Yelm Washington is a growing community southeast of Olympia in Thurston County and serves as a bedroom community for Joint Base Lewis-McChord to the north. The community sits in the Nisqually River valley — the site of the 2001 Nisqually earthquake that caused significant damage across the Puget Sound region. Mount Rainier's lahar flow paths threaten communities in the Nisqually valley. The combination of earthquake risk and lahar vulnerability makes Yelm one of the more geologically threatened communities in western Washington.
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// Risk Intelligence
| Threat Score | 6 / 10 Moderate |
| Primary Hazard | Military / Earthquake / Rural |
| FEMA Flood Zone | Moderate |
| County FEMA Declarations | 5 |
| Last Major Event | 2001 Nisqually Earthquake |
// Emergency Information
| Emergency Phone | 360-458-3244 |
| Evacuation Routes | I-5 US-101 WA-8 WA-507 |
| Elevation | 340 ft above sea level |
// County Risk Profile
Thurston County WA
Washington · Earthquake / Volcanic
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5/10
Moderate Risk