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Box Elder County, Utah

Natural disaster risk, federal disaster history and flood insurance facts.

Relatively Low overall risk
9th of 29highest risk in Utah
$31Mexpected losses a year
7federal declarations
1 in 500homes with flood insurance
Photo: U.S. Geological Survey, CC0

Box Elder County, Utah has a relatively low overall risk from natural hazards in FEMA's National Risk Index. Its risk score is higher than 56% of US counties. It ranks 9th of 29 counties in Utah. The costliest hazards here are earthquakes, wildfires and inland flooding. FEMA estimates about $31 million a year in expected losses, or roughly $543 per resident. Since 1977 it has been included in 7 federal disaster or emergency declarations for natural events (5 major disasters). The most recent was in April 2017 (severe winter storms and flooding). Only 38 homes here carry federal flood insurance. Since 1978, federal flood insurance has paid about $292,000 on 18 claims here.

FEMA National Risk Index December 2025; OpenFEMA declarations to Nov 6, 2026; NFIP records. Updated November 6, 2026.

Top risks in Box Elder County

Earthquake

Moderate
$15.7 million a yearExpected losses. Damaging events about once every 70 years.
  • Ask whether an older house is bolted to its foundation.
  • Consider separate earthquake insurance where risk is high.

Wildfire

Moderate
$6.5 million a yearExpected losses. Damaging events about once every 65 years.
  • Clear dry plants and debris within 5 feet of the house.
  • Get home insurance quotes early; availability varies by area.
$4 million a yearExpected losses. Damaging events about once every 7 years.
  • Check the FEMA flood map for your address, and ask the seller or landlord about past flooding.
  • Price a flood policy now. Most new federal policies take 30 days to start.
HazardRatingScoreExpected loss a year
EarthquakeModerate93.3
$16M
WildfireModerate95.4
$6M
Inland floodingVery Low19.5
$4M
Strong windModerate66.5
$1M
AvalancheModerate83.0
$1M
LightningModerate61.6
$595K
DroughtLow60.6
$493K
Heat waveLow43.8
$458K
Cold waveVery Low21.9
$434K
Winter weatherModerate72.7
$251K
TornadoVery Low12.6
$170K
HailVery Low7.8
$38K
Ice stormVery Low13.9
$14K
LandslideVery Low46.9
$2K
Volcanic activityVery Low10.1
$0

Scores are percentiles: a score of 90 means higher risk than about 90% of US counties for that hazard. Hazards FEMA does not rate here are left out. Social vulnerability is very low and community resilience is very high in FEMA's measures.

Federal disaster history

Recent disasters nationwide ›

Declarations by decade

Federal declarations for natural events that included Box Elder County. 2020s bar runs to November 2026.

By type

Flood5
Drought1
Coastal Storm1

Most recent

Apr 21, 2017Severe Winter Storms and FloodingMajor disaster
Aug 8, 2011FloodingMajor disaster
Sep 5, 2005Hurricane Katrina EvacuationEmergency
Aug 1, 2005Flooding and LandslidesMajor disaster
Aug 17, 1984Severe Storms, Mudslides, Landslides & FloodingMajor disaster
Apr 30, 1983Severe Storms, Landslides & FloodingMajor disaster
Jan 20, 1977DroughtEmergency

Utah also had 7 statewide declarations that did not name single counties.

Storm history since 1958

Tornado risk by county ›

The National Weather Service has logged 312 storm reports in Box Elder County since 1958, with 1 death and 11 injuries and about $8.3 million in reported damage. The strongest on record here was an EF0 tornado on May 3, 2009 near Willard.

10tornadoes
32hail reports, largest 1.75 inches
260damaging thunderstorm winds
6floods and flash floods

Strongest tornadoes

DateStrengthNearHurt / killed
May 3, 2009EF0Willard0 / 0
Sep 10, 1991F0–0 / 0
Aug 16, 1984F0–0 / 0
Aug 16, 1984F0–0 / 0
Aug 25, 1987F0–0 / 0

Most damaging storms

DateTypeNearDamage
Feb 7, 2017FloodPerry$5M
Aug 3, 2023FloodHoneyville$1M
Aug 3, 2023Flash FloodHoneyville$1M
Aug 3, 2023Flash FloodCorinne$1M
Jul 10, 1997HailYost$60K
Jun 1, 2015Thunderstorm WindBothwell$50K

Source: NOAA Storm Events Database, county-based reports through Jul 29, 2026. Tornado records start in 1950, hail and wind in 1955, and floods and other storm types in 1996, so older decades undercount. Damage is in dollars of the year it happened and is often an estimate. Winter storms, heat and hurricanes are logged by forecast zone, not county, so they are not counted here.

Flood insurance in Box Elder County

Check your address flood zone ›
0.2%of homes have federal flood insurance (38 policies)
27.7%of homes in mapped high-risk flood zones are insured
$292,350paid on 18 flood claims since 1978
1986costliest year, with $242,681 paid

National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP) records only; private flood policies are not included. Home counts as of Aug 3, 2026. Since 2021 NFIP prices each home separately under Risk Rating 2.0, so your price depends on the building, not the county. Ask an agent for a quote.

Homes in Box Elder County

$403,600median home value (Utah $489,400, US $332,700)
1983median year homes were built (Utah 1992, US 1980)
48%of homes built before 1980, before many modern wind, quake and flood building rules
3.3%of homes are mobile homes, which are the least safe in tornadoes and high winds

Older homes and mobile homes usually suffer more damage in storms, floods and earthquakes, and can cost more to insure. If you are buying, ask about roof age, foundation bolting and any retrofits. Source: US Census Bureau, American Community Survey 2020 to 2024 5-year estimates; 20,760 housing units.

Compare in Utah

All 29 ›
Largest countiesOverall riskTop hazard
Salt Lake CountyHighEarthquake
Utah CountyHighEarthquake
Davis CountyModerateEarthquake
Weber CountyModerateEarthquake
Washington CountyModerateWildfire
Cache CountyLowEarthquake
Tooele CountyLowWildfire
Box Elder CountyLowEarthquake

Neighboring counties

CountyOverall riskDeclarations
Davis CountyModerate9
Weber CountyModerate9
Cache CountyLow5
Tooele CountyLow9
Elko County, NVModerate17
Cassia County, IDLow3
Oneida County, IDVery Low1

Common questions about Box Elder County

What is the biggest natural hazard in Box Elder County?

Earthquake has the highest expected yearly losses in Box Elder County, about $15.7 million a year in FEMA's estimate. Wildfire is second at $6.5 million.

How many federal disasters has Box Elder County had?

Box Elder County has been included in 7 federal disaster or emergency declarations for natural events since 1977, including 5 major disasters. The most recent was Severe Winter Storms and Flooding in April 2017.

Is Box Elder County a high-risk place to live?

Its overall rating is Relatively Low, 9th highest of 29 in Utah. A county rating covers the whole area. Risk at one address can be much higher or lower, so check the FEMA flood map and ask about the home's history.

Do I need flood insurance in Box Elder County?

Standard home insurance does not cover flooding. About 1 in 500 homes in Box Elder County has federal flood insurance. Lenders require it in mapped high-risk zones, but many flood claims come from outside those zones.

How many tornadoes has Box Elder County had?

NOAA records list 10 tornadoes in Box Elder County since 1950. The strongest was an EF0 tornado on May 3, 2009 near Willard. The weather service has also logged 32 hail reports and 6 floods here.

Sources: FEMA National Risk Index (December 2025), OpenFEMA Disaster Declarations Summaries, and NFIP policy and claims data. Hazard Compass is independent and not affiliated with FEMA. These figures describe the whole county, not a single property, and are not insurance or safety advice. Report a problem.