Carbon County, Utah
County storm and disaster record · FIPS 49007 · population 20,381 · 1,479 sq mi
NOAA's Storm Events Database holds 293 records for Carbon County, Utah from 1950 through June 30, 2026, on 256 days; the most frequent are winter storm records (186 records). 231 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 July 30, 2006 flash flood: 2 deaths and 1 injury. FEMA has issued 5 declarations naming the county since 1977, 3 of them for natural hazards; the latest for a natural hazard was “Hurricane Katrina Evacuation” on September 5, 2005.
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
- 293on 256 days, 1950 to June 30, 2026
- Deaths recorded
- 1010 injuries
- Damage, 2025 dollars
- $72Mas filed (scale steps before 1993)
- Tornadoes
- 2strongest EF0
- FEMA declarations
- 5latest 2020
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 Carbon County most?
The most frequent records are winter storm records: 186 since 1996. 42% of its winter storm records since 1996 fell in December and January. 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.
| Hazard | Records | Days | First, last | Killed | Injured | Damage | Rank in state |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Winter storms | 186 | 159 | 1996-2026 | 6 | 4 | $264K | 16 of 29 |
| High wind and dust storms | 33 | 31 | 1996-2025 | 0 | 1 | $590K | 19 of 29 |
| Hail | 24 | 21 | 1985-2025 | 0 | 0 | $67K | 6 of 29 |
| Floods | 20 | 20 | 1996-2024 | 2 | 1 | $11M | 14 of 29 |
| Severe thunderstorm wind | 13 | 13 | 1988-2026 | 0 | 0 | $508K | 18 of 29 |
| Wildfires | 6 | 5 | 2012-2018 | 0 | 3 | $60M | 12 of 29 |
| Landslides and avalanches | 4 | 4 | 2007-2023 | 1 | 0 | $4K | 19 of 29 |
| Extreme cold | 2 | 1 | 1998-1998 | 0 | 0 | – | 21 of 29 |
| Tornadoes | 2 | 2 | 2001-2010 | 0 | 0 | $34K | 16 of 29 |
| Heat | 1 | 1 | 2021-2021 | 0 | 0 | – | 10 of 29 |
| Heavy rain | 1 | 1 | 2006-2006 | 0 | 0 | – | 20 of 29 |
| Lightning | 1 | 1 | 2011-2011 | 1 | 1 | – | 12 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 Carbon County had?
NOAA records 2 tornadoes in Carbon County from 2001 to 2010, the strongest rated EF0, with 0 deaths and 0 injuries recorded in the county. 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 2 tornadoes whose track touched Carbon County since 1950 (NOAA's county records number 2, the same count); along their whole tracks they killed 0 people.
Map of the strongest tornado tracks in Utah.
Every tornado record filed for Carbon County (2)
| Date | Place | Character | Killed | Injured | Damage |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2010-07-26 | Carbon Co Airport, Carbon County | EF0 0.12 mi x 15 yd | 0 | 0 | $34K |
| 2001-07-25 | Price, Carbon County | F0 0.5 mi x 20 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
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 Carbon County?
The most recent record with damage, injuries or deaths is the February 16, 2026 winter storm ($80,000 in damage in 2025 dollars).
| Date | Record | Character | Killed | Injured | Damage |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026-05-13 | Thunderstorm WindWattis Jct, Carbon County | 51 kt wind | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2026-02-16 | Winter StormCarbon County and 5 more · forecast zone Wasatch Plateau/Book Cliffs | 0 | 0 | $80K | |
| 2025-08-14 | Thunderstorm WindCarbon Co Airport, Carbon County | 53 kt wind | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2025-08-06 | Thunderstorm WindColumbia Jct, Carbon County | 53 kt wind | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2025-06-06 | HailEast Carbon City, Carbon County | 1.00 in hail | 0 | 0 | $20K |
| 2025-03-18 | High WindCarbon County and 2 more · forecast zone Castle Country | 63 kt wind | 0 | 0 | $25K |
| 2025-03-13 | Heavy SnowCarbon County and 5 more · forecast zone Wasatch Plateau/Book Cliffs | 0 | 0 | – | |
| 2025-03-05 | Heavy SnowCarbon County and 5 more · forecast zone Wasatch Plateau/Book Cliffs | 0 | 0 | – | |
| 2025-02-13 | Heavy SnowCarbon County and 5 more · forecast zone Wasatch Plateau/Book Cliffs | 0 | 0 | – | |
| 2024-10-29 | Winter WeatherCarbon County and 5 more · forecast zone Wasatch Plateau/Book Cliffs | 1 | 2 | $141K | |
| 2022-12-27 | Heavy SnowCarbon County and 5 more · forecast zone Wasatch Plateau/Book Cliffs | 1 | 2 | $40K | |
| 2018-08-01 | WildfireCarbon County and 5 more · forecast zone Wasatch Plateau/Book Cliffs | 0 | 0 | $29M |
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
| Date | Record | Character | Killed | Injured | Damage |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006-07-30 | Flash FloodHelper, Carbon County Flash Flood in Garleys Canyon. SUV with 5 occupants (2 adults, 3 children) overtaken by flood waters. 5 year old boy and 1 year old boy drowned. 3 year old girl sustained non-life threatening injuries. 2 adults uninjured. | 2 | 1 | – | |
| 1998-02-07 | Heavy SnowCarbon County and Emery County · forecast zone P Sc Carbon/Nw Emery T X Nw Periods of heavy snow occurred in the state. Numerous traffic accidents resulted in injuries and 2 fatalities. Brighton and Solitude had 33" of snow and Enterprise had 14" for the highest storm totals. | 2 | 0 | – | |
| 1997-03-31 | Winter StormCarbon County and 5 more · forecast zone Wasatch Plateau/Book Cliffs A strong cold front roared through Utah on this date. High winds and local heavy snowfall were the main weather problems with this system. 6-14" of snow accumulated in the northern mountains and 2-6" elsewhere. High winds caused extensive damage. Some peak wind gusts were: Logan Peak (9600' ASL) 95 mph (83 kts), ... | 2 | 0 | – | |
| 2024-10-29 | Winter WeatherCarbon County and 5 more · forecast zone Wasatch Plateau/Book Cliffs A pickup truck collided head-on with a semitrailer after the driver of the pickup truck lost control on state Route 96. Archived liquid precipitation measurements suggest around 0.2-0.5 had fallen in the area by that point, with National Operational Hydrologic Remote Sensing Center data indicating a snow depth of 2-4 ... | 1 | 2 | $141K | |
| 2022-12-27 | Heavy SnowCarbon County and 5 more · forecast zone Wasatch Plateau/Book Cliffs Media reports indicated a fatal head-on crash in snow occurred around 10:50 a.m. Road conditions from the nearest road weather sensor (US-40 @ Daniels Summit) indicated wind gusts peaked at 28 mph at 10 a.m. Road grip was decreased from 9:45 a.m. through the remainder of the morning, and was at it's lowest at 10:25 ... | 1 | 2 | $40K | |
| 2011-07-13 | LightningUtah Railway Jct, Carbon County A fast-moving thunderstorm moved through the Scofield Scout Camp on the morning of July 13th. Lightning struck two of the scouts as they were trying to return to their campsite; one of them, a 12-year-old male, was killed. The other scout suffered burns, but survived. | 1 | 1 | – | |
| 2007-02-17 | AvalancheCarbon County and 5 more · forecast zone Wasatch Plateau/Book Cliffs Human-triggered avalanche on Tower Mountain claimed the life of a snowmobiler. | 1 | 0 | – | |
| 2012-07-01 | WildfireCarbon County and 5 more · forecast zone Wasatch Plateau/Book Cliffs The Church Camp Fire began on June 24th, approximately 22 miles south of Duchesne, Utah. The cause of the fire is unknown, but it was believed to be human-caused. The fire caused the evacuation of Argyle Canyon, a popular summer cabin and recreation area. A total of 7,211 acres were burned before the fire was 100% ... | 0 | 3 | $1.2M |
| Date | Record | Character | Killed | Injured | Damage |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2018-07-01 | WildfireCarbon County and 5 more · forecast zone Wasatch Plateau/Book Cliffs | 0 | 0 | $29M | |
| 2018-08-01 | WildfireCarbon County and 5 more · forecast zone Wasatch Plateau/Book Cliffs | 0 | 0 | $29M | |
| 2016-09-22 | Flash FloodEast Carbon City, Carbon County | 0 | 0 | $4.9M | |
| 2014-08-04 | Flash FloodCarbon Co Airport, Carbon County | 0 | 0 | $3.4M | |
| 2014-09-27 | Flash FloodJacobs, Carbon County | 0 | 0 | $1.4M | |
| 2012-07-01 | WildfireCarbon County and 5 more · forecast zone Wasatch Plateau/Book Cliffs | 0 | 3 | $1.2M | |
| 2002-09-12 | Flash FloodSunnyside, Carbon County | 0 | 0 | $820K | |
| 2002-06-21 | Thunderstorm WindPrice, Carbon County | 50 kt wind | 0 | 0 | $492K |
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 Carbon 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).
| Hazard | 1950s | 1960s | 1970s | 1980s | 1990s | 2000s | 2010s | 2020-26 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Winter storms | – | – | – | – | 65 | 47 | 39 | 35 |
| High wind and dust storms | – | – | – | – | 3 | 7 | 10 | 13 |
| Hail | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 1 | 10 | 6 | 5 |
| Floods | – | – | – | – | 3 | 2 | 10 | 5 |
| Severe thunderstorm wind | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 3 | 6 |
Source: NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database, records per calendar decade; zone records from the CZ_TYPE field (Z).
What time of year?
42% of its winter storm records since 1996 fell in December and January. The two busiest months are in violet.
The values, month by month
Jan 46 · Feb 38 · Mar 34 · Apr 18 · May 8 · Jun 19 · Jul 17 · Aug 18 · Sep 15 · Oct 15 · Nov 20 · Dec 45 (records).
Source: NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database, records by the month they began.
Federal disaster declarations for Carbon County
FEMA's register lists 5 declarations that include Carbon County: 2 major disasters, 3 emergencies and 0 fire management assistance declarations. Most were for biological (2) and coastal storm (1).
| Declared | Number | Type | Title |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2020-04-04 | DR-4525 | Biological | Covid-19 Pandemic |
| 2020-03-13 | EM-3478 | Biological | Covid-19 |
| 2005-09-05 | EM-3223 | Coastal Storm | Hurricane Katrina Evacuation |
| 1983-04-30 | DR-680 | Flood | Severe Storms, Landslides & Flooding |
| 1977-01-20 | EM-3024 | Drought | Drought |
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 Carbon County had?
NOAA's Storm Events Database holds 20 flood or flash flood records for Carbon County from 1996 to 2024, on 20 days, with 2 deaths. By flood insurance claims since 1978 (OpenFEMA, as of September 8, 2026), Carbon County ranks 2400th of 2,942 U.S. counties.
The National Flood Insurance Program has paid $332,000 on 9 claims filed in Carbon County; the most in one year was 2 in 2014. Claims count insured losses only: uninsured flood damage is not in this file.
The values, year by year
1988: 1 · 1997: 1 · 2014: 2 · 2016: 2 · 2021: 1 · 2025: 1 · 2026: 1; 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 Carbon County
FEMA's National Risk Index rates Carbon County Very Low overall, with an expected annual loss of $4.5 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.
| Hazard | Risk rating | Expected annual loss | Modeled frequency |
|---|---|---|---|
| Lightning | Relatively Moderate | $541K | 52 a year (modeled) |
| Winter Weather | Relatively Moderate | $103K | 28 a year (modeled) |
| Landslide | Relatively Low | $16K | 1.7 a year (modeled) |
| Wildfire | Relatively Low | $140K | once in about 1,259 years (modeled) |
| Earthquake | Relatively Low | $623K | once in about 165 years (modeled) |
| Avalanche | Very Low | $2K | once in about 30 years (modeled) |
| Volcanic Activity | Very Low | $5 | once in about 10,000 years (modeled) |
| Drought | Very Low | $29K | 89 modeled event-days a year |
Source: FEMA National Risk Index, county table, December 2025 release. FEMA's National Risk Index map.
Counties that share a border with Carbon County
Source: U.S. Census Bureau county adjacency file; NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database, records since 1950. The Census Bureau's adjacency file.
Next
- Tornadoes in UtahEvery Utah tornado since 1950 and the counties with the most per square mile
- Winter storms in UtahThe state's winter storm records, by county, year and month
- The Utah recordEvery hazard in the state, its deadliest events and its federal declarations
- FEMA's risk rating for each hazard in Carbon CountyThe hazard risk calculator: 18 hazards beside the county's record
- Download Carbon County's FEMA declarations (CSV)5 rows: every declaration that named the county, for your own analysis