Tree service in Pacific County, Washington
High wind accounts for 97 of Pacific County’s 119 NOAA storm reports since 2016, about 82%. Reports cluster from October through February, and the pace has not slowed.
Ranks 20 of 39 Washington counties for wind, ice, snow and storm reports.
72% of reports fall November through February.
FEMA National Risk Index rates strong wind as “Very Low” here.
+4.2% since 2020 (Census Vintage 2025).
USDA 2023 zone covering most of the county.
Landscaping-services establishments, Census CBP 2023.
Storm records for Pacific County
Wind defines Pacific County’s storm record. NOAA logged 119 reports from 2016 through 2026, and 97 of them, about 82%, were high wind; heavy snow (13), winter storms (5), thunderstorm wind (2), one tornado and one winter-weather report make up the rest. The county ranks 20th of Washington’s 39.
The season is long. December (23), January (22) and February (22) lead, November adds 19 and October 12, and 72% of all reports fall between November and February. May through August logged none.
Nor has the pace eased: 30 reports in 2023 through 2025 against 29 in 2020 through 2022, with 16 in 2024 alone. For trees on the coast, that means repeated loading from the same direction year after year, which is why a crown check before October is worth the visit.
Reports by month, 2016 to 2026
| Event type | Reports |
|---|---|
| High Wind | 97 |
| Heavy Snow | 13 |
| Winter Storm | 5 |
| Thunderstorm Wind | 2 |
| Tornado | 1 |
| Winter Weather | 1 |
The top episode by report count came on November 17, 2020, when a strong cold front reached the south Washington and northern Oregon coasts and brought high wind; NOAA filed three high-wind reports for the South Coast zone. The costliest entry is more recent. On February 24, 2025, a deepening upper low and a strong surface low tracked just offshore, bringing high wind to the coast, heavy snow in the south Washington Cascades, localized flooding on the Grays River and isolated severe thunderstorms that afternoon; NOAA attached $100,000 in damage.
NWS forecast zones covering the county: South Washington Coast; Willapa Hills; Willapa and Wahkiakum Lowlands.
Source: NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database, 2016 to June 2026 · NWS zone-county correlation files (2019 to 2026 versions). Checked 2026-10-02. NOAA Storm Events 2016-2026; zone-based events assigned to every county the NWS zone covers using the zone-county correlation file in force on the event date (2019-04-02 file used for 2016-2018).
Hazard ratings
Strong wind: Very LowIce storm: Very LowWinter weather: Very LowWildfire: Very Low
FEMA’s National Risk Index (December 2025) rates Pacific County Very Low for strong wind, ice storm, winter weather and wildfire, yet Relatively Moderate overall, because the overall score includes hazards that have nothing to do with trees. The Forest Service puts wildfire risk to homes here above only 10% of Washington counties.
A Very Low wind score of 5.9 sits awkwardly beside 97 high-wind reports. The index measures expected dollar losses, and a small population lowers that number; it does not mean the gusts are mild. Treat wind as the planning hazard, and give tall trees within reach of the house a risk assessment.
Wildfire risk to homes: higher than 10% of Washington counties (USDA Forest Service, Wildfire Risk to Communities).
What to do about wildfire exposure: defensible space in Washington and Oregon.
Source: FEMA National Risk Index, December 2025 release · USDA Forest Service, Wildfire Risk to Communities (April 2026 download). Checked 2026-10-02.
Burning the debris
The Olympic Region Clean Air Agency handles outdoor burning in Pacific County. Because the county is outside Thurston, a residential yard-waste fire requires only a free notification, not a permit, and only dry natural vegetation may be burned. Land-clearing burns need a paid permit from ORCAA or the fire district. On a wet coast, dry is the hard part, so chipping storm debris is often the practical choice.
Full rules, seasons and alternatives: yard debris burning rules in Washington.
Source: Olympic Region Clean Air Agency. Checked 2026-10-02.
Power lines and utilities
No utility is mapped for Pacific County on this site yet, so its outage line and trimming rules aren’t listed. Check your bill and the utilities index. With high wind behind four of every five storm reports, a tree into a line is the most likely winter emergency here; leave any contact with a line to the utility and read tree removal near power lines.
Source: utility vegetation-management pages linked above; WAC 296-24-960 (WA L&I). Checked 2026-10-02.
Cities and towns in Pacific County
Pacific County’s 24,357 people (Census 2025 estimate, up 4.23% since 2020) live across 933 square miles, and its four cities are small: Raymond (3,081), South Bend (1,746), Long Beach (1,688) and Ilwaco (1,087). Their tree rules have not been researched for this site yet.
Together they hold about 7,600 people, so most residents fall under county rules. Ask the city or county planning office before removing a large tree, especially near the shoreline.
| Place | Population | Private-tree permit rule |
|---|---|---|
| Raymond | 3,081 | Ask the city |
| South Bend | 1,746 | Ask the city |
| Long Beach | 1,688 | Ask the city |
| Ilwaco | 1,087 | Ask the city |
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, Population Estimates Vintage 2025 and 2020 Census. Checked 2026-10-02. Permit rules from each city’s code; see the city pages.
Labor index
BLS puts the Washington mean wage for tree trimmers and pruners at $32.20 an hour (May 2025); Pacific County has no local estimate, so the statewide figure is used. It is what a worker earns, not what a job costs. Census County Business Patterns counted 6 landscaping-services establishments in the county in 2023, so after a big windstorm local crews book up fast; planned work is easier to schedule in late summer.
Washington statewide: $32.20 per hour mean wage for tree trimmers and pruners (BLS, May 2025); no metro estimate is published, so the statewide figure is shown. This is a labor index, not a price; the modeled crew-hour cost used on this site is $210 (method).
6 landscaping-services establishments were counted in Pacific County in 2023 (Census County Business Patterns, NAICS 561730).
Source: BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025, SOC 37-3013 · U.S. Census Bureau, County Business Patterns 2023, NAICS 561730. Checked 2026-10-02.
Climate and growing conditions
Pacific County spans hardiness zones 8a through 9b on the 2023 USDA map, with 8a the most common, so cold is rarely the limit. Wind is. Choose wind-firm species with compact crowns for exposed sites, plant in groups rather than as lone specimens, and keep tall conifers more than their mature height from the house.
USDA hardiness zones 8a, 8b, 9a, 9b (2023 map, by ZIP code).
Source: USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map 2023 (OSU PRISM ZIP data). Checked 2026-10-02.
Nearby counties
- Wahkiakum County125 storm reports since 2016
- Grays Harbor County53 storm reports since 2016
- Thurston County21 storm reports since 2016
- Cowlitz County154 storm reports since 2016
- Mason County49 storm reports since 2016
What to do next
Book the work before the wind does. A risk assessment in late summer, ahead of the October start of the storm run, tells you which trees need crown reduction and which need removal. If a storm drops one first, the emergency guide covers the order of calls.
Before hiring, check the company’s registration in the Washington license lookup and compare its price with the modeled range on the cost page.
Services: tree removal · trimming · stump grinding · emergency. Check any company: Washington license lookup.
Major storms that reached Pacific County
These regional storms produced NOAA Storm Events reports in Pacific County since 2016. Each storm page lists the dates, report counts and the other counties hit.
Sources
- NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database, 2016 to June 2026, checked 2026-10-02.
- NWS zone-county correlation files (2019 to 2026 versions), checked 2026-10-02.
- FEMA National Risk Index, December 2025 release, checked 2026-10-02.
- USDA Forest Service, Wildfire Risk to Communities (April 2026 download), checked 2026-10-02.
- U.S. Census Bureau, Population Estimates Vintage 2025 and 2020 Census, checked 2026-10-02.
- U.S. Census Bureau, County Business Patterns 2023, NAICS 561730, checked 2026-10-02.
- USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map 2023 (OSU PRISM ZIP data), checked 2026-10-02.
- BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025, SOC 37-3013, checked 2026-10-02.
- Olympic Region Clean Air Agency, checked 2026-10-02.
Comparing quotes? Check these eight things first.
Two quotes for the same tree can differ by thousands. The gap is usually in what's included, not the cutting.
We don't vet or license anyone. These are the official lookups; each takes about a minute.
| What | Where | What it shows |
|---|---|---|
| Oregon CCB license | CCB license search | Active status, bond, insurance on file, complaints |
| Oregon LCB license | LCB verify a license | Landscape contracting license, which covers tree work |
| Washington contractor registration | L&I Verify | Registration, bond, workers' comp, lawsuits, violations |
| ISA Certified Arborist | ISA directory | Current certification and credential number |
How to read them: Oregon guide · Washington guide
Westcoast-Tree.org is an independent information site. If you call a number on this site, the call goes to a tree service that covers your area and we may be paid a referral fee by that company. We don't perform tree work and we don't vet, license or insure anyone. Cost figures are modeled estimates, not quotes (method). Not affiliated with the former Westcoast Tree Care Inc of Tumwater, WA.