Box Elder County, UT
FEMA National Risk Index scores, disaster declarations & hazard data
Box Elder County has experienced 9 federally declared disasters since 1977, most recently Covid-19 in 2020. Its overall natural hazard risk is rated Relatively Low — lower risk than most US counties.
Box Elder County's highest-rated hazards are wildfire, earthquake, and avalanche, with its top risk rated "Relatively Moderate" by FEMA's National Risk Index. Community vulnerability is relatively low (12th 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. Box Elder County has been designated in 9 declarations since 1977, covering 4 disaster types including flood (5), biological (2), coastal storm (1).
| Year | Type | Event name |
|---|---|---|
| 2020 | Biological | Covid-19 Pandemic |
| 2020 | Biological | Covid-19 |
| 2017 | Flood | Severe Winter Storms And Flooding |
| 2011 | Flood | Flooding |
| 2005 | Coastal Storm | Hurricane Katrina Evacuation |
| 2005 | Flood | Flooding And Landslides |
| 1984 | Flood | Severe Storms, Mudslides, Landslides & Flooding |
| 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 Moderate | 95.4 | 0 | 0 | — |
| Inland Flooding | Very Low | 19.5 | 5 | 0 | $8.0M |
| Coastal Flooding | Not Applicable | — | 0 | 0 | — |
| Earthquake | Relatively Moderate | 93.3 | 10 | — | — |
| Heat Wave | Relatively Low | 43.8 | 2 | 0 | — |
| Tornado | Very Low | 12.6 | 1 | 0 | — |
| Hurricane | Not Applicable | — | 0 | 0 | — |
| Hail | Very Low | 7.8 | 4 | 0 | — |
| Strong Wind | Relatively Moderate | 66.5 | 0 | 0 | — |
| Winter Weather | Relatively Moderate | 72.7 | 0 | 0 | — |
| Ice Storm | Very Low | 13.9 | — | — | — |
| Cold Wave | Very Low | 21.9 | — | — | — |
| Lightning | Relatively Moderate | 61.6 | 1 | 1 | — |
| Drought | Relatively Low | 60.6 | 0 | 0 | — |
| Landslide | Very Low | 46.9 | 0 | 0 | — |
| Avalanche | Relatively Moderate | 83 | — | — | — |
| Tsunami | Not Applicable | — | — | — | — |
| Volcanic Activity | Very Low | 10.1 | — | — | — |
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
Box Elder County ranks in the 12th 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 | 12th | Very low |
| Socioeconomic status | 15th | Very low |
| Household characteristics | 14th | Very low |
| Racial & ethnic minority status | 40th | Low |
| Housing type & transportation | 17th | 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 | 99th | Very High |
| Risk to homes | 100th | Very High |
| Buildings in direct exposure zone | 33.3% | — |
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 Box Elder County?
According to the FEMA National Risk Index, the highest-risk hazards in Box Elder County, Utah are wildfire, earthquake, and avalanche. The county's overall natural hazard risk is rated Relatively Low — lower risk than most US counties.
Has Box Elder County received federal disaster declarations?
Yes. Box Elder County has received 9 federal disaster declarations since 1977, including declarations in 2020. The most common disaster type on record is flood (5 declarations).
Has Box Elder County had any FEMA disaster declarations in 2024, 2025, or 2026?
No federal disaster declarations have been recorded for Box Elder County since the start of 2024. Its most recent declaration on record is Covid-19 in 2020.
How does Box Elder County's natural hazard risk compare to nearby counties?
Among neighboring counties, Davis County, UT has the highest overall natural hazard risk (Relatively Moderate) and Oneida County, ID has the lowest (Very Low). Box Elder County is rated Relatively Low overall.
How is Box Elder County's composite disaster risk index calculated?
Box Elder 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. Box Elder County's composite score of 56 means its overall natural hazard risk is higher than 56% of US counties.