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North End hazards
Know your North End hazards
Living between Puget Sound and Hood Canal is beautiful. It also means we plan for things people inland don't. Here's what the North End should prepare for, starting with what happens most often.
How often, and why it matters here
| Hazard | How often | Why it matters here |
|---|---|---|
| Winter storms & power outages | Almost every year | Tree-lined rural roads; outages can last days. Wells need power to pump. |
| Earthquake | Rare, but major impact | Seattle Fault, South Whidbey Island Fault, and Cascadia Subduction Zone. Bridges and ferries may close. |
| Tsunami (Puget Sound) | Rare | A Seattle Fault quake or underwater landslide can send waves to low-lying shoreline within minutes. |
| Landslides | Wet winters | Bluff and slope properties in Hansville, Eglon, Kingston, and along the shoreline. |
| Wildfire smoke & heat | Most summers | Smoke from regional fires; more frequent heat waves; homes without AC. |
| Getting cut off | Follows many of the above | Hansville Road NE is the only through road north of Kingston. Ferry and Hood Canal Bridge closures strand commuters. Read One Road In. |
| Other | Rare | Volcanic ash, hazardous materials on SR 104 or SR 307. See Kitsap County DEM. |
Maps and official information
- Kitsap County DEM hazard pages Earthquakes, weather, flooding, fires, tsunami, volcanic ash, landslides, and more. kitsapdem.com/disasters
- Washington Geologic Information Portal Tsunami, landslide, and fault maps. geologyportal.dnr.wa.gov
- Kitsap County 2024 Multi-Hazard Mitigation Plan The county's look at local hazards. kcowa.us/mhmp2024