Emery County, Utah
County storm and disaster record · FIPS 49015 · population 9,809 · 4,463 sq mi
NOAA's Storm Events Database holds 484 records for Emery County, Utah from 1950 through June 30, 2026, on 364 days; the most frequent are winter storm records (296 records). 376 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 May 11, 2020 flash flood: 2 deaths. FEMA has issued 6 declarations naming the county since 1977, 4 of them for natural hazards; the latest for a natural hazard was “Flooding” on August 8, 2011.
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
- 484on 364 days, 1950 to June 30, 2026
- Deaths recorded
- 1617 injuries
- Damage, 2025 dollars
- $64Mas filed (scale steps before 1993)
- Tornadoes
- 7strongest F2
- FEMA declarations
- 6latest 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 Emery County most?
The most frequent records are winter storm records: 296 since 1996. 41% 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 | 296 | 209 | 1996-2026 | 6 | 4 | $334K | 26 of 29 |
| High wind and dust storms | 58 | 49 | 1996-2025 | 0 | 1 | $592K | 23 of 29 |
| Floods | 52 | 46 | 1997-2026 | 3 | 2 | $1.7M | 18 of 29 |
| Hail | 19 | 16 | 1961-2024 | 0 | 0 | $7K | 19 of 29 |
| Severe thunderstorm wind | 17 | 16 | 1978-2026 | 0 | 1 | $53K | 26 of 29 |
| Landslides and avalanches | 15 | 15 | 2007-2022 | 5 | 2 | $63K | 16 of 29 |
| Wildfires | 9 | 7 | 2012-2018 | 0 | 7 | $61M | 22 of 29 |
| Tornadoes | 7 | 6 | 1961-2021 | 0 | 0 | $246K | 17 of 29 |
| Heavy rain | 4 | 4 | 1996-2007 | 0 | 0 | $85K | 17 of 29 |
| Extreme cold | 3 | 1 | 1998-1998 | 0 | 0 | – | 29 of 29 |
| Heat | 3 | 3 | 2013-2021 | 1 | 0 | – | 11 of 29 |
| Lightning | 1 | 1 | 2011-2011 | 1 | 0 | – | 20 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 Emery County had?
NOAA records 7 tornadoes in Emery County from 1961 to 2021, the strongest rated F2, 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 7 tornadoes whose track touched Emery 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 Emery County (7)
| Date | Place | Character | Killed | Injured | Damage |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2021-07-14 | Huntington, Emery County | EFU 0.09 mi x 10 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2006-06-08 | Green River, Emery County | F0 0.5 mi x 0 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 1991-07-26 | Emery County | F0 0.1 mi x 10 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 1991-07-26 | Emery County | F0 0.1 mi x 10 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 1967-11-02 | Emery County | F2 | 0 | 0 | $25K step |
| 1966-05-09 | Emery County | 0 | 0 | – | |
| 1961-05-04 | Emery County | 0 | 0 | $3K step |
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 Emery County?
The most recent record with damage, injuries or deaths is the February 17, 2026 winter storm ($70,000 in damage in 2025 dollars).
| Date | Record | Character | Killed | Injured | Damage |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026-05-13 | Thunderstorm WindHuntington, Emery County | 53 kt wind | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2026-04-14 | Flash FloodMoore, Emery County | 0 | 0 | – | |
| 2026-04-01 | Flash FloodMoore, Emery County | 0 | 0 | – | |
| 2026-02-18 | Winter WeatherEmery County and 4 more · forecast zone Central Mountains | 0 | 0 | – | |
| 2026-02-17 | Winter StormEmery County and 4 more · forecast zone Central Mountains | 0 | 0 | $70K | |
| 2026-02-16 | Winter StormCarbon County and 5 more · forecast zone Wasatch Plateau/Book Cliffs | 0 | 0 | $80K | |
| 2025-09-26 | Flash FloodMoore, Emery County | 0 | 0 | – | |
| 2025-09-13 | Flash FloodGreen River, Emery County | 0 | 1 | – | |
| 2025-08-26 | Flash FloodGreen River, Emery County | 0 | 0 | – | |
| 2025-08-26 | Flash FloodCleveland, Emery County | 0 | 0 | $35K | |
| 2025-07-29 | Thunderstorm WindOrangeville, Emery County | 65 kt wind | 0 | 0 | $5K |
| 2025-07-29 | Thunderstorm WindOrangeville, Emery County | 54 kt wind | 0 | 0 | – |
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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2020-05-11 | Flash FloodMoore, Emery County Flash flooding occurred in Little Wild Horse, Bell, Crack, and Dang Canyons, with two confirmed fatalities. | 2 | 0 | – | |
| 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 | |
| 2011-03-26 | AvalancheEmery County and 3 more · forecast zone Central Mountains A group of very experienced backcountry skiers went to explore Big Horseshoe Bowl, an area near Ephraim, Utah, on the morning of March 26th. They had read the avalanche forecast, which had an overall hazard of Moderate with pockets of Considerable, so they were being careful, testing different slopes for avalanche ... | 1 | 2 | – | |
| 2021-08-01 | Flash FloodMohrland, Emery County A significant flood wave carrying debris moved down Bear Creek Canyon, sweeping away mining vehicles at the Gentry Mountain Mine. Several miners were caught in the flood waters, with one miner able to save himself by clinging to a tree a quarter mile down the drainage. Another miner was not able to escape the flood ... | 1 | 1 | $1.1M | |
| 2014-02-09 | AvalancheEmery County and 3 more · forecast zone Central Mountains A group of four snowmobilers were recreating near the Left Fork Huntington Creek when one of them became stuck. Another person, a 36-year-old male, circled uphill to come help; he triggered an avalanche that buried him but did not catch the stuck snowmobilers. The other snowmobilers began rescue efforts immediately, ... | 1 | 0 | – |
| 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 | |
| 2012-07-01 | WildfireCarbon County and 5 more · forecast zone Wasatch Plateau/Book Cliffs | 0 | 3 | $1.2M | |
| 2015-04-14 | WildfireEmery County and 3 more · forecast zone Central Mountains | 0 | 0 | $436K | |
| 2000-03-20 | High WindCarbon County and 5 more · forecast zone Wasatch Plateau/Book Cliffs | 65 kt wind | 0 | 1 | $360K |
| 2012-07-01 | WildfireEmery County and 3 more · forecast zone Central Mountains | 0 | 2 | $321K | |
| 2024-10-29 | Winter WeatherCarbon County and 5 more · forecast zone Wasatch Plateau/Book Cliffs | 1 | 2 | $141K | |
| 2026-02-16 | Winter StormCarbon County and 5 more · forecast zone Wasatch Plateau/Book Cliffs | 0 | 0 | $80K |
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 $25K, in the dollars of the day) holds: November 2, 1967 (tornado, Emery 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 Emery 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 | – | – | – | – | 72 | 70 | 88 | 66 |
| High wind and dust storms | – | – | – | – | 5 | 12 | 26 | 15 |
| Floods | – | – | – | – | 4 | 1 | 28 | 19 |
| Hail | 0 | 1 | 0 | 3 | 2 | 7 | 5 | 1 |
| Severe thunderstorm wind | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 2 | 4 | 7 |
| Landslides and avalanches | – | – | – | – | 0 | 1 | 11 | 3 |
Source: NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database, records per calendar decade; zone records from the CZ_TYPE field (Z).
What time of year?
41% 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 69 · Feb 56 · Mar 65 · Apr 38 · May 11 · Jun 26 · Jul 35 · Aug 37 · Sep 19 · Oct 22 · Nov 34 · Dec 72 (records).
Source: NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database, records by the month they began.
Federal disaster declarations for Emery County
FEMA's register lists 6 declarations that include Emery County: 3 major disasters, 3 emergencies and 0 fire management assistance declarations. Most were for biological (2) and flood (2).
| Declared | Number | Type | Title |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2020-04-04 | DR-4525 | Biological | Covid-19 Pandemic |
| 2020-03-13 | EM-3478 | Biological | Covid-19 |
| 2011-08-08 | DR-4011 | Flood | Flooding |
| 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 Emery County had?
NOAA's Storm Events Database holds 52 flood or flash flood records for Emery County from 1997 to 2026, on 46 days, with 3 deaths. By flood insurance claims since 1978 (OpenFEMA, as of September 8, 2026), Emery County ranks 2523rd of 2,942 U.S. counties.
The National Flood Insurance Program has paid $12,000 on 6 claims filed in Emery County; the most in one year was 2 in 2006. Claims count insured losses only: uninsured flood damage is not in this file.
The values, year by year
1979: 1 · 1996: 1 · 2006: 2 · 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 Emery County
FEMA's National Risk Index rates Emery County Very Low overall, with an expected annual loss of $3.6 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 High | $1.0M | 46 a year (modeled) |
| Winter Weather | Relatively Moderate | $100K | 10 a year (modeled) |
| Landslide | Relatively Low | $16K | 3.4 a year (modeled) |
| Avalanche | Relatively Low | $16K | once in about 6 years (modeled) |
| Earthquake | Relatively Low | $613K | once in about 165 years (modeled) |
| Drought | Relatively Low | $67K | 114 modeled event-days a year |
| Wildfire | Very Low | $77K | once in about 2,443 years (modeled) |
| Volcanic Activity | Very Low | $4 | once in about 5,000 years (modeled) |
Source: FEMA National Risk Index, county table, December 2025 release. FEMA's National Risk Index map.
Counties that share a border with Emery 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 Emery CountyThe hazard risk calculator: 18 hazards beside the county's record
- Download Emery County's FEMA declarations (CSV)6 rows: every declaration that named the county, for your own analysis