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Utah County, Utah

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

Relatively High overall risk
2nd of 29highest risk in Utah
$288Mexpected losses a year
11federal declarations
1 in 333homes with flood insurance
Photo: aqua.mech, CC BY 2.0

Utah County, Utah has a relatively high overall risk from natural hazards in FEMA's National Risk Index. Its risk score is higher than 95% of US counties. It ranks 2nd of 29 counties in Utah. The costliest hazards here are earthquakes, inland flooding and wildfires. FEMA estimates about $288 million a year in expected losses, or roughly $437 per resident. Since 1983 it has been included in 11 federal disaster or emergency declarations for natural events (4 major disasters). The most recent was in June 2026 (Iron Fire). Fewer than 1 in 100 homes here carry federal flood insurance (514 policies). Since 1978, federal flood insurance has paid about $505,000 on 105 claims here.

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

Top risks in Utah County

$163 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.
$63.9 million a yearExpected losses. Damaging events about once 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.
$35 million a yearExpected losses. Damaging events about once every 80 years.
  • Clear dry plants and debris within 5 feet of the house.
  • Get home insurance quotes early; availability varies by area.
HazardRatingScoreExpected loss a year
EarthquakeHigh98.8
$163M
Inland floodingModerate90.5
$64M
WildfireHigh98.9
$35M
Heat waveModerate94.3
$8M
LightningVery High99.1
$7M
AvalancheHigh93.0
$3M
Strong windHigh87.9
$3M
TornadoLow52.6
$2M
Cold waveLow42.3
$1M
Winter weatherHigh93.8
$896K
DroughtModerate67.7
$705K
HailVery Low31.7
$200K
Ice stormLow50.8
$137K
LandslideLow76.0
$16K
Volcanic activityVery Low70.7
$157

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 Utah County. 2020s bar runs to November 2026.

By type

Fire6
Flood4
Coastal Storm1

Most recent

Jun 21, 2026Iron FireFire management
Dec 23, 2023FloodingMajor disaster
Sep 7, 2020Ether Hollow FireFire management
Jun 28, 2020Knolls FireFire management
Sep 21, 2018Bald Mountain FireFire management
Jun 22, 2012Dump FireFire management
Aug 8, 2011FloodingMajor disaster
Sep 5, 2005Hurricane Katrina EvacuationEmergency
Aug 19, 2001Ut - Mollie Fire - 08/19/01Fire management
Aug 17, 1984Severe Storms, Mudslides, Landslides & FloodingMajor disaster
Show all 11
Apr 30, 1983Severe Storms, Landslides & FloodingMajor disaster

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

Storm history since 1959

Tornado risk by county ›

The National Weather Service has logged 306 storm reports in Utah County since 1959, with 4 deaths and 32 injuries and about $66.8 million in reported damage. The strongest on record here was an F1 tornado on July 9, 1965.

10tornadoes
53hail reports, largest 2 inches
187damaging thunderstorm winds
36floods and flash floods

Strongest tornadoes

DateStrengthNearHurt / killed
Jul 9, 1965F1–0 / 0
Dec 2, 1970F1–0 / 0
Sep 13, 1982F0–0 / 0
Sep 7, 2013EF0American Fork0 / 0
Jun 9, 2003F0Payson0 / 0

Most damaging storms

DateTypeNearDamage
May 31, 1994Thunderstorm WindProvo$50M
Aug 1, 2006Thunderstorm WindCountywide$4M
Sep 12, 2002Flash FloodSantaquin$3M
Aug 1, 2006Thunderstorm WindProvo Muni Arpt$3M
Sep 1, 2012Flash FloodLehi$1M
Sep 7, 2013Flash FloodGoshen$900K

Source: NOAA Storm Events Database, county-based reports through Jul 9, 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 Utah County

Check your address flood zone ›
0.3%of homes have federal flood insurance (514 policies)
26.9%of homes in mapped high-risk flood zones are insured
$504,943paid on 105 flood claims since 1978
1983costliest year, with $216,115 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 Utah County

$538,700median home value (Utah $489,400, US $332,700)
2001median year homes were built (Utah 1992, US 1980)
25%of homes built before 1980, before many modern wind, quake and flood building rules
1.3%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; 211,066 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
Salt Lake CountyHigh10
Tooele CountyLow9
Wasatch CountyVery Low9
Sanpete CountyVery Low8
Carbon CountyVery Low3
Duchesne CountyVery Low6
Juab CountyVery Low7

Common questions about Utah County

What is the biggest natural hazard in Utah County?

Earthquake has the highest expected yearly losses in Utah County, about $163 million a year in FEMA's estimate. Inland flooding is second at $63.9 million.

How many federal disasters has Utah County had?

Utah County has been included in 11 federal disaster or emergency declarations for natural events since 1983, including 4 major disasters. The most recent was Iron Fire in June 2026.

Is Utah County a high-risk place to live?

Its overall rating is Relatively High, 2nd 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 Utah County?

Standard home insurance does not cover flooding. About 1 in 333 homes in Utah 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 Utah County had?

NOAA records list 10 tornadoes in Utah County since 1950. The strongest was an F1 tornado on July 9, 1965. The weather service has also logged 53 hail reports and 36 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.