Utah County, UT
FEMA National Risk Index scores, disaster declarations & hazard data
Utah County has experienced 13 federally declared disasters since 1983, most recently Iron Fire in 2026. Its overall natural hazard risk is rated Relatively High — higher risk than most US counties.
Utah County's highest-rated hazards are lightning, wildfire, and earthquake, with its top risk rated "Very High" by FEMA's National Risk Index. Recorded storm events have increased 64% over the past five years compared to the prior five-year period. Community vulnerability is relatively low (26th 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. Utah County has been designated in 13 declarations since 1983, covering 4 disaster types including fire (6), flood (4), biological (2).
| Year | Type | Event name |
|---|---|---|
| 2026 | Fire | Iron Fire |
| 2024 | Flood | Flooding |
| 2020 | Fire | Knolls Fire |
| 2020 | Fire | Ether Hollow Fire |
| 2020 | Biological | Covid-19 Pandemic |
| 2020 | Biological | Covid-19 |
| 2018 | Fire | Bald Mountain Fire |
| 2012 | Fire | Dump Fire |
| 2011 | Flood | Flooding |
| 2005 | Coastal Storm | Hurricane Katrina Evacuation |
Showing the 10 most recent of 13 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 | 98.9 | 0 | 0 | — |
| Inland Flooding | Relatively Moderate | 90.5 | 18 | 0 | $1.0M |
| Coastal Flooding | Not Applicable | — | 0 | 0 | — |
| Earthquake | Relatively High | 98.8 | 4 | — | — |
| Heat Wave | Relatively Moderate | 94.3 | 3 | 1 | — |
| Tornado | Relatively Low | 52.6 | 0 | 0 | — |
| Hurricane | Not Applicable | — | 0 | 0 | — |
| Hail | Very Low | 31.7 | 10 | 0 | $105K |
| Strong Wind | Relatively High | 87.9 | 0 | 0 | — |
| Winter Weather | Relatively High | 93.8 | 0 | 0 | — |
| Ice Storm | Relatively Low | 50.8 | — | — | — |
| Cold Wave | Relatively Low | 42.3 | — | — | — |
| Lightning | Very High | 99.1 | 1 | 0 | — |
| Drought | Relatively Moderate | 67.7 | 0 | 0 | — |
| Landslide | Relatively Low | 76 | 5 | 0 | $159K |
| Avalanche | Relatively High | 93 | — | — | — |
| Tsunami | Not Applicable | — | — | — | — |
| Volcanic Activity | Very Low | 70.7 | — | — | — |
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
Utah County ranks in the 26th 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 | 26th | Low |
| Socioeconomic status | 18th | Very low |
| Household characteristics | 20th | Very low |
| Racial & ethnic minority status | 52nd | Moderate |
| Housing type & transportation | 50th | 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 | 96th | Very High |
| Risk to homes | 97th | Very High |
| Buildings in direct exposure zone | 17.3% | — |
NOAA tracked 37 weather events in this county over 2016–2025: 14 in 2016–20 vs 23 in 2021–25 (+64% — 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 Utah County?
According to the FEMA National Risk Index, the highest-risk hazards in Utah County, Utah are lightning, wildfire, and earthquake. The county's overall natural hazard risk is rated Relatively High — higher risk than most US counties.
Has Utah County received federal disaster declarations?
Yes. Utah County has received 13 federal disaster declarations since 1983, including declarations in 2026. The most common disaster type on record is fire (6 declarations).
Has Utah County had any FEMA disaster declarations in 2024, 2025, or 2026?
Yes. Recent federal disaster declarations for Utah County include Iron Fire (2026), Flooding (2024). See the declarations table above for the full history since 1983.
How does Utah 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 Carbon County, UT has the lowest (Very Low). Utah County is rated Relatively High overall.
How is Utah County's composite disaster risk index calculated?
Utah 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. Utah County's composite score of 95 means its overall natural hazard risk is higher than 95% of US counties.