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Iron County, Utah

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

Relatively Low overall risk
7th of 29highest risk in Utah
$31Mexpected losses a year
5federal declarations
1 in 200homes with flood insurance
Photo: U.S. Geological Survey, public domain

Iron County, Utah has a relatively low overall risk from natural hazards in FEMA's National Risk Index. Its risk score is higher than 61% of US counties. It ranks 7th of 29 counties in Utah. The costliest hazards here are wildfires, inland flooding and earthquakes. FEMA estimates about $31 million a year in expected losses, or roughly $534 per resident. Since 1977 it has been included in 5 federal disaster or emergency declarations for natural events (2 major disasters). The most recent was in December 2023 (flooding). Fewer than 1 in 100 homes here carry federal flood insurance (96 policies). Since 1978, federal flood insurance has paid about $190,000 on 23 claims here.

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

Top risks in Iron County

$14.7 million a yearExpected losses. Damaging events about once every 70 years.
  • Clear dry plants and debris within 5 feet of the house.
  • Get home insurance quotes early; availability varies by area.
$7.8 million a yearExpected losses. Damaging events about 2 times a year.
  • 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.
$4.5 million a yearExpected losses. Damaging events about once every 80 years.
  • Ask whether an older house is bolted to its foundation.
  • Consider separate earthquake insurance where risk is high.
HazardRatingScoreExpected loss a year
WildfireHigh97.7
$15M
Inland floodingLow44.6
$8M
EarthquakeLow86.8
$4M
LightningHigh85.1
$1M
Winter weatherHigh95.2
$958K
DroughtModerate65.8
$560K
Heat waveLow44.4
$388K
Strong windVery Low13.6
$153K
LandslideModerate90.9
$86K
Cold waveVery Low8.2
$76K
Ice stormVery Low26.3
$35K
TornadoVery Low4.0
$18K
HailVery Low2.9
$7K
AvalancheVery Low45.6
$526
Volcanic activityVery Low74.9
$212

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 relatively low in FEMA's measures.

Federal disaster history

Recent disasters nationwide ›

Declarations by decade

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

By type

Flood2
Drought1
Coastal Storm1
Fire1

Most recent

Dec 23, 2023FloodingMajor disaster
Jun 18, 2017Brian Head FireFire management
Sep 5, 2005Hurricane Katrina EvacuationEmergency
Aug 1, 2005Flooding and LandslidesMajor disaster
Jan 20, 1977DroughtEmergency

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

Storm history since 1953

Tornado risk by county ›

The National Weather Service has logged 117 storm reports in Iron County since 1953, with 0 deaths and 3 injuries and about $14.9 million in reported damage. The strongest on record here was an F1 tornado on May 30, 1986.

5tornadoes
21hail reports, largest 1.75 inches
31damaging thunderstorm winds
55floods and flash floods

Strongest tornadoes

DateStrengthNearHurt / killed
May 30, 1986F1–0 / 0
Jul 14, 1953F0–0 / 0
Jul 23, 1998F0Newcastle0 / 0
Apr 18, 2025EF0Cedar City Arpt0 / 0
Jun 16, 1967n/a–0 / 0

Most damaging storms

DateTypeNearDamage
Aug 1, 2021Flash FloodEnoch$9M
Aug 17, 2012Flash FloodCedar City$2M
Jul 15, 2021Flash FloodLund$1M
Aug 17, 2023Flash FloodCedar City Arpt$1M
Oct 21, 2004Flash FloodCedar City$400K
Jul 27, 2013Flash FloodCedar City$400K

Source: NOAA Storm Events Database, county-based reports through Jul 20, 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 Iron County

Check your address flood zone ›
0.5%of homes have federal flood insurance (96 policies)
0%of homes in mapped high-risk flood zones are insured
$190,291paid on 23 flood claims since 1978
2023costliest year, with $84,219 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 Iron County

$379,000median home value (Utah $489,400, US $332,700)
1997median year homes were built (Utah 1992, US 1980)
23%of homes built before 1980, before many modern wind, quake and flood building rules
5.5%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; 23,550 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
Washington CountyModerate12
Kane CountyVery Low6
Beaver CountyVery Low7
Garfield CountyVery Low5
Lincoln County, NVVery Low6

Cities in Iron County

Common questions about Iron County

What is the biggest natural hazard in Iron County?

Wildfire has the highest expected yearly losses in Iron County, about $14.7 million a year in FEMA's estimate. Inland flooding is second at $7.8 million.

How many federal disasters has Iron County had?

Iron County has been included in 5 federal disaster or emergency declarations for natural events since 1977, including 2 major disasters. The most recent was Flooding in December 2023.

Is Iron County a high-risk place to live?

Its overall rating is Relatively Low, 7th 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 Iron County?

Standard home insurance does not cover flooding. About 1 in 200 homes in Iron 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 Iron County had?

NOAA records list 5 tornadoes in Iron County since 1950. The strongest was an F1 tornado on May 30, 1986. The weather service has also logged 21 hail reports and 55 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.