Salt Lake County, UT
FEMA National Risk Index scores, disaster declarations & hazard data
Salt Lake County has experienced 12 federally declared disasters since 1983, most recently Straight-Line Winds in 2021. Its overall natural hazard risk is rated Relatively High — higher risk than most US counties.
Salt Lake County's highest-rated hazards are earthquake, avalanche, and winter weather, with its top risk rated "Relatively High" by FEMA's National Risk Index. Recorded storm events have increased 56% over the past five years compared to the prior five-year period.
Past disasters & FEMA designations
A federal disaster declaration officially designates a county for FEMA disaster assistance. Salt Lake County has been designated in 12 declarations since 1983, covering 7 disaster types including fire (3), flood (3), biological (2).
| Year | Type | Event name |
|---|---|---|
| 2021 | Severe Storm | Straight-Line Winds |
| 2021 | Fire | Parleys Canyon Fire |
| 2020 | Earthquake | Earthquake And Aftershocks |
| 2020 | Biological | Covid-19 Pandemic |
| 2020 | Biological | Covid-19 |
| 2012 | Fire | Rose Crest Fire |
| 2011 | Flood | Flooding |
| 2010 | Fire | Machine Gun Fire |
| 2005 | Coastal Storm | Hurricane Katrina Evacuation |
| 1999 | Tornado | Tornado, Severe Thunderstorms, And Hail |
Showing the 10 most recent of 12 total declarations since 1983.
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 High | 98.3 | 0 | 0 | — |
| Inland Flooding | Relatively Moderate | 92.9 | 15 | 0 | $27.7M |
| Coastal Flooding | No Rating | 0 | 0 | 0 | — |
| Earthquake | Relatively High | 99.6 | 49 | — | — |
| Heat Wave | Relatively Moderate | 92.9 | 2 | 0 | — |
| Tornado | Relatively Moderate | 71 | 0 | 0 | — |
| Hurricane | Not Applicable | — | 0 | 0 | — |
| Hail | Relatively Low | 68.1 | 27 | 0 | — |
| Strong Wind | Relatively Moderate | 68.4 | 0 | 0 | — |
| Winter Weather | Very High | 98.7 | 0 | 0 | — |
| Ice Storm | Very Low | 13.8 | — | — | — |
| Cold Wave | Relatively Low | 32.6 | — | — | — |
| Lightning | Relatively High | 94.4 | 0 | 0 | — |
| Drought | Relatively Low | 44.4 | 0 | 0 | — |
| Landslide | Relatively Low | 86.4 | 2 | 0 | $50K |
| Avalanche | Very High | 99.1 | — | — | — |
| Tsunami | Not Applicable | — | — | — | — |
| Volcanic Activity | Very Low | 75.2 | — | — | — |
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
Salt Lake County ranks in the 45th percentile (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 | 45th | Low |
| Socioeconomic status | 33rd | Low |
| Household characteristics | 40th | Low |
| Racial & ethnic minority status | 68th | Moderate |
| Housing type & transportation | 55th | Moderate |
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 | 93rd | Very High |
| Risk to homes | 96th | Very High |
| Buildings in direct exposure zone | 5.2% | — |
NOAA tracked 46 weather events in this county over 2016–2025: 18 in 2016–20 vs 28 in 2021–25 (+56% — frequency increasing).
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 Salt Lake County?
According to the FEMA National Risk Index, the highest-risk hazards in Salt Lake County, Utah are earthquake, avalanche, and winter weather. The county's overall natural hazard risk is rated Relatively High — higher risk than most US counties.
Has Salt Lake County received federal disaster declarations?
Yes. Salt Lake County has received 12 federal disaster declarations since 1983, including declarations in 2021. The most common disaster type on record is fire (3 declarations).
Has Salt Lake County had any FEMA disaster declarations in 2024, 2025, or 2026?
No federal disaster declarations have been recorded for Salt Lake County since the start of 2024. Its most recent declaration on record is Straight-Line Winds in 2021.
How does Salt Lake County's natural hazard risk compare to nearby counties?
Among neighboring counties, Utah County, UT has the highest overall natural hazard risk (Relatively High) and Morgan County, UT has the lowest (Very Low). Salt Lake County is rated Relatively High overall.
How is Salt Lake County's composite disaster risk index calculated?
Salt Lake 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. Salt Lake County's composite score of 99 means its overall natural hazard risk is higher than 99% of US counties.