Chelan County, Washington severe weather history spans 169 recorded events between 1956 and 2026. The dominant hazard is flash flood, accounting for 28.4% of all recorded events. It ranks #2,614 nationally and #3 in Washington.
169
Recorded events
1
Direct deaths
7
Direct injuries
$15.9M
Property damage
The record
What the Chelan County, Washington severe weather history record shows
Across the archive, Chelan County, Washington severe weather history averages 2.4 recorded events a year. The busiest stretch on record is the 2010s, with 78 events logged in that decade alone. Roughly 4 events fall before 1990 and 165 from 1990 onward — a gap that reflects the expansion of NOAA reporting practice as much as the weather itself.
The deadliest hazard in the Chelan County, Washington record is lightning, responsible for 1 direct deaths. The costliest is wildfire, with $10.2M in reported property damage. In total, 11 distinct hazard types appear in this county archive, each listed with its own dated record below.
By hazard type
Every hazard type recorded in Chelan County
| Hazard | Events | Deaths | Damage | Max | Span |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flash Flood | 48 | 0 | $2.3M | 0 | 1997–2024 |
| Debris Flow | 36 | 0 | $1.1M | 0 | 2012–2023 |
| Flood | 31 | 0 | $2.2M | 0 | 2006–2026 |
| Hail | 22 | 0 | $0 | 2 | 1963–2023 |
| Thunderstorm Wind | 13 | 0 | $45K | 78 | 1956–2024 |
| Heavy Rain | 8 | 0 | $1K | 0 | 1998–2015 |
| Lightning | 5 | 1 | $7K | 0 | 1996–2006 |
| Wildfire | 3 | 0 | $10.2M | 0 | 1998–2001 |
| Dust Devil | 1 | 0 | $0 | 0 | 2009–2009 |
| Funnel Cloud | 1 | 0 | $0 | 0 | 2012–2012 |
| Strong Wind | 1 | 0 | $10K | 39 | 2020–2020 |
Decade by decade
Chelan County, Washington severe weather history by decade
Reporting practice changed over time — early decades are undercounted, not calmer.
Significant events
Deadliest events on record in Chelan County
| Date | Type | Location | Deaths | Injuries | Damage |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Apr 16, 1996 | Lightning | DEER PARK | 1 | 0 | $0 |
| Aug 7, 1999 | Lightning | CHELAN | 0 | 6 | $0 |
| Jul 6, 2006 | Lightning | WENATCHEE | 0 | 1 | $0 |
From the record
What the reports say
Written by National Weather Service staff at the time of the event · public domain
A flash flood down the Colockum Creek drainage washed out Tarpiscan Road at the Colockum Creek bridge. Colockum Road, Kingsbury Road, and Agnew Road were closed due to the damage. Multiple homes were damaged along the Colockum Creek Drainage as well by rocks, trees and other debris that traveled with the flood wave. Damage costs were estimated.
Heavy rainfall of 7-8 inches in two days led to river flooding on the Stehekin River at Stehekin. The river crested at 28.8 feet, with a flood stage of 24.0 feet. Some homes were flooded by the river. Washed out roads prevented Stehekin residents from reaching town.
Flash flooding and debris traveled down Imus Creek near Stehekin and covered approximately 350 linear feet of Stehekin Valley Road. Mud and debris covered the road up to eight feet deep in spots. Several vehicles and bicycles in a parking area were damaged and/or pushed into Stehekin Lake. An office and residential building were surrounded by mud and debris, but only received minimal interior flood damage. Damage costs were estimated.
Context
Risk, population and federal disasters
Relatively Moderate
FEMA NRI risk rating
80,172
Population (ACS)
$490K
Median home value
52
Federal declarations
| Declared | Incident | Title | Type |
|---|---|---|---|
| Apr 7, 2026 | Flood | SEVERE STORMS, STRAIGHT-LINE WINDS, FLOODING, LANDSLIDES, AND MUDSLIDES | DR |
| Dec 12, 2025 | Flood | SEVERE STORMS, STRAIGHT-LINE WINDS, FLOODING, LANDSLIDES, AND MUDSLIDES | EM |
| Sep 26, 2025 | Fire | LOWER SUGARLOAF FIRE | FM |
| Mar 29, 2022 | Flood | SEVERE WINTER STORMS, SNOWSTORMS, STRAIGHT-LINE WINDS, FLOODING | DR |
| Aug 18, 2021 | Fire | TWENTYFIVE MILE FIRE | FM |
| Jul 14, 2021 | Fire | RED APPLE FIRE | FM |
Quick answers
Frequently asked
How many severe weather events have been recorded in Chelan County, Washington?
169 events are on record between 1956 and 2026, causing 1 direct deaths and $15.9M in property damage.
What is the most common severe weather hazard in Chelan County?
Flash Flood, with 48 recorded events — 28.4% of everything in the archive for this county.
How many federal disaster declarations cover Chelan County?
52 federal disaster declarations from FEMA include Chelan County, each tied to a specific incident period.
How risky is Chelan County compared with the rest of the country?
FEMA's National Risk Index rates Chelan County as relatively moderate risk, placing it in the 91 percentile of its state for expected annual loss.
Where does the Chelan County, Washington severe weather history data come from?
Every figure is drawn from United States federal public-domain records: NOAA/NCEI Storm Events for the event archive, NOAA SPC SVRGIS for mapped tornado paths, FEMA for disaster declarations and risk ratings, and the U.S. Census for population context. Dates are shown in UTC and recent entries may still be revised by NOAA.
Nearby
Neighbouring counties
Cite this page
“Chelan County, Washington.” Severe Weather History. severeweatherhistory.com/county/washington/chelan-county/ · Data: NOAA/NCEI, FEMA, U.S. Census — public domain.