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Natural hazard risk in Utah County, Utah

Updated October 30, 2026. Based on FEMA, NOAA and OpenFEMA data. Published by Humblebee.

FEMA overall Risk Index rating: Relatively High (score 95.3 of 100)[5]

Expected annual loss (FEMA)
$287.9 million[1]
Federal disaster declarations since 1983
11[2]
NFIP flood claims paid, 1978 to 2026
$505,000[3]
Tornadoes recorded, 1950 to 2024
10[4]

FEMA's National Risk Index (December 2025) rates the overall natural hazard risk for Utah County Relatively High compared with other US counties, with a score of 95.3[5]. Within the county, the hazards with the highest FEMA scores are lightning, wildfire and earthquake[6].

FEMA risk ratings for each hazard

Ratings and expected losses from the FEMA National Risk Index. Each rating compares this county with all US counties for that hazard, from Very Low to Very High. They are planning estimates, not predictions, and they do not describe any single property.

FEMA's National Risk Index estimates Expected Annual Loss from natural hazards in Utah County at $287.9 million a year, rated Relatively High[1]. This is FEMA's estimate of average yearly economic loss, not money anyone paid, and it does not predict next year's losses[7]. Earthquake accounts for the largest share, with an Expected Annual Loss of $162.5 million a year[8], followed by inland flooding at $63.9 million[9] and wildfire at $35.0 million[10]. FEMA rates social vulnerability in the county Very Low (score 10.6), which describes how susceptible social groups are to the harm hazards cause[11]. FEMA rates community resilience Very High (score 83.2), which describes the ability to prepare for, withstand and recover from hazards[12].

Hazards sorted by FEMA hazard-type Risk Index score, highest first
HazardFEMA risk ratingExpected annual loss
LightningVery High$6.9 million[13]
WildfireRelatively High$35.0 million[10]
EarthquakeRelatively High$162.5 million[8]
Heat WaveRelatively Moderate$8.1 million[14]
Winter WeatherRelatively High$896,000[15]
AvalancheRelatively High$3.4 million[16]
Inland FloodingRelatively Moderate$63.9 million[9]
Strong WindRelatively High$2.8 million[17]
LandslideRelatively Low$16,000[18]
Volcanic ActivityVery Low$157[19]
DroughtRelatively Moderate$705,000[20]
TornadoRelatively Low$2.1 million[21]
Ice StormRelatively Low$137,000[22]
Cold WaveRelatively Low$1.1 million[23]
HailVery Low$200,000[24]

Rated Not Applicable by FEMA for this county: coastal flooding, hurricane, tsunami[25].

Social vulnerability and community resilience

FEMA uses these two ratings to scale expected losses into the Risk Index.

FEMA measureRatingScore
Social vulnerabilityVery Low10.6[11]
Community resilienceVery High83.2[12]

Flooding and flood insurance

FEMA rates inland flooding risk in Utah County Relatively Moderate (score 90.4 of 100), with an Expected Annual Loss rated Relatively High[9]. OpenFEMA data as of 2026-08-03 show 514 residential flood insurance contracts in force out of 173,860 residential structures, a penetration rate of 0.3%[26]. Inside FEMA's mapped Special Flood Hazard Area, 238 of 886 residential structures had contracts, a rate of 26.9%[26]. A HazardFacts tally of OpenFEMA records counts 105 NFIP claims for losses from 1978 to 2026, 53 of them with a payment, and NFIP paid $505,000 in total[3].

Measure Value
Inland Flooding, FEMA risk rating[9] Relatively Moderate, $63.9 million expected loss a year
NFIP residential flood policies in force (2026)[26] 514 of 173,860 homes
Homes in FEMA's mapped high-risk flood area (SFHA)[26] 886, of which 238 insured
NFIP flood claims, 1978 to 2026[3] 105 filed, $505,000 paid

Is a specific address in a flood zone? Only FEMA's flood maps answer that, property by property[27]. This page describes the whole county.

Search an address on the FEMA Flood Map Service Center

Disaster declarations and tornado records

OpenFEMA lists 11 federal disaster declarations for natural hazards that include Utah County since 1983, including 4 major disasters[2]. By incident type there were 6 for fire, 4 for flood and 1 for coastal storm[2]. The most recent is FM-5639-UT for the Iron Fire, declared 2026-06-21[28]. NOAA's Storm Prediction Center tornado database records 10 tornadoes in the county from 1950 to 2024, with none rated F3/EF3 or stronger and the most recent on 2013-09-07[4].

Federal disaster declarations for natural hazards that include Utah County, since 1983
Incident type Declarations
Fire[2] 6
Flood[2] 4
Coastal Storm[2] 1
Most recent declarations
Declaration Incident Declared
FM-5639-UT[28] Iron Fire 2026-06-21
DR-4752-UT[28] Flooding 2023-12-23
FM-5353-UT[28] Ether Hollow Fire 2020-09-07
FM-5318-UT[28] Knolls Fire 2020-06-28
FM-5277-UT[28] Bald Mountain Fire 2018-09-21

How to prepare

Steps from Ready.gov, FEMA's preparedness site, for the hazards with the highest FEMA ratings here. Follow instructions from local officials and the National Weather Service when a warning is issued.

Wildfires

Before

  • Sign up for community alerts and watch for air quality alerts.
  • Make sure everyone knows the evacuation plan, including for school, work and other places you go often.
  • Keep a fire-resistant zone of at least 30 feet around your home, clear of leaves and debris.
  • Use fire-resistant building materials and keep a hose long enough to reach every part of your property.
  • Pick a room you can seal off from outside air and keep a portable air cleaner ready.

During

  • Leave right away when authorities tell you to evacuate.
  • If you are trapped, call 9-1-1 with your location and turn on lights to help rescuers find you.
  • If you are not ordered to leave but there is smoke, stay in a safe indoor place or go to a community building with less smoke.

Source: Ready.gov, wildfires

Earthquakes

Before

  • Practice Drop, Cover, and Hold On with your family and coworkers.
  • Sign up for earthquake alerts that can warn you before shaking starts.
  • Make a plan with an out-of-state contact and a place to meet if you get separated.
  • Anchor heavy items such as bookcases, refrigerators and water heaters, and keep heavy things on low shelves.
  • Consider earthquake insurance. Standard homeowners policies do not cover earthquake damage.

During

  • Drop to your hands and knees, cover your head and neck, and hold on until the shaking stops.
  • Indoors, stay where you are and avoid doorways. Outdoors, move to an open area away from buildings and power lines.
  • If you are driving, pull over, stop and set the parking brake.

Source: Ready.gov, earthquakes

Extreme heat

Before

  • Learn the signs of heat illness and how to respond.
  • Do not rely on a fan as your main way to stay cool. Fans do not lower body temperature.
  • Find cool public places, such as libraries or malls, or ask your local health department.
  • Keep heat out with window shades, weather stripping and insulation.
  • If you cannot afford cooling costs, contact LIHEAP for help.

During

  • Never leave a person or an animal in a parked car in warm weather.
  • If your home has no air conditioning, go to a cooling center.
  • Wear light, loose clothing, drink plenty of fluids and avoid hard outdoor work in the middle of the day.

Source: Ready.gov, extreme heat

Questions people ask

Is Utah County at risk of earthquakes?
FEMA rates earthquake risk in Utah County Relatively High compared with other US counties, with a score of 98.8 out of 100[8]. FEMA estimates earthquake Expected Annual Loss at $162.5 million a year[8].
Is Utah County at risk of wildfire?
FEMA rates wildfire risk in Utah County Relatively High, with a score of 98.8 out of 100[10]. OpenFEMA lists 6 fire declarations that include the county since 1983[2].
Does Utah County get tornadoes?
FEMA rates tornado risk in Utah County Relatively Low compared with other US counties[21]. NOAA's tornado database records 10 tornadoes from 1950 to 2024, and the strongest were rated F1[4].
Can hurricanes affect Utah County?
FEMA's National Risk Index rates hurricane, coastal flooding and tsunami Not Applicable for Utah County[25]. FEMA uses that label when its data has no historical record of the hazard there and the hazard is not considered geographically possible[25].
How do I check if a home in Utah County is in a flood zone?
Look up the address on FEMA's Flood Map Service Center, the official source for flood maps, or ask the local floodplain manager[27]. County-level ratings do not tell you the flood zone of a single address[27].

Facts and sources

  1. FEMA National Risk Index (version 1.20, December 2025): Expected Annual Loss from all 18 natural hazards in Utah County is $287.9 million a year (Expected Annual Loss rating Relatively High, score 97.4). Of this, buildings account for $179.8 million, injuries and deaths (converted to dollars by FEMA) for $107.3... FEMA National Risk Index
  2. OpenFEMA Disaster Declarations Summaries list 11 federal disaster declarations for natural hazards that include Utah County since 1983 (4 major disaster, 7 emergency or fire management). By incident type: fire 6, flood 4, coastal storm 1. Biological (such as COVID-19) and other non-natural declarations are not... OpenFEMA Disaster Declarations
  3. HazardFacts tally of OpenFEMA NFIP Redacted Claims (losses from 1978 to 2026): 105 National Flood Insurance Program claims were filed for losses in Utah County, 53 of them with a payment, and NFIP paid $505,000 in total (building, contents and increased cost of compliance, in dollars of the year paid). Years with... OpenFEMA NFIP claims
  4. NOAA Storm Prediction Center tornado database (1950 to 2024): 10 recorded tornadoes touched Utah County. The strongest were rated F1 (most recent of them on 1970-12-02). 0 were rated F3/EF3 or stronger. The most recent recorded tornado was on 2013-09-07. Ratings used the Fujita scale until early 2007 and the... NOAA Storm Prediction Center
  5. FEMA National Risk Index (version 1.20, December 2025): the overall natural hazard Risk Index rating for Utah County is Relatively High, with a Risk Index score of 95.3 out of 100. The score is the county's percentile rank among all US counties. FEMA National Risk Index
  6. Among the 18 hazards in the FEMA National Risk Index (version 1.20, December 2025), the hazards with the highest hazard-type Risk Index scores for Utah County are lightning (99.1, Very High), wildfire (98.8, Relatively High), earthquake (98.8, Relatively High). HazardFacts sorted FEMA's published scores; FEMA's... FEMA National Risk Index
  7. FEMA's National Risk Index FAQ (December 2025): Expected Annual Loss is FEMA's estimate of the average economic loss in dollars from natural hazards each year. The index is not meant to predict how much damage a community will have in the next year, and a hazard can still cause damage where a rating is low. Scores... FEMA National Risk Index documentation
  8. FEMA National Risk Index (version 1.20, December 2025), earthquake in Utah County: Risk Index rating Relatively High (score 98.8 of 100). Expected Annual Loss $162.5 million a year (rating Relatively High). FEMA's modeled annual frequency is 0.0142 events per year. FEMA National Risk Index
  9. FEMA National Risk Index (version 1.20, December 2025), inland flooding in Utah County: Risk Index rating Relatively Moderate (score 90.4 of 100). Expected Annual Loss $63.9 million a year (rating Relatively High). Annualized frequency 1.11 event-days per year, from recorded occurrences over a period of record of... FEMA National Risk Index
  10. FEMA National Risk Index (version 1.20, December 2025), wildfire in Utah County: Risk Index rating Relatively High (score 98.8 of 100). Expected Annual Loss $35.0 million a year (rating Relatively High). FEMA's modeled annual frequency is 0.0124 events per year. FEMA National Risk Index
  11. FEMA National Risk Index (version 1.20, December 2025): Social Vulnerability rating for Utah County is Very Low (score 10.6). FEMA describes social vulnerability as how susceptible social groups are to the harm natural hazards cause. FEMA National Risk Index
  12. FEMA National Risk Index (version 1.20, December 2025): Community Resilience rating for Utah County is Very High (score 83.2). FEMA describes community resilience as a community's ability to prepare for, withstand and recover from hazards. FEMA National Risk Index
  13. FEMA National Risk Index (version 1.20, December 2025), lightning in Utah County: Risk Index rating Very High (score 99.1 of 100). Expected Annual Loss $6.9 million a year (rating Very High). Annualized frequency 43.63 events per year, from recorded occurrences over a period of record of 24 years. FEMA National Risk Index
  14. FEMA National Risk Index (version 1.20, December 2025), heat wave in Utah County: Risk Index rating Relatively Moderate (score 94.3 of 100). Expected Annual Loss $8.1 million a year (rating Relatively Moderate). Annualized frequency 1.31 event-days per year, from recorded occurrences over a period of record of 18... FEMA National Risk Index
  15. FEMA National Risk Index (version 1.20, December 2025), winter weather in Utah County: Risk Index rating Relatively High (score 93.7 of 100). Expected Annual Loss $896,000 a year (rating Relatively High). Annualized frequency 40.98 events per year, from recorded occurrences over a period of record of 18 years. FEMA National Risk Index
  16. FEMA National Risk Index (version 1.20, December 2025), avalanche in Utah County: Risk Index rating Relatively High (score 92.9 of 100). Expected Annual Loss $3.4 million a year (rating Relatively High). Annualized frequency 0.87 events per year, from recorded occurrences over a period of record of 28 years. FEMA National Risk Index
  17. FEMA National Risk Index (version 1.20, December 2025), strong wind in Utah County: Risk Index rating Relatively High (score 87.9 of 100). Expected Annual Loss $2.8 million a year (rating Relatively High). Annualized frequency 0.94 events per year, from recorded occurrences over a period of record of 38 years. FEMA National Risk Index
  18. FEMA National Risk Index (version 1.20, December 2025), landslide in Utah County: Risk Index rating Relatively Low (score 76.0 of 100). Expected Annual Loss $16,000 a year (rating Relatively Low). FEMA National Risk Index
  19. FEMA National Risk Index (version 1.20, December 2025), volcanic activity in Utah County: Risk Index rating Very Low (score 70.6 of 100). Expected Annual Loss $157 a year (rating Very Low). FEMA National Risk Index
  20. FEMA National Risk Index (version 1.20, December 2025), drought in Utah County: Risk Index rating Relatively Moderate (score 67.7 of 100). Expected Annual Loss $705,000 a year (rating Relatively Moderate). Annualized frequency 69.15 event-days per year, from recorded occurrences over a period of record of 22 years. FEMA National Risk Index
  21. FEMA National Risk Index (version 1.20, December 2025), tornado in Utah County: Risk Index rating Relatively Low (score 52.6 of 100). Expected Annual Loss $2.1 million a year (rating Relatively Low). Annualized frequency 0.11 events per year, from recorded occurrences over a period of record of 38 years. FEMA National Risk Index
  22. FEMA National Risk Index (version 1.20, December 2025), ice storm in Utah County: Risk Index rating Relatively Low (score 50.8 of 100). Expected Annual Loss $137,000 a year (rating Relatively Moderate). Annualized frequency 0.01 event-days per year, from recorded occurrences over a period of record of 68 years. FEMA National Risk Index
  23. FEMA National Risk Index (version 1.20, December 2025), cold wave in Utah County: Risk Index rating Relatively Low (score 42.2 of 100). Expected Annual Loss $1.1 million a year (rating Relatively Moderate). Annualized frequency 0.02 event-days per year, from recorded occurrences over a period of record of 18 years. FEMA National Risk Index
  24. FEMA National Risk Index (version 1.20, December 2025), hail in Utah County: Risk Index rating Very Low (score 31.6 of 100). Expected Annual Loss $200,000 a year (rating Relatively Low). Annualized frequency 0.27 events per year, from recorded occurrences over a period of record of 37 years. FEMA National Risk Index
  25. FEMA National Risk Index (version 1.20, December 2025) rates these hazards Not Applicable for Utah County: coastal flooding, hurricane, tsunami. FEMA uses Not Applicable when its source data has no historical record of the hazard in the community and the hazard is not considered geographically possible there. FEMA National Risk Index documentation
  26. NFIP Residential Penetration Rates (OpenFEMA, as of 2026-08-03): 514 residential flood insurance contracts were in force in Utah County, out of 173,860 residential structures, a penetration rate of 0.3%. Inside FEMA's mapped Special Flood Hazard Area there were 886 residential structures and 238 contracts, a rate... OpenFEMA NFIP penetration rates
  27. FEMA's Flood Map Service Center is the official public source for flood maps (Flood Insurance Rate Maps) produced under the National Flood Insurance Program. Flood zones apply to specific properties: look up an address there or ask the local floodplain manager. County-level ratings do not tell you the flood zone of... FEMA Flood Map Service Center
  28. Most recent federal disaster declarations for natural hazards (table on this page). OpenFEMA Disaster Declarations

FEMA's National Risk Index compares each county with all other US counties. Ratings are relative (Very Low to Very High), not a measure of safety. Never call a place safe, unsafe, good or bad to live in. Risk Index and Expected Annual Loss values are FEMA estimates for planning. They do not predict next year's losses and do not apply to a single property. Flood zones are set by FEMA flood maps for specific properties. County ratings and flood insurance counts do not tell anyone whether an address is in a flood zone. Disaster declaration, NFIP and tornado counts are records of the past for this county only. Do not compare with other counties unless a fact does.

Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), National Risk Index Dataset: National Risk Index Counties, v1.20 (December 2025). Retrieved from fema.maps.arcgis.com on October 30, 2026. This product uses the Federal Emergency Management Agency's National Risk Index dataset API or downloadable datasets but is not endorsed by FEMA. The Federal Government or FEMA cannot vouch for the data or analyses derived from these data after the data have been retrieved from the Agency's website(s). This product uses the FEMA OpenFEMA API, but is not endorsed by FEMA.