Tooele County, UT
FEMA National Risk Index scores, disaster declarations & hazard data
Tooele County has experienced 11 federally declared disasters since 1977, most recently Iron Fire in 2026. Its overall natural hazard risk is rated Relatively Low — lower risk than most US counties.
Tooele County's highest-rated hazards are wildfire, winter weather, and earthquake, with its top risk rated "Relatively Moderate" by FEMA's National Risk Index. NOAA records 22 storm events in the county over the past decade. Community vulnerability is relatively low (18th 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. Tooele County has been designated in 11 declarations since 1977, covering 5 disaster types including flood (4), fire (3), biological (2).
| Year | Type | Event name |
|---|---|---|
| 2026 | Fire | Iron Fire |
| 2026 | Fire | Cherry Fire |
| 2020 | Biological | Covid-19 Pandemic |
| 2020 | Biological | Covid-19 |
| 2014 | Fire | Anaconda Fire |
| 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 |
Showing the 10 most recent of 11 total declarations since 1977.
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 | 97.3 | 0 | 0 | — |
| Inland Flooding | Very Low | 18.3 | 13 | 0 | $1.6M |
| Coastal Flooding | Not Applicable | — | 0 | 0 | — |
| Earthquake | Relatively Low | 83.6 | — | — | — |
| Heat Wave | Relatively Low | 53.9 | 2 | 0 | — |
| Tornado | Very Low | 13.6 | 0 | 0 | — |
| Hurricane | Not Applicable | — | 0 | 0 | — |
| Hail | Very Low | 11.5 | 7 | 0 | — |
| Strong Wind | Relatively Moderate | 66.5 | 0 | 0 | — |
| Winter Weather | Relatively High | 95.1 | 0 | 0 | — |
| Ice Storm | Very Low | 14.7 | — | — | — |
| Cold Wave | Very Low | 3.5 | — | — | — |
| Lightning | Relatively Moderate | 79.1 | 0 | 0 | — |
| Drought | Relatively Low | 34.6 | 0 | 0 | — |
| Landslide | Very Low | 33.7 | 0 | 0 | — |
| Avalanche | Very Low | 55.7 | — | — | — |
| Tsunami | Not Applicable | — | — | — | — |
| Volcanic Activity | Very Low | 14.3 | — | — | — |
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
Tooele County ranks in the 18th 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 | 18th | Very low |
| Socioeconomic status | 12th | Very low |
| Household characteristics | 32nd | Low |
| Racial & ethnic minority status | 53rd | Moderate |
| Housing type & transportation | 24th | 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 | 31.9% | — |
NOAA tracked 22 weather events in this county over 2016–2025: 2 in 2016–20 vs 20 in 2021–25 .
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 Tooele County?
According to the FEMA National Risk Index, the highest-risk hazards in Tooele County, Utah are wildfire, winter weather, and earthquake. The county's overall natural hazard risk is rated Relatively Low — lower risk than most US counties.
Has Tooele County received federal disaster declarations?
Yes. Tooele County has received 11 federal disaster declarations since 1977, including declarations in 2026. The most common disaster type on record is flood (4 declarations).
Has Tooele County had any FEMA disaster declarations in 2024, 2025, or 2026?
Yes. Recent federal disaster declarations for Tooele County include Iron Fire (2026), Cherry Fire (2026). See the declarations table above for the full history since 1977.
How does Tooele County's natural hazard risk compare to nearby counties?
Among neighboring counties, Salt Lake County, UT has the highest overall natural hazard risk (Relatively High) and Juab County, UT has the lowest (Very Low). Tooele County is rated Relatively Low overall.
How is Tooele County's composite disaster risk index calculated?
Tooele 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. Tooele County's composite score of 49 means its overall natural hazard risk is higher than 49% of US counties.