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Wayne County, Utah

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

Very Low overall risk
27th of 29highest risk in Utah
$2Mexpected losses a year
2federal declarations
Photo: U.S. Geological Survey, public domain

Wayne County, Utah has a very low overall risk from natural hazards in FEMA's National Risk Index. Its risk score is lower than 98% of US counties. It ranks 27th of 29 counties in Utah. The costliest hazards here are inland flooding, earthquakes and heat waves. FEMA estimates about $1.8 million a year in expected losses, or roughly $745 per resident. Since 1977 it has been included in 2 federal disaster or emergency declarations for natural events (no major disasters). The most recent was in September 2005 (Hurricane Katrina Evacuation). No homes here carry federal flood insurance.

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

Top risks in Wayne County

$903,206 a yearExpected losses. Damaging events about 5 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.

Earthquake

Very Low
$229,508 a yearExpected losses. Damaging events about once every 120 years.
  • Ask whether an older house is bolted to its foundation.
  • Consider separate earthquake insurance where risk is high.
$209,349 a yearExpected losses. Damaging events about 2 times a year.
  • Check that cooling works before summer.
  • Know where the nearest cooling center is.
HazardRatingScoreExpected loss a year
Inland floodingVery Low6.9
$903K
EarthquakeVery Low47.8
$230K
Heat waveLow39.6
$209K
Winter weatherModerate73.6
$145K
LightningLow39.2
$145K
LandslideModerate94.2
$98K
WildfireVery Low53.7
$54K
DroughtLow31.0
$26K
Strong windVery Low2.4
$10K
Cold waveVery Low4.3
$7K
TornadoVery Low2.2
$4K
Ice stormVery Low4.7
$2K
HailVery Low1.5
$2K
AvalancheVery Low57.0
$1K
Volcanic activityVery Low26.7
$1

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 moderate 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 Wayne County. 2020s bar runs to November 2026.

By type

Drought1
Coastal Storm1

Most recent

Sep 5, 2005Hurricane Katrina EvacuationEmergency
Jan 20, 1977DroughtEmergency

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

Storm history since 1965

Tornado risk by county ›

The National Weather Service has logged 196 storm reports in Wayne County since 1965, with 5 deaths and 6 injuries and about $12 million in reported damage. The strongest on record here was an F1 tornado on April 4, 1993 near Caineville.

8tornadoes
12hail reports, largest 2 inches
4damaging thunderstorm winds
168floods and flash floods

Strongest tornadoes

DateStrengthNearHurt / killed
Apr 4, 1993F1Caineville0 / 0
Aug 31, 1986F0–0 / 0
Jul 24, 1981F0–0 / 0
Sep 12, 2002F0Hanksville0 / 0
Oct 6, 2010EF0Hanksville0 / 0

Most damaging storms

DateTypeNearDamage
Oct 6, 2006Flash FloodFruita$8M
Sep 1, 2021Flash FloodHanksville$3M
Sep 10, 2013FloodHanksville Arpt$300K
Jun 23, 2022Flash FloodFruita$110K
Aug 23, 2003Flash FloodCentral Portion$100K
Jul 14, 2015Flash FloodFruita$75K

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 Wayne County

Check your address flood zone ›
0%of homes have federal flood insurance (0 policies)
0%of homes in mapped high-risk flood zones are insured
$0paid on 2 flood claims since 1978
1983costliest year

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 Wayne County

$411,800median home value (Utah $489,400, US $332,700)
1985median year homes were built (Utah 1992, US 1980)
46%of homes built before 1980, before many modern wind, quake and flood building rules
9.3%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; 1,735 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
Sevier CountyVery Low7
San Juan CountyVery Low4
Emery CountyVery Low4
Grand CountyVery Low2
Garfield CountyVery Low5
Piute CountyVery Low7

Common questions about Wayne County

What is the biggest natural hazard in Wayne County?

Inland flooding has the highest expected yearly losses in Wayne County, about $903,206 a year in FEMA's estimate. Earthquake is second at $229,508.

How many federal disasters has Wayne County had?

Wayne County has been included in 2 federal disaster or emergency declarations for natural events since 1977, including no major disasters. The most recent was Hurricane Katrina Evacuation in September 2005.

Is Wayne County a high-risk place to live?

Its overall rating is Very Low, 27th 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 Wayne County?

Standard home insurance does not cover flooding. Lenders require it in mapped high-risk zones, but many flood claims come from outside those zones.

How many tornadoes has Wayne County had?

NOAA records list 8 tornadoes in Wayne County since 1950. The strongest was an F1 tornado on April 4, 1993 near Caineville. The weather service has also logged 12 hail reports and 168 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.