 households applied for aid, $62K approved.

Storm stories

Memories, warnings and help from neighbors in Neah Bay.

Town Square →
Start the conversation

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