Tornado Risk in Stevens County, WA
Stevens County's tornado history, by the numbers
5 tornado tracks have crossed Stevens County since 1972 by NOAA's count, roughly one every 15.2 years - the Minimal band on this site's scale. That is the 17th percentile nationally for tornado frequency. Within Washington alone, Stevens County ranks 12 of 39 counties for tornado frequency.
The number that matters more than frequency
No violent (EF4-5) tornado has been recorded in Stevens County in NOAA's 76-year database. Of its 5 recorded tracks, 4 were weak (EF0-1) and 1 significant (EF2-3).
Shelter and safe-room economics
Washington does not currently have a confirmed state rebate layered on top of FEMA's 75% Hazard Mitigation cost-share, so a Stevens County homeowner should expect the full national range: $2,890-$13,280, $7,645 typical.
Power after the storm, not just shelter during it
The storm that misses Stevens County outright can still take its power out - outbreak-scale outages across Washington are common well beyond the tracked path. A battery-backup unit handles that without a generator's setup or fuel.
What Stevens County's figure does not tell you
Stevens County's figure is county-wide, not address-specific. Stevens County covers about 2,477 square miles, so a single touch here counts the same as a single touch in a county a fraction of that size. NOAA also documents that older records undercount weaker tornadoes from before Doppler radar became standard. Stevens County has about 49,015 residents.