Photo: Steven Pavlov · CC BY-SA 3.0

–Not graded

Natural hazards in Wilkeson · FEMA

Storms, floods and disasters in Wilkeson

Wilkeson isn’t graded for hazard risk: Wilkeson has 552 residents; we grade towns of 1,000 or more. Flood insurance has paid 4 claims here since 1996.

Flood claims

paid since 1996 · $138K

Disasters paid out here

of 21 declared for Pierce County

By hazard

What Wilkeson 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

70%of expected building damage

Well above average · in the top 5% of U.S. census tracts

Recorded about once every 9 years in the area

Earthquakes

20%of expected building damage

Well above average · higher than 87% of U.S. census tracts

Smaller shares here

Landslides top 0% Wildfire Volcanic activity top 0% Strong wind Tornadoes Hail Winter storms Ice storms Cold waves Heat waves Lightning Avalanches top 0%

FEMA models no building damage here

Coastal floodingHurricanesTsunamis

People, not buildings.Counting harm to people as well as buildings, FEMA’s model puts avalanches at 72% of Wilkeson’s expected losses. Avalanches 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.

Flood insurance claims

Does Wilkeson flood? Rarely: 4 flood claims since 1996

Every paid claim on a federal flood insurance policy in Wilkeson, from FEMA’s records.

Paid flood claims, by year

199620092025

19962026

Biggest named events

The 2025-12-AtmosphericRiver1 claim · $102K

paid claims since 1996

$138K

paid to owners

homes flooded more than once

$35K

average claim

of homes in flood zones are insured

of all homes are insured

No community discount

Wilkeson 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

4 federal disasters brought FEMA money to Wilkeson

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

2025Severe Storms, Straight-line Winds, Flooding, Landslides, and Mudslides$24K to the Town of Wilkeson for repairs1 flood claim paid that year
2012Severe Winter Storm, Flooding, Landslides, and Mudslides$8K to the Town of Wilkeson for repairs
2009Severe Winter Storm, Landslides, Mudslides, and Flooding20 households applied for aid$50K aid approved$24K to the Town of Wilkeson for repairs2 flood claims paid that year
2001Earthquake$110K to the Town of Wilkeson for repairs

Disasters declared, by decade

Paid out in WilkesonPierce 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 Wilkeson after a storm or flood belong in the town’s history. Add one, or share what you remember below.

Add to the Wilkeson archive →

Be ready

Get ready for what Wilkeson 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.

Questions about natural hazards in Wilkeson

Does Wilkeson flood?

Flood insurance has paid 4 claims in Wilkeson since 1996, $138K in all. The most claims came from 2025-12-AtmosphericRiver (1).

Is Wilkeson 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 Wilkeson?

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

By FEMA money that reached Wilkeson, Earthquake (2001): $110K to the Town of Wilkeson for repairs. By flood claims, 2025-12-AtmosphericRiver: 1 paid, $102K.

Storm stories

Memories, warnings and help from neighbors in Wilkeson.

Town Square →

Start the conversation

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

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