Wasatch County, UT
FEMA National Risk Index scores, disaster declarations & hazard data
Wasatch County has experienced 11 federally declared disasters since 1977, most recently Flooding in 2024. Its overall natural hazard risk is rated Very Low — among the lowest-risk counties in the country.
Wasatch County's highest-rated hazards are landslide, wildfire, and avalanche, with its top risk rated "Relatively Moderate" by FEMA's National Risk Index. Community vulnerability is relatively low (7th 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. Wasatch County has been designated in 11 declarations since 1977, covering 5 disaster types including flood (6), biological (2), fire (1).
| Year | Type | Event name |
|---|---|---|
| 2024 | Flood | Flooding |
| 2020 | Biological | Covid-19 Pandemic |
| 2020 | Biological | Covid-19 |
| 2018 | Fire | Dollar Ridge Fire |
| 2011 | Flood | Flooding |
| 2005 | Coastal Storm | Hurricane Katrina Evacuation |
| 2005 | Flood | Flooding And Landslides |
| 1986 | Flood | Heavy Rains, Snowmelt & Flooding |
| 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 | 94.2 | 0 | 0 | — |
| Inland Flooding | Very Low | 32.3 | 3 | 0 | $15K |
| Coastal Flooding | Not Applicable | — | 0 | 0 | — |
| Earthquake | Very Low | 59 | 4 | — | — |
| Heat Wave | Very Low | 17.1 | 0 | 0 | — |
| Tornado | Very Low | 11.8 | 1 | 0 | — |
| Hurricane | Not Applicable | — | 0 | 0 | — |
| Hail | Very Low | 5.4 | 2 | 0 | $1K |
| Strong Wind | Relatively Low | 28.5 | 0 | 0 | — |
| Winter Weather | Relatively High | 92.3 | 0 | 0 | — |
| Ice Storm | Very Low | 10.2 | — | — | — |
| Cold Wave | Very Low | 6.9 | — | — | — |
| Lightning | Relatively Moderate | 69.8 | 0 | 0 | — |
| Drought | Very Low | 24.5 | 0 | 0 | — |
| Landslide | Relatively Moderate | 95.6 | 0 | 0 | — |
| Avalanche | Relatively High | 92.5 | — | — | — |
| Tsunami | Not Applicable | — | — | — | — |
| Volcanic Activity | Very Low | 38.4 | — | — | — |
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
Wasatch County ranks in the 7th 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 | 7th | Very low |
| Socioeconomic status | 8th | Very low |
| Household characteristics | 15th | Very low |
| Racial & ethnic minority status | 49th | Low |
| Housing type & transportation | 11th | 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 | 90th | Very High |
| Risk to homes | 94th | Very High |
| Buildings in direct exposure zone | 63.9% | — |
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 Wasatch County?
According to the FEMA National Risk Index, the highest-risk hazards in Wasatch County, Utah are landslide, wildfire, and avalanche. The county's overall natural hazard risk is rated Very Low — among the lowest-risk counties in the country.
Has Wasatch County received federal disaster declarations?
Yes. Wasatch County has received 11 federal disaster declarations since 1977, including declarations in 2024. The most common disaster type on record is flood (6 declarations).
Has Wasatch County had any FEMA disaster declarations in 2024, 2025, or 2026?
Yes. Recent federal disaster declarations for Wasatch County include Flooding (2024). See the declarations table above for the full history since 1977.
How does Wasatch 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 Morgan County, UT has the lowest (Very Low). Wasatch County is rated Very Low overall.
How is Wasatch County's composite disaster risk index calculated?
Wasatch 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. Wasatch County's composite score of 34 means its overall natural hazard risk is higher than 34% of US counties.