Tree service in Wahkiakum County, Washington
High wind is the story in Wahkiakum County: 89 of the 125 storm reports NOAA has logged here since 2016 were wind events, and nearly three in four came between November and February.
Ranks 17 of 39 Washington counties for wind, ice, snow and storm reports.
74% of reports fall November through February.
FEMA National Risk Index rates strong wind as “Very Low” here.
+10.2% since 2020 (Census Vintage 2025).
USDA 2023 zone covering most of the county.
Storm records for Wahkiakum County
Winter is when trees come down in Wahkiakum County. NOAA’s Storm Events database holds 125 reports for the county from 2016 through 2026, 17th of Washington’s 39 counties, and 74 percent of them fall between November and February. February leads with 26, with January and December at 25 each; from May through August the file is empty.
Wind does most of the damage. High wind accounts for 89 reports, heavy snow 23 and winter storms 8, with ice, hail and lesser wind events making up the rest. Exposed firs on the Willapa Hills and the lowlands along the river take those gusts first.
Yearly counts have settled from the early part of the record, when 2016 and 2017 each topped 20. NOAA logged 26 reports for 2023 through 2025 against 32 for 2020 through 2022. Book a look at tall trees near the house in the fall, before the first wind of the season.
Reports by month, 2016 to 2026
| Event type | Reports |
|---|---|
| High Wind | 89 |
| Heavy Snow | 23 |
| Winter Storm | 8 |
| Winter Weather | 2 |
| Strong Wind | 1 |
| Hail | 1 |
| Ice Storm | 1 |
On February 11, 2021, a deep upper trough pulled arctic air into southwest Washington just as a series of Pacific fronts arrived. The result was a long, multi-day storm of heavy snow and freezing rain that hit the lowlands as hard as the higher ground. NOAA filed three winter-storm reports for the area that includes Wahkiakum County and put the damage at $100,000. Ice on limbs plus snow load is the combination that breaks even healthy trees.
NWS forecast zones covering the county: 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 release) rates Wahkiakum County Very Low for strong wind, ice storms, winter weather and wildfire, and Very Low overall. The Forest Service ranks wildfire risk to homes here above only 3 percent of Washington counties.
Those low ratings sit oddly beside 89 high-wind reports. FEMA scores expected dollar loss, and a county of under 5,000 people has little property to lose, so the index comes out low even where the wind is frequent. For one homeowner with a tall fir over the roof, the storm record is the better guide; a tree risk assessment answers the question the county rating cannot.
Wildfire risk to homes: higher than 3% 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 Southwest Clean Air Agency sets burn rules for Wahkiakum County. Residential yard-debris burning is permanently banned in urban growth areas and designated No Burn Areas. Outside them, a self-issued permit covers one pile no larger than 10 by 10 by 6 feet, and slash or land-clearing burns need a site-specific permit under SWCAA 425.
Full rules, seasons and alternatives: yard debris burning rules in Washington.
Source: Southwest Clean Air Agency. Checked 2026-10-02.
Power lines and utilities
The electric utility for Wahkiakum County is not mapped on this site yet, so no outage number or clearance policy appears here. Check who serves your address on the utilities page, and leave any limb near a line, including the service drop, to a qualified line-clearance crew.
Source: utility vegetation-management pages linked above; WAC 296-24-960 (WA L&I). Checked 2026-10-02.
Cities and towns in Wahkiakum County
Wahkiakum County has no city with its own page on this site. Its 4,873 residents (2025 Census estimate, up 10.25 percent since 2020) live mostly in small towns and rural lots, so county rules and the burn agency matter more than a city code. Before a removal, ask the county planning office whether any shoreline or critical-area rule applies, and read the Washington tree removal permit guide.
| Place | Population | Private-tree permit rule |
|---|
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 mean wage for tree trimmers and pruners in Washington at $32.20 an hour; there is no estimate for Wahkiakum County alone, so the statewide figure is used. It is a labor index, not a price, and it feeds the modeled crew-hour rate along with equipment, insurance and disposal.
With 263 square miles and a small population, crews often travel in from neighboring counties, so a mobilization charge on the bid is normal here.
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).
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
Wahkiakum County sits entirely in USDA hardiness zone 8b, one of the milder ratings in the state. Cold is rarely what kills a replanted tree here; wind exposure is. Choose a species with a strong root system for an open site, give it room from the house, and stake it lightly for the first winter.
USDA hardiness zone 8b (2023 map, by ZIP code).
Source: USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map 2023 (OSU PRISM ZIP data). Checked 2026-10-02.
Nearby counties
- Pacific County119 storm reports since 2016
- Cowlitz County154 storm reports since 2016
- Thurston County21 storm reports since 2016
- Lewis County78 storm reports since 2016
- Clark County118 storm reports since 2016
What to do next
Walk the property after each winter windstorm and note any lean, lifted roots or hanging limbs, then book a tree risk assessment for anything within reach of the house. If the debris will be burned, confirm whether your lot falls inside a No Burn Area first.
Before you hire, check the company through the Washington tree service license lookup, and if a line is anywhere near the tree, call the utility before the crew.
Services: tree removal · trimming · stump grinding · emergency. Check any company: Washington license lookup.
Major storms that reached Wahkiakum County
These regional storms produced NOAA Storm Events reports in Wahkiakum 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.
- Southwest 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.