CHIEF JOSEPH
OperatingHydro power plant
- Capacity
- 2,456 MW
- Primary fuel
- Hydro
- County
- Douglas County
- Operator
- USACE NORTHWESTERN DIVISION
- Status
- Operating
- Commissioned
- 1955
- EIA plant ID
- 3921
- Coordinates
- 47.9954, -119.6412
CHIEF JOSEPH, a 2,456 MW Hydro power plant in Douglas County, Washington. Operated by USACE NORTHWESTERN DIVISION, commissioned 1955.
Weather peril exposure
CHIEF JOSEPH is a 2,456 MW hydro power plant in Douglas County, WA, operated by USACE NORTHWESTERN DIVISION, commissioned in 1955. Douglas County carries low modeled catastrophe exposure in the FEMA National Risk Index, scoring 1.6 of 5 at the 14th national percentile. Riverine flooding is the leading peril, rated Relatively Moderate by FEMA at the 97th percentile.
The Bywatts loss layer is calibrated to solar PV hardware, so it is not applied to a hydro plant. The ratings below are the FEMA National Risk Index county hazard ratings for this location.
Douglas County hazard ratings
| Peril | FEMA rating | National percentile | Peril score | Events per year |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Riverine flooding | Relatively Moderate | 97th | 4.9 of 5 | 0.32 |
| Wildfire | Relatively Moderate | 96th | 4.9 of 5 | 0.01 |
| Earthquake | Relatively Low | 86th | 4.4 of 5 | <0.01 |
| Heat wave | Relatively Low | 63rd | 3.5 of 5 | 4.4 |
| Winter weather | Relatively Low | 36th | 2.4 of 5 | 14.6 |
| Strong wind | Relatively Low | 9th | 1.3 of 5 | 0.11 |
| Lightning | Relatively Low | 7th | 1.3 of 5 | 11.5 |
| Tornado | Very Low | 4th | 1.2 of 5 | 0.05 |
| Hail | Relatively Low | 2nd | 1.1 of 5 | 0.11 |
| Ice storm | Very Low | 0th | 1.0 of 5 | 0.01 |
Perils not assessed in Douglas County
These perils carry no usable National Risk Index figure for this county, so they are excluded from the scoring rather than scored zero. A zero would claim the peril was assessed and found benign.
| Peril | Why it is not scored |
|---|---|
| Hurricane | FEMA rating is "Not Applicable" for this county |
| Coastal flooding | FEMA rating is "Not Applicable" for this county |
Model hail, wind and flood exposure for Douglas County in the weather risk calculator
Ratings are the FEMA National Risk Index county hazard ratings; the peril score is a Bywatts transform of the FEMA national percentile. Full data sources and the solar vulnerability methodology are in the weather risk calculator.
Modeled estimate for screening and negotiation. Built from FEMA National Risk Index county hazard data and a solar vulnerability layer documented above. Not a quote, a binder, or actuarial advice, and not a substitute for a carrier's own model. Hazard data: FEMA National Risk Index December 2025, synced 2026-07-24. Resolution is county level, not site level.