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Sanpete County, Utah

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

Very Low overall risk
12th of 29highest risk in Utah
$12Mexpected losses a year
8federal declarations
1 in 111homes with flood insurance
Photo: Richard Allaway, CC BY 2.0

Sanpete County, Utah has a very low overall risk from natural hazards in FEMA's National Risk Index. Its risk score is lower than 61% of US counties. It ranks 12th of 29 counties in Utah. The costliest hazards here are avalanches, inland flooding and earthquakes. FEMA estimates about $12 million a year in expected losses, or roughly $427 per resident. Since 1977 it has been included in 8 federal disaster or emergency declarations for natural events (4 major disasters). The most recent was in December 2023 (flooding). Fewer than 1 in 100 homes here carry federal flood insurance (81 policies). Since 1978, federal flood insurance has paid about $41,000 on 12 claims here.

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

Top risks in Sanpete County

Avalanche

Very High
$4 million a yearExpected losses. Damaging events about once a year.
  • Check avalanche forecasts before backcountry trips.
  • Ask about slide paths near mountain homes.
$2.9 million a yearExpected losses. Damaging events about once every 2 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.
$2.3 million a yearExpected losses. Damaging events about once every 85 years.
  • Ask whether an older house is bolted to its foundation.
  • Consider separate earthquake insurance where risk is high.
HazardRatingScoreExpected loss a year
AvalancheVery High95.5
$4M
Inland floodingVery Low24.5
$3M
EarthquakeLow83.4
$2M
WildfireModerate89.0
$1M
LightningModerate80.1
$726K
Heat waveLow45.3
$296K
DroughtLow56.3
$222K
Winter weatherModerate78.9
$198K
TornadoVery Low12.5
$101K
Strong windVery Low11.9
$90K
LandslideLow79.1
$14K
Ice stormVery Low12.0
$7K
HailVery Low3.1
$6K
Volcanic activityVery Low48.5
$11

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 relatively low and community resilience is relatively moderate in FEMA's measures.

Federal disaster history

Recent disasters nationwide ›

Declarations by decade

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

By type

Flood4
Fire2
Drought1
Coastal Storm1

Most recent

Dec 23, 2023FloodingMajor disaster
Aug 6, 2018Hilltop FireFire management
Jun 24, 2012Wood Hollow FireFire management
Aug 8, 2011FloodingMajor disaster
Sep 5, 2005Hurricane Katrina EvacuationEmergency
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 1955

Tornado risk by county ›

The National Weather Service has logged 47 storm reports in Sanpete County since 1955, with 0 deaths and 1 injury and about $4.3 million in reported damage. The strongest on record here was an F2 tornado on September 8, 2002 near Manti.

10tornadoes
5hail reports, largest 1.75 inches
16damaging thunderstorm winds
13floods and flash floods

Strongest tornadoes

DateStrengthNearHurt / killed
Sep 8, 2002F2Manti0 / 0
Jun 16, 1955F2–0 / 0
Aug 28, 1964F1–0 / 0
Jun 25, 2005F0Mt Pleasant0 / 0
Aug 15, 1984F0–0 / 0

Most damaging storms

DateTypeNearDamage
Sep 8, 2002TornadoManti$2M
Jul 22, 1998Flash FloodSpring City$1M
Jul 27, 1998Flash FloodSpring City$300K
Jul 24, 1998Flash FloodSpring City$220K
Jun 1, 2011FloodAxtell$100K
Jul 30, 2012Flash FloodFountain Green$100K

Source: NOAA Storm Events Database, county-based reports through May 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 Sanpete County

Check your address flood zone ›
0.9%of homes have federal flood insurance (81 policies)
20.9%of homes in mapped high-risk flood zones are insured
$41,176paid on 12 flood claims since 1978
1983costliest year, with $38,394 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 Sanpete County

$347,200median home value (Utah $489,400, US $332,700)
1985median year homes were built (Utah 1992, US 1980)
45%of homes built before 1980, before many modern wind, quake and flood building rules
4.1%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; 10,578 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
Utah CountyHigh11
Sevier CountyVery Low7
Carbon CountyVery Low3
Millard CountyVery Low9
Juab CountyVery Low7
Emery CountyVery Low4

Common questions about Sanpete County

What is the biggest natural hazard in Sanpete County?

Avalanche has the highest expected yearly losses in Sanpete County, about $4 million a year in FEMA's estimate. Inland flooding is second at $2.9 million.

How many federal disasters has Sanpete County had?

Sanpete County has been included in 8 federal disaster or emergency declarations for natural events since 1977, including 4 major disasters. The most recent was Flooding in December 2023.

Is Sanpete County a high-risk place to live?

Its overall rating is Very Low, 12th 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 Sanpete County?

Standard home insurance does not cover flooding. About 1 in 111 homes in Sanpete 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 Sanpete County had?

NOAA records list 10 tornadoes in Sanpete County since 1950. The strongest was an F2 tornado on September 8, 2002 near Manti. The weather service has also logged 5 hail reports and 13 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.