Beaver County, Utah

County storm and disaster record · FIPS 49001 · population 7,072 · 2,583 sq mi

NOAA's Storm Events Database holds 544 records for Beaver County, Utah from 1950 through June 30, 2026, on 442 days; the most frequent are winter storm records (342 records). 465 of them are forecast-zone records, which the National Weather Service files once per zone: a county covered by several zones receives each one, so a single storm can add several records on the same day. The deadliest single record is the January 8, 2005 avalanche, filed for the forecast zone X Nw Kane/Xs Xe Iron/N W Washington/Nw Wc Garfield/Piute/W Wayne/Sevier T C/X E Millard/S Sanpete T Sc/X Se Juab/P X Nw Emery/X E Beaver, which covers the county: 2 deaths. FEMA has issued 8 declarations naming the county since 1977, 6 of them for natural hazards; the latest for a natural hazard was “Cottonwood Fire” on June 23, 2026.

The record, 1950 to 2026

Storm records filed for the county each year (2026 to June 30, 2026). Before 1996 NOAA recorded only tornadoes (from 1950), thunderstorm wind and hail (from 1955).

  • recorded, no damage figure
  • under $100,000
  • $100,000 or more
  • $1 million or more
  • $10 million or more, or a death
  • $100 million or more, or 10 deaths
  • a year's colour: its recorded damage or deaths
  • a year with a death
  • 1955: wind and hail recorded from 1955
  • 1996: all 48 event types from 1996
Storm records
544on 442 days, 1950 to June 30, 2026
Deaths recorded
791 injuries
Damage, 2025 dollars
$66Mas filed (scale steps before 1993)
Tornadoes
7strongest EF0
FEMA declarations
8latest 2026

Source: NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database, records through June 30, 2026 (file revision 20260918); damage converted to 2025 dollars with the BLS CPI-U. Search the record at NCEI. BLS consumer price index.

What hazards hit Beaver County most?

The most frequent records are winter storm records: 342 since 1996. The rank column places the county among Utah's counties by days with a record per 1,000 square miles of land over each hazard's complete period.

Beaver County: records by hazard, 1950 to June 30, 2026
HazardRecordsDaysFirst, lastKilledInjuredDamageRank in state
Winter storms 342 263 1996-2026 4 50 $3.7M 19 of 29
High wind and dust storms 102 97 1996-2026 0 31 $4.1M 13 of 29
Severe thunderstorm wind 56 55 1956-2026 0 0 $36K 10 of 29
Floods 9 9 1998-2021 0 0 $28K 25 of 29
Wildfires 8 8 2012-2026 0 5 $42M 15 of 29
Tornadoes 7 7 1982-2012 0 0 $92 8 of 29
Hail 6 6 1981-2021 0 3 $53K 26 of 29
Landslides and avalanches 5 5 2005-2019 3 0 $16M 22 of 29
Extreme cold 4 3 1998-2005 0 0 $36K 14 of 29
Heavy rain 3 2 2005-2021 0 0 – 18 of 29
Lightning 1 1 2017-2017 0 2 – 16 of 29
Fog, smoke and funnel clouds 1 1 2004-2004 0 0 – 16 of 29

Source: NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database (county and forecast-zone records attributed to the county; a zone record shows its own totals on each county it covers). Days: dates with at least one record of the hazard in the county. Ranks: days with a record per 1,000 square miles of land (Census Bureau 2024 Gazetteer), since 1950 for tornadoes, 1955 for hail and thunderstorm wind, 1996 for the rest.

How many tornadoes has Beaver County had?

NOAA records 7 tornadoes in Beaver County from 1982 to 2012, the strongest rated EF0, with 0 deaths and 0 injuries recorded in the county. That is 8th of 29 Utah counties by days with tornadoes per 1,000 square miles since 1950. A tornado that crossed a county line is counted in each county it touched, with the length of its path inside the county.

Counted as whole tornadoes rather than county records, the Storm Prediction Center's database holds 7 tornadoes whose track touched Beaver County since 1950 (NOAA's county records number 7, the same count); along their whole tracks they killed 0 people.

Map of the strongest tornado tracks in Utah.

Every tornado record filed for Beaver County (7)
Every tornado recorded in Beaver County, newest first
DatePlaceCharacterKilledInjuredDamage
2012-08-21 Newhouse, Beaver County EF0 0.07 mi x 1 yd 0 0 –
2009-05-24 Milford, Beaver County EF0 0.1 mi x 10 yd 0 0 –
2001-09-04 Milford, Beaver County F0 5 mi x 20 yd 0 0 –
1992-05-21 Beaver County F0 0.3 mi x 13 yd 0 0 –
1991-09-07 Beaver County F0 0.1 mi x 10 yd 0 0 –
1982-05-03 Beaver County F0 0.1 mi x 10 yd 0 0 $30 step
1982-03-29 Beaver County F0 0.1 mi x 33 yd 0 0 –

A damage figure marked "step" is a record from before 1993: NOAA then filed damage by category, and the figure is the category as entered, in the dollars of that year, not an estimate of the loss.

Source: NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database, tornado records by county (path length in the county, maximum width); ratings as published: F scale before February 1, 2007, EF scale after. Whole-track figures: NOAA Storm Prediction Center tornado database (1950-2025). SPC severe weather database.

When was the last damaging storm in Beaver County?

The most recent record with damage, injuries or deaths is the February 18, 2026 winter weather (2 injuries and $300,000 in damage in 2025 dollars).

Snow Squall. Numerous mesonet sensors across southwest Utah reported snow squall conditions, including heavy snow, wind gusts between 30 to 60 mph, visibility between 0.10 to 0.25 miles, and very low road grips indicative of a flash freeze. Multiple crashes were reported near mile post 54 and resulted in 2 minor injuries. 4 semi trucks were involved in the accident, and one jackknifed.
National Weather Service event narrative, NOAA Storm Events Database (search the full record, event 1306284)
The 12 most recent records kept for Beaver County
DateRecordCharacterKilledInjuredDamage
2026-06-22 WildfireBeaver County and 6 more · forecast zone Southern Mountains 0 0 –
2026-04-12 Thunderstorm WindPine Creek, Beaver County 56 kt wind 0 0 –
2026-04-12 Thunderstorm WindMilford Municipal Ar, Beaver County 50 kt wind 0 0 –
2026-02-19 Heavy SnowBeaver County and 6 more · forecast zone Southern Mountains 0 0 –
2026-02-18 Winter WeatherBeaver County and 6 more · forecast zone Southern Mountains 0 0 –
2026-02-18 Winter WeatherBeaver County and 6 more · forecast zone Southern Mountains 0 0 –
2026-02-18 Winter WeatherBeaver County and 2 more · forecast zone Southwest Utah 0 2 $300K
2026-02-17 Winter StormBeaver County and 2 more · forecast zone Southwest Utah 0 0 $80K
2026-02-16 Heavy SnowBeaver County and 6 more · forecast zone Southern Mountains 0 0 –
2026-01-09 High WindBeaver County and 2 more · forecast zone Southwest Utah 52 kt wind 0 0 –
2025-06-30 Thunderstorm WindMilford Municipal Ar, Beaver County 51 kt wind 0 0 –
2025-06-19 WildfireBeaver County and 6 more · forecast zone Southern Mountains 0 0 $35M

Source: NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database; every record of 2025-2026 is listed, earlier ones when they caused deaths, injuries or $250,000 of damage (2025 dollars), and every tornado.

The deadliest and costliest records

Records with deaths or injuries in Beaver County, most deaths first
DateRecordCharacterKilledInjuredDamage
2005-01-08 AvalancheBeaver County and 9 more · forecast zone X Nw Kane/Xs Xe Iron/N W Washington/Nw Wc Garfield/Piute/W Wayne/Sevier T C/X E Millard/S Sanpete T Sc/X Se Juab/P X Nw Emery/X E Beaver A stalled storm system just off the southern California coast was able to tap abundant tropical moisture from the central Equatorial Pacific Ocean and dump copious amounts of rain and wet snow on many portions of Utah. The relatively warm air ahead of the storm raised snow levels and rain fell on an already deep ... 2 0 –
2003-12-28 Winter StormBeaver County and 9 more · forecast zone Central And Southwest Mountains Another potent winter storm hit much of Utah, with the northern part of the state the hardest hit. Weather was believed to be the main factor in 2 traffic fatalities. Several hundred minor accidents and fender benders occurred up and down the Wasatch Front, with no major injuries reported. Strong south winds ahead of ... 2 0 –
2024-01-06 Winter WeatherBeaver County and 2 more · forecast zone Southwest Utah At approximately 1:20 am MST on 1/6, an incident was reported to law enforcement of an accident involving an F-150 pickup truck travelling on southbound I-15 near milepost 81, just north of Paragonah. Utah State Highway Patrol concluded that the driver lost control of the vehicle on black ice, causing the vehicle to ... 1 3 $47K
2016-03-26 Winter WeatherBeaver County and Iron County · forecast zone Southwest Utah A period of snowfall, with minor accumulations, led to slick roads along Interstate 15 in southern Utah in the early morning hours of March 26. These slick roads were a factor in several accidents near Beaver, Utah, including a rollover accident that led to two injuries and one fatality. The victim who passed away was ... 1 2 –
2007-02-17 AvalancheBeaver County and 9 more · forecast zone Central And Southwest Mountains Human triggered avalanche on Signal Peak claimed the life of a snowmobiler. 1 0 –
1999-04-08 Winter StormBeaver County and 9 more · forecast zone X Nw Kane/Xs Xe Iron/N W Washington/Nw Wc Garfield/Piute/W Wayne/Sevier T C/X E Millard/S Sanpete T Sc/X Se Juab/P X Nw Emery/X E Beaver Another vigorous storm brought great powder to all of Utah's mountains, with heavy snow also in the northern valleys. Gusty winds also blew ahead of the front. The storm was even cold enough to bring the first April snowfall in 72 years to St. George, where a light dusting of about half an inch was reported. The storm ... 0 19 $18K
2017-03-05 High WindBeaver County and Iron County · forecast zone Southwest Utah Maximum recorded wind gusts included 70 mph at the Milford Municipal Airport/Ben and Judy Briscoe Field ASOS, 67 mph at the Cedar City Regional Airport ASOS, 65 mph at Enterprise, and 65 mph at Brimstone Reservoir. Tree and fence damage was reported at multiple locations, including Enoch, Fillmore, and Cedar City. In ... 61 kt wind 0 10 $96K
2014-04-25 High WindBeaver County and Iron County · forecast zone Southwest Utah The peak recorded wind gust across southwest Utah was 61 mph at the Milford ASOS. In addition, these strong winds caused low visibilities in blowing dust. On Interstate 15 between Parowan and Beaver, this led to accidents involving 13 vehicles, resulting in multiple injuries. 53 kt wind 0 10 –
The costliest records in Beaver County since 1993, damage in 2025 dollars
DateRecordCharacterKilledInjuredDamage
2025-06-19 WildfireBeaver County and 6 more · forecast zone Southern Mountains 0 0 $35M
2011-10-08 Debris FlowBeaver County and 6 more · forecast zone Southern Mountains 0 0 $16M
2002-04-15 High WindBeaver County and 9 more · forecast zone X Nw Kane/Xs Xe Iron/N W Washington/Nw Wc Garfield/Piute/W Wayne/Sevier T C/X E Millard/S Sanpete T Sc/X Se Juab/P X Nw Emery/X E Beaver 75 kt wind 0 10 $3.4M
2017-06-17 WildfireBeaver County and 6 more · forecast zone Southern Mountains 0 0 $2.4M
2017-07-01 WildfireBeaver County and 6 more · forecast zone Southern Mountains 0 0 $2.4M
2012-06-27 WildfireBeaver County and Iron County · forecast zone Southwest Utah 0 1 $1.9M
2024-02-13 Winter WeatherBeaver County and 2 more · forecast zone Southwest Utah 0 0 $941K
1998-11-08 Winter StormBeaver County and Iron County · forecast zone Beaver T X E/Iron T Xs Xe 0 10 $905K

Before 1993 NOAA filed damage by category, not amount, so the list above starts in 1993. The highest category filed here before then (entered as $30, in the dollars of the day) holds: May 3, 1982 (tornado, Beaver County).

Source: NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database: deaths and injuries direct and indirect; damage is property plus crops as estimated by the National Weather Service, converted to 2025 dollars.

Is it getting more frequent?

Records per decade for Beaver County's most frequent hazards. Counts rose everywhere after 1996, when NOAA began recording every event type, so compare decades within a hazard's complete period only (the shaded cells come before it).

Beaver County: records per decade (the 2020s to June 30, 2026)
Hazard1950s1960s1970s1980s1990s2000s2010s2020-26
Winter storms––––911138355
High wind and dust storms––––9204429
Severe thunderstorm wind1357091021

Source: NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database, records per calendar decade; zone records from the CZ_TYPE field (Z).

What time of year?

Records by month in Beaver County. The two busiest months are in violet.

The values, month by month

Jan 67 · Feb 78 · Mar 73 · Apr 60 · May 28 · Jun 31 · Jul 27 · Aug 19 · Sep 12 · Oct 27 · Nov 42 · Dec 80 (records).

Source: NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database, records by the month they began.

Federal disaster declarations for Beaver County

FEMA's register lists 8 declarations that include Beaver County: 4 major disasters, 3 emergencies and one fire management assistance declaration. Most were for flood (3) and biological (2).

Declarations including Beaver County, newest first
DeclaredNumberTypeTitle
2026-06-23FM-5640FireCottonwood Fire
2020-04-04DR-4525BiologicalCovid-19 Pandemic
2020-03-13EM-3478BiologicalCovid-19
2011-08-08DR-4011FloodFlooding
2005-09-05EM-3223Coastal StormHurricane Katrina Evacuation
2005-08-01DR-1598FloodFlooding and Landslides
1983-04-30DR-680FloodSevere Storms, Landslides & Flooding
1977-01-20EM-3024DroughtDrought

Source: FEMA OpenFEMA Disaster Declarations Summaries (v2), declarations through October 2, 2026; one declaration is counted once however many areas it names. OpenFEMA dataset page.

How many floods has Beaver County had?

NOAA's Storm Events Database holds 9 flood or flash flood records for Beaver County from 1998 to 2021, on 9 days, with 0 deaths. By flood insurance claims since 1978 (OpenFEMA, as of September 8, 2026), Beaver County ranks 2685th of 2,942 U.S. counties.

The National Flood Insurance Program has paid $20,000 on 3 claims filed in Beaver County; the most in one year was 2 in 2026. Claims count insured losses only: uninsured flood damage is not in this file.

The values, year by year

1983: 1 · 2026: 2; the other years: 0.

Source: FEMA OpenFEMA NFIP Redacted Claims, as of September 8, 2026; claims by year of loss, payments in the dollars of the year paid. OpenFEMA dataset page.

FEMA's modeled risk for Beaver County

FEMA's National Risk Index rates Beaver County Very Low overall, with an expected annual loss of $4.8 million. These are FEMA's model estimates of future loss from 18 hazards, not a count of what happened; they can differ from the record above.

National Risk Index ratings for Beaver County (December 2025 release), by FEMA's rating, then score
HazardRisk ratingExpected annual lossModeled frequency
Winter WeatherRelatively High$274K19 a year (modeled)
LandslideRelatively Moderate$85K1.5 a year (modeled)
AvalancheRelatively Moderate$1.0Monce in about 15 years (modeled)
WildfireRelatively Low$684Konce in about 242 years (modeled)
EarthquakeRelatively Low$1.1Monce in about 67 years (modeled)
DroughtRelatively Low$210K71 modeled event-days a year
LightningRelatively Low$196K39 a year (modeled)
Volcanic ActivityVery Low$3once in about 3,333 years (modeled)

Source: FEMA National Risk Index, county table, December 2025 release. FEMA's National Risk Index map.

Counties that share a border with Beaver County

  1. Garfield County 613
  2. Iron County 577
  3. Millard County 565
  4. Beaver County 544
  5. Sevier County 395
  6. Piute County 292
  7. Lincoln County, NV 284

Source: U.S. Census Bureau county adjacency file; NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database, records since 1950. The Census Bureau's adjacency file.

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