More hazard damage per building is expected in North Yelm than in 79% of U.S. towns, mostly from river and rain flooding
On FEMA’s National Risk Index, North Yelm gets a C− for hazard risk: higher expected damage per building than 79% of U.S. towns, #158 of 285 in Washington. Most of that expected damage is river and rain flooding (50%), then earthquakes (49%). FEMA’s files show no paid flood insurance claims here.
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 North Yelm 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 North Yelm’s grade
River and rain flooding is 50% of the building damage FEMA expects in North Yelm, and North Yelm’s rate of river and rain flooding damage is higher than 61% of U.S. census tracts. Next is earthquakes at 49% (higher than 90% of U.S. census tracts).
C− #158 of 285 in Washington; higher expected damage per building than 79% of U.S. towns (21,298).
All of North Yelm’s residents live in one census tract; the figures are that tract’s.
The typical Washington town has higher expected damage than 76% of U.S. towns; within the state, North Yelm has more expected damage per building than 55% of Washington towns.
In dollars, FEMA expects about $907K a year in losses across North Yelm: $754K to buildings, the rest to people and crops.
Does North Yelm flood? No paid flood claims on record
FEMA’s records show no paid flood insurance claims in North Yelm. That’s not a promise: most homes don’t carry flood insurance, so small floods go unrecorded.
North Yelm isn’t in FEMA’s Community Rating System, which cuts flood insurance up to 45% in towns that do extra flood-proofing.
Insurance rates: Thurston County.The storms North Yelm remembers
None of the 25 disasters declared for Thurston County shows FEMA aid or repair money reaching North Yelm itself in FEMA’s records, so these are its biggest flood-claim years.
Thurston County has had 25 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 Thurston County, 2020–2020.
North Yelm and its neighbors
North Yelm 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Yelm | C−more damage than 76% | earthquakes | 1 |
| North Yelm | C−more damage than 79% | river and rain flooding | 0 |
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 North Yelm 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 North Yelm
Is North Yelm at risk for natural disasters?
On FEMA’s National Risk Index, North Yelm has higher expected damage per building than 79% of U.S. towns: C− for hazard risk, #158 of 285 in Washington. Most of the expected damage is river and rain flooding (50%) and earthquakes (49%). The figures are for the one census tract the town shares with its neighbors. This is FEMA’s model of an average year for today’s buildings, not a forecast.
Is North Yelm 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 Thurston County, 43% of homes in mapped flood zones carry federal flood insurance, and 0.9% of all homes do.
How much is flood insurance in North Yelm?
FEMA’s Community Rating System list shows no discount for North Yelm’s flood program. Premiums depend on the building; policies usually start 30 days after you buy, so get a quote early.
Is North Yelm at risk from river and rain flooding?
It is the largest share of the building damage FEMA expects here (50%), and North Yelm’s rate for it is higher than 61% of U.S. census tracts.
Storm stories
Memories, warnings and help from neighbors in North Yelm.
Sources: FEMA National Risk Index v1.20 (December 2025), census-tract table, combined by where North Yelm’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.