Beaver County, UT
FEMA National Risk Index scores, disaster declarations & hazard data
Beaver County has experienced 8 federally declared disasters since 1977, most recently Cottonwood Fire in 2026. Its overall natural hazard risk is rated Very Low — among the lowest-risk counties in the country.
Beaver County's highest-rated hazards are landslide, avalanche, and wildfire, with its top risk rated "Relatively Moderate" by FEMA's National Risk Index. Community vulnerability is relatively low (15th percentile nationally), indicating stronger recovery capacity than most US counties.
Past disasters & FEMA designations
A federal disaster declaration officially designates a county for FEMA disaster assistance. Beaver County has been designated in 8 declarations since 1977, covering 5 disaster types including flood (3), biological (2), fire (1).
| Year | Type | Event name |
|---|---|---|
| 2026 | Fire | Cottonwood Fire |
| 2020 | Biological | Covid-19 Pandemic |
| 2020 | Biological | Covid-19 |
| 2011 | Flood | Flooding |
| 2005 | Coastal Storm | Hurricane Katrina Evacuation |
| 2005 | Flood | Flooding And Landslides |
| 1983 | Flood | Severe Storms, Landslides & Flooding |
| 1977 | Drought | Drought |
Source: FEMA OpenFEMA Disaster Declarations Summaries. A single disaster can produce more than one record per county. Data current through September 2026.
Risk by hazard type
| Hazard | Risk rating | Risk score | Recorded events | Deaths | Prop. damage |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Wildfire | Relatively Low | 85.3 | 0 | 0 | — |
| Inland Flooding | Very Low | 8 | 4 | 0 | — |
| Coastal Flooding | Not Applicable | — | 0 | 0 | — |
| Earthquake | Relatively Low | 74.4 | 16 | — | — |
| Heat Wave | Very Low | 32 | 0 | 0 | — |
| Tornado | Very Low | 1.7 | 0 | 0 | — |
| Hurricane | Not Applicable | — | 0 | 0 | — |
| Hail | Very Low | 1.5 | 3 | 0 | $45K |
| Strong Wind | Very Low | 4.9 | 0 | 0 | — |
| Winter Weather | Relatively High | 85.2 | 0 | 0 | — |
| Ice Storm | Very Low | 8.8 | — | — | — |
| Cold Wave | Very Low | 4.9 | — | — | — |
| Lightning | Relatively Low | 46 | 1 | 0 | — |
| Drought | Relatively Low | 55.9 | 0 | 0 | — |
| Landslide | Relatively Moderate | 93.1 | 0 | 0 | — |
| Avalanche | Relatively Moderate | 85.5 | — | — | — |
| Tsunami | Not Applicable | — | — | — | — |
| Volcanic Activity | Very Low | 34.2 | — | — | — |
Scores are 0–100 percentiles relative to all US counties — higher means more exposed, not that a disaster is likely this year. Event counts: NOAA Storm Events 2016–2026; earthquake counts from USGS ComCat (M3.0+, 1996–2026). See the methodology page for details.
Community vulnerability
Beaver County ranks in the 15th percentile (Very low) for community vulnerability — a measure of how hard disaster impacts tend to hit residents. Higher vulnerability means more displacement, worse health outcomes, and slower recovery after a disaster.
| SVI theme | Percentile | Vulnerability level |
|---|---|---|
| Overall | 15th | Very low |
| Socioeconomic status | 16th | Very low |
| Household characteristics | 56th | Moderate |
| Racial & ethnic minority status | 47th | Low |
| Housing type & transportation | 5th | Very low |
Source: CDC/ATSDR Social Vulnerability Index 2022. Percentiles compare counties nationally — higher means more vulnerable relative to other counties. See CDC SVI for full methodology.
Future risk outlook
| Wildfire metric | National percentile | Level |
|---|---|---|
| Burn probability | 89th | Very High |
| Risk to homes | 93rd | Very High |
| Buildings in direct exposure zone | 48.6% | — |
Wildfire: USDA Forest Service Wildfire Risk to Communities (RDS-2020-0016-2) — modeled values, not annual forecasts. See wildfirerisk.org. Inland flood and heat projections pending data availability; coastal sea-level projections are available for select coastal counties below — see the data page.
Nearby counties
Frequently asked questions
What natural hazards pose the greatest risk in Beaver County?
According to the FEMA National Risk Index, the highest-risk hazards in Beaver County, Utah are landslide, avalanche, and wildfire. The county's overall natural hazard risk is rated Very Low — among the lowest-risk counties in the country.
Has Beaver County received federal disaster declarations?
Yes. Beaver County has received 8 federal disaster declarations since 1977, including declarations in 2026. The most common disaster type on record is flood (3 declarations).
Has Beaver County had any FEMA disaster declarations in 2024, 2025, or 2026?
Yes. Recent federal disaster declarations for Beaver County include Cottonwood Fire (2026). See the declarations table above for the full history since 1977.
How does Beaver County's natural hazard risk compare to nearby counties?
Among neighboring counties, Washington County, UT has the highest overall natural hazard risk (Relatively Moderate) and Piute County, UT has the lowest (Very Low). Beaver County is rated Very Low overall.
How is Beaver County's composite disaster risk index calculated?
Beaver County's composite disaster risk index — officially FEMA's National Risk Index (NRI) — scores every US county on a 0–100 percentile scale across 18 natural hazard types, factoring in expected annual loss, social vulnerability, and community resilience. Beaver County's composite score of 10 means its overall natural hazard risk is higher than 10% of US counties.