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Wasco County, Oregon severe weather history spans 41 recorded events between 1958 and 2023. The dominant hazard is thunderstorm wind, accounting for 41.5% of all recorded events. It ranks #3,083 nationally and #30 in Oregon.
41
Recorded events
0
Direct deaths
0
Direct injuries
$27K
Property damage
The record
What the Wasco County, Oregon severe weather history record shows
Across the archive, Wasco County, Oregon severe weather history averages 0.6 recorded events a year. The busiest stretch on record is the 2010s, with 15 events logged in that decade alone. Roughly 4 events fall before 1990 and 37 from 1990 onward — a gap that reflects the expansion of NOAA reporting practice as much as the weather itself.
The costliest is thunderstorm wind, with $17K in reported property damage. In total, 7 distinct hazard types appear in this county archive, each listed with its own dated record below.
By hazard type
Every hazard type recorded in Wasco County
| Hazard | Events | Deaths | Damage | Max | Span |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Thunderstorm Wind | 17 | 0 | $17K | 100 | 1958–2023 |
| Hail | 14 | 0 | $0 | 1.75 | 1987–2020 |
| Wildfire | 5 | 0 | $10K | 0 | 1998–2002 |
| Flood | 2 | 0 | $0 | 0 | 2006–2019 |
| Tornado | 1 | 0 | $0 | F0 | 1970–1970 |
| Flash Flood | 1 | 0 | $0 | 0 | 2020–2020 |
| Heavy Rain | 1 | 0 | $0 | 0.67 | 1998–1998 |
Decade by decade
Wasco County, Oregon severe weather history by decade
Reporting practice changed over time — early decades are undercounted, not calmer.
Tornado tracks
Paths crossing this county
1 mapped tornado paths intersect this county: 1 touched down inside it and 0 crossed in from a neighbouring county. This comes from path geometry, not county-tagged reports.
| Date | Scale | Deaths | Injuries | Path length | Origin |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1970-05-11 | EF0 | 0 | 0 | 0.1 mi | Touched down here |
From the record
What the reports say
Written by National Weather Service staff at the time of the event · public domain
The Sheldon Ridge Fire, sparked by lightning, consumed 12,681 acres and eight structures, all of which were out buildings. Around 250 homes were threatened by the flames. Oregon National Guard Troops assisted in battling the flames.
A thunderstorm that moved through The Dalles dumped up to 0.67 inches of rain in 20 minutes, knocked out power, and caused some flooding problems. The wind blew trees and tree limbs onto power lines causing power outages to much of the east side of town. Heavy rain caused minor street flooding, flooding of basements and businesses, and caused manhole covers to come loose. Rock slides were reported along hillsides. Pea sized hail was also reported.
Context
Risk, population and federal disasters
Relatively Low
FEMA NRI risk rating
26,552
Population (ACS)
$367K
Median home value
25
Federal declarations
| Declared | Incident | Title | Type |
|---|---|---|---|
| Apr 7, 2026 | Severe Storm | SEVERE STORMS, STRAIGHT-LINE WINDS, FLOODING, LANDSLIDES, AND MUDSLIDES | DR |
| Jun 11, 2025 | Fire | ROWENA FIRE | FM |
| Jan 1, 2025 | Fire | WILDFIRES | DR |
| Jul 11, 2024 | Fire | LARCH CREEK FIRE | FM |
| Apr 13, 2024 | Severe Storm | SEVERE WINTER STORMS, STRAIGHT-LINE WINDS, LANDSLIDES, AND MUDSLIDES | DR |
| Aug 3, 2022 | Fire | MILLER ROAD FIRE | FM |
Quick answers
Frequently asked
How many severe weather events have been recorded in Wasco County, Oregon?
41 events are on record between 1958 and 2023, causing 0 direct deaths and $27K in property damage.
What is the most common severe weather hazard in Wasco County?
Thunderstorm Wind, with 17 recorded events — 41.5% of everything in the archive for this county.
How many tornadoes have crossed Wasco County?
1 mapped tornado paths intersect the county boundary; 1 of them touched down inside it. This is derived from path geometry, not county-tagged reports.
How many federal disaster declarations cover Wasco County?
25 federal disaster declarations from FEMA include Wasco County, each tied to a specific incident period.
How risky is Wasco County compared with the rest of the country?
FEMA's National Risk Index rates Wasco County as relatively low risk, placing it in the 68 percentile of its state for expected annual loss.
Where does the Wasco County, Oregon 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
- Wallowa County 96
- Washington County 77
- Union County 147
- Wheeler County 48
- Umatilla County 263
- Yamhill County 34
Cite this page
“Wasco County, Oregon.” Severe Weather History. severeweatherhistory.com/county/oregon/wasco-county/ · Data: NOAA/NCEI, FEMA, U.S. Census — public domain.