FEMA Records
7
Low volume
Utah · FEMA + NOAA + National Risk Index
Garfield County, UT
7 FEMA disaster declarations (1977-2021), with a FEMA National Risk Index rating of Very Low. Most common hazard: Biological.
- 7
- FEMA declarations
- 3
- Major disasters
- 38
- NRI risk · Very Low
- Biological
- Top hazard
The verdict
Start with the local benchmark for Garfield County: 7 FEMA declaration records are 17% below the Utah county mean, even though the count is higher than 4% of counties in the national registry. On FEMA's distinct National Risk Index model, which combines expected loss with vulnerability and resilience, the county ranks safer than 38%.
- Safer than 38%
- of U.S. counties for FEMA National Risk Index score
- Very Low
- FEMA National Risk Index rating
- 7
- FEMA declarations vs 21 national county avg
- 1
- NFIP flood insurance claims filed
FEMA's National Risk Index and its declaration registry are separate measures. This county's registry includes Fire Management Assistance (FM) records, which are not presidential disaster declarations, alongside Major Disaster (DR) and Emergency (EM) records.
FEMA OpenFEMA declaration desk
County FIPS 49017 · Garfield County 7 declarations · rank 3127/3,266
DECL-LIGHT · MAJOR-LIGHT · RANK-LOWER · PHOTO-FINISH · NRI-LOW · ACT-MODERATE · TYPE-LEAD · VS-ST-BELOW
- DECL-LIGHT 7
- MAJOR-LIGHT 43%
- RANK-LOWER #3,127
- PHOTO-FINISH Clinton
- NRI-LOW Very Low
- ACT-MODERATE Moderate
- TYPE-LEAD Biological
- VS-ST-BELOW -17%
Nearest declaration peer: Clinton, IL (0 declaration gap)
FEMA Disaster Declarations Summaries v2 filing stamps for this county register. Read with this county → · Utah state profile
Garfield County among counties with fewer federal records
FEMA declaration records among Garfield County and nearest peers by total count
- Los Angeles · largest
Los Angeles · largest
88 declarations
- Clinton · near 7
Clinton · near
7 declarations
- Garfield · this county 7
Garfield · this county
7 declarations
- Lea · near 7
Lea · near
7 declarations
- Marinette · near 7
Marinette · near
7 declarations
- Ujelang · smallest 1
Ujelang · smallest
1 declarations
What this shows Garfield County carries 7 FEMA declaration records, ranked 3127 of 3,266 counties in this registry.
Garfield County versus quieter counties in this dataset
Garfield County among lower-declaration counties nationally
FEMA disaster declarations, all-time · Garfield County
7 4th percentile higher than 4% of 3,266 counties
Each bar is a band; taller bars hold more counties. The dashed line + filled bar mark this entry. Hover or tap any bar for its full count, share, and where it sits relative to this entry.
Source FEMA Disaster Declarations Summaries v2 · 2026-08-25
Garfield County's FEMA Risk Index score
Which hazard drives modeled loss here?
FEMA's modeled annual dollar loss for Garfield County is led by Riverine Flooding (about $5.6M Expected Annual Loss, Historical Loss Ratio Relatively High), while Landslide carries the highest National Risk Index rating (Relatively Moderate). EAL and risk score use different inputs; they need not agree.
Source: FEMA National Risk Index (December 2025 release) - Expected Annual Loss vs composite risk rating by hazard.
What does Garfield County's hazard record show?
FEMA National Risk Index
FEMA's data shows an elevated National Risk Index composite of 37.6/100 for this county (Very Low rating). Expected Annual Loss comes in at Very Low (roughly $10.4M in annualized losses). Social vulnerability (Relatively Moderate) and community resilience (Relatively Moderate) both factor into how that raw exposure plays out on the ground. Among the 18 modeled hazards, Landslide carries the county's highest rating, a mid-range Relatively Moderate. FEMA's modeled frequency puts that hazard at an average of 6.4 times per year here.
Reading the federal records together
This county has a small entry in FEMA's NFIP paid-claims table: 1 claim and $7.2K paid in total. PlainHazard calls 1-49 claims a light registry record, a label for this dataset rather than a finding that flood exposure is low. A short claims history can also reflect insurance take-up, the period covered, or losses that were never insured.
Start with the state benchmark: a Utah county averages 8.5 federal declaration records, while Garfield County has 7. The gap is 17% below that mean. Fewer entries indicate a quieter history of recorded federal actions, not immunity from a hazard and not a prediction about what happens next.
39 /100
Historical Activity Index
Moderate historical activity
Garfield County, UT · PlainHazard-derived composite from federal records
This 0–100 index is an explicit PlainHazard composite from FEMA declaration history only on the county surface (this DB has no county-level NOAA damage row) . It is not FEMA's National Risk Index, not a forecast, and not a safety, insurance, or preparedness rating. Open the calculator · Methodology
FEMA Declarations (1953–present) Low
5/30
7 OpenFEMA declarations, full ingest window (0.3x national county average)
County Disaster Density Moderate
10/25
7 declarations (0.8x state county average of 8)
Major Disaster Share Moderate
11/25
3 of 7 declarations are major disasters (43%)
Hazard Diversity High
13/20
5 different disaster types declared in Garfield County
FEMA NRI 8-hazard radar - Garfield County
How to read this radar
Each axis: NRI risk rating (Very Low-Very High) on a 0-100 scale. Rounder = broad exposure; spiky = one or two hazards dominate.
Major Disaster share
43%
Mixed major share
NRI risk score
38
Very Low
Source: FEMA National Risk Index Per-county per-hazard ratings, December 2025 release
How often does each hazard strike Garfield County?
FEMA's National Risk Index models a historical event count and an annualized frequency for each hazard type. Most hazards are expressed as modeled occurrences per year; FEMA expresses drought and heat-wave frequency as event-days per year. These modeled frequencies are not forecasts.
| Hazard | NRI Risk Rating | Recurrence |
|---|---|---|
| Landslide | Relatively Moderate | an average of 6.4 times per year |
| Lightning | Relatively High | an average of 45 times per year |
| Winter Weather | Relatively High | an average of 18 times per year |
| Avalanche | Relatively Moderate | roughly once every 15 years |
| Heat Wave | Relatively Moderate | 1.4 modeled event-days per year |
| Wildfire | Relatively Low | roughly once every 975 years |
| Volcanic Activity | Very Low | roughly once every 3,333 years |
| Earthquake | Relatively Low | roughly once every 75 years |
| Riverine Flooding | Relatively Low | an average of 3.6 times per year |
| Drought | Relatively Low | 106 modeled event-days per year |
| Ice Storm | Very Low | roughly once every 67 years |
| Strong Wind | Very Low | roughly once every 12 years |
| Cold Wave | Very Low | roughly once every 85 years |
| Tornado | Very Low | roughly once every 16 years |
| Hail | Very Low | roughly once every 15 years |
Source: FEMA National Risk Index Modeled annualized frequency; drought and heat wave use event-days/year, December 2025 release
Disaster Types
Biological 2
Flood 2
Fire 1
Coastal Storm 1
Drought 1
What Biological declarations mean here
Biological is the most frequent declaration type on Garfield County's record, 29% of its declarations. In practice this category is dominated by the COVID-19 declarations of 2020, which were issued across every US state and territory rather than in response to any local hazard event.
This has a direct consequence for how Garfield County's number should be read. Because those declarations reached essentially every county in the country, they raise every county's total by a similar amount and tell you nothing about local hazard exposure. A county whose record is led by Biological declarations is, in most cases, a county with a genuinely quiet weather-hazard history, the pandemic records are simply the largest thing in an otherwise short list.
Declaration counts describe past federal action. They are a record of what was declared, not a forecast of future hazard probability.
Declaration Types
What DR / EM / FM mean
FEMA categorizes declarations as Major Disasters (DR), Emergencies (EM), or Fire Management Assistance (FM).
Major Disaster - 3 42.9%
of all 7 declarations
Emergency - 3 42.9%
of all 7 declarations
Fire Management - 1 14.3%
of all 7 declarations
FEMA Declarations Timeline
| Year | Declarations | |
|---|---|---|
| 2021 | 1 | |
| 2020 | 2 | |
| 2011 | 1 | |
| 2005 | 1 | |
| 1983 | 1 | |
| 1977 | 1 | |
Disaster Declarations
How the 7 FEMA declarations break into federal action codes (DR / EM / FM). Same DISTINCT grain as the table below.
Download these 7 declarations as CSV . FEMA source data is public domain; our derived presentation is CC0.
| DR# | Title | Type | Incident | Date |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 5388 | MAMMOTH FIRE | FM | Fire | 2021-06-05 |
| 4525 | COVID-19 PANDEMIC | DR | Biological | 2020-04-04 |
| 3478 | COVID-19 | EM | Biological | 2020-03-13 |
| 1955 | SEVERE WINTER STORM AND FLOODING | DR | Flood | 2011-02-11 |
| 3223 | HURRICANE KATRINA EVACUATION | EM | Coastal Storm | 2005-09-05 |
| 680 | SEVERE STORMS, LANDSLIDES & FLOODING | DR | Flood | 1983-04-30 |
| 3024 | DROUGHT | EM | Drought | 1977-01-20 |
Storm Events in Utah
Statewide NOAA context only. PlainHazard does not currently attribute these state totals to Garfield County.
| Storm Type | Events | Fatalities | Injuries | Property Damage |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Thunderstorm Wind | 1,382 | 3 | 7 | $2.2M |
| Flash Flood | 536 | 29 | 17 | $101.2M |
| High Wind | 496 | 4 | 60 | $12.7M |
| Heavy Snow | 488 | 1 | 2 | $2.4M |
| Winter Storm | 344 | 1 | 36 | $435.0K |
Source: NOAA Storm Events Database State-level aggregated data, 2015-2025
NFIP Flood Insurance Claims
Total Claims
1
Total Paid
$7.2K
Avg Per Claim
$7.2K
Source: FEMA National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP) OpenFEMA Claims Data
FEMA National Risk Index
Overall Risk
Very Low
Score: 37.6/100
Expected Annual Loss
Very Low
$10.4M/year
Social Vulnerability
Relatively Moderate
Community Resilience
Relatively Moderate
Hazard Risk Breakdown
Landslide Relatively Moderate
Lightning Relatively High
Winter Weather Relatively High
Avalanche Relatively Moderate
Heat Wave Relatively Moderate
Wildfire Relatively Low
Volcanic Activity Very Low
Earthquake Relatively Low
Riverine Flooding Relatively Low
Drought Relatively Low
Ice Storm Very Low
Strong Wind Very Low
Cold Wave Very Low
Tornado Very Low
Hail Very Low
Source: FEMA National Risk Index (NRI) Ratings reflect relative scores among all US counties. Data: hazards.fema.gov/nri
The model's sharpest exposure here: Landslide
Landslide risk is a function of slope, soil and water, so it is usually a SECOND-ORDER hazard: it is triggered by the rainfall, snowmelt, wildfire burn scars or seismic shaking that came first. That is why a county can carry high landslide exposure whose realized damage is recorded under a flood or storm declaration instead.
Worth noting for Garfield County: the model and the federal record do NOT point at the same hazard. Landslide carries the highest modeled rating (Relatively Moderate), while the county's declaration history is led by Biological. That is not a contradiction, the two measure genuinely different things. Declarations record federal ACTION, which requires damage costly enough to exceed state and local capacity; the Risk Index models EXPECTED annual loss across all 18 hazards whether or not any declaration ever followed. A hazard can be the county's largest modeled exposure and never once have driven a declaration.
National Risk Index ratings are modeled estimates of expected annual loss, not predictions of what will happen in any given year.
Data-matched county comparisons
Garfield County's closest FEMA peer: Churchill County, NV
Comparisons use published FEMA declaration fields plus the National Risk Index composite for Garfield County. Record similarity, not a safety rating.
Closest declaration profiles
Garfield County shows 7 FEMA declarations, led by Biological.
Similar Major-disaster share
Garfield County: 3 of 7 of its declarations are Major.
Similar modeled NRI score
Garfield County: NRI composite 37.6 (Very Low).
How these peers are chosen
Cohort: Published U.S. county equivalents outside the source state or territory. Each metric keeps six ETL candidates; three unique destinations are shown after de-duplicating across axes. Declaration-volume ranking combines count and Major-disaster share and prefers a different leading incident type; Major-share ranks the Major fraction adjusted for volume; NRI ranks the modeled composite score only.
Retained FEMA snapshot feed for Garfield County - capture-dated entries only.
Compare beyond this state
Nationwide peers by NRI score & FEMA declaration volume
Two PlainHazard-derived comparison paths for Garfield County: nearest out-of-state National Risk Index composite and nearest FEMA declaration count (floor ≥5 records). Record similarity only, not a forecast of the next hazard.
Similar NRI composite
Nearest out-of-state counties by FEMA NRI score. This county: 37.6 (Very Low).
Similar declaration volume
Nearest out-of-state counties by FEMA declaration count. This county: 7. NRI peers are excluded so the two link sets stay distinct.
Further reading for this county
Understanding disaster data
FEMA's National Risk Index flags Landslide as the top modeled exposure here (Relatively Moderate); the guide explains how that model differs from declaration counts.
More PlainHazard guides
- Most disaster-prone counties - U.S. counties ranked by FEMA declaration totals.
- Understanding disaster data - declarations vs storm events vs NRI scores.
- Preparing for natural disasters - household checklist (not county-specific advice).
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the most common disaster type in Garfield County?
The most common disaster type in Garfield County is Biological, with 2 declarations. Other disaster types include Flood (2), Fire (1), Coastal Storm (1).
How does Garfield County's FEMA declaration record compare with the Utah average?
The typical Utah county has 8.5 FEMA declaration records; Garfield County has 7, or 17% fewer. Against the national county mean of 20.7, this county's total is 66% lower. The comparison is historical and says nothing about the probability of a future event.
How many major FEMA disaster declarations has Garfield County received?
Garfield County has received 3 major disaster declarations, representing 43% of all 7 disaster declarations.
How many flood insurance claims has Garfield County filed?
Garfield County has 1 National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP) claims totaling $7.2K in payments, with an average of $7.2K per claim.
Does FEMA's top risk-rated hazard match the highest Expected Annual Loss in Garfield County?
No. In Garfield County, Landslide has the highest National Risk Index rating (Relatively Moderate), while Riverine Flooding leads Expected Annual Loss at about $5.6M. FEMA's risk score and dollar-loss model use different inputs, so the leaders often differ.
What was the worst year for disasters in Garfield County?
The most active year for disaster declarations in Garfield County was 2020, with 2 declarations. The county has FEMA disaster data spanning 1977 to 2021.
What is the FEMA National Risk Index score for Garfield County?
According to the FEMA National Risk Index, Garfield County, Utah has an overall risk score of 37.6 out of 100 (Very Low). On social vulnerability the county rates Relatively Moderate; on community resilience, Relatively Moderate. The Expected Annual Loss (EAL) score is Very Low, representing $10.4M in annualized losses.
Which natural hazard poses the greatest risk to Garfield County?
The top hazard flagged by FEMA's NRI for Garfield County as of the latest release is Landslide (risk rating: Relatively Moderate). Other significant hazards include Lightning (Relatively High) and Winter Weather (Relatively High). FEMA's modeled event frequency puts landslide here at an average of 6.4 times per year. The underlying methodology weighs historical event frequency against exposed assets and community vulnerability.
Data Sources & Methodology
Disaster declaration data comes from the FEMA OpenFEMA Disaster Declarations Summaries v2 API, which includes all federally declared disasters, emergencies, and fire management assistance grants.
Storm event data is sourced from the NOAA Storm Events Database (2015-2025), which tracks significant weather events including thunderstorms, tornadoes, floods, and winter storms.
Flood insurance data comes from the FEMA National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP) OpenFEMA claims dataset.
This data is provided for informational purposes only. FEMA disaster declarations represent federal response actions and may not capture all local emergencies or weather events.
FEMA OpenFEMA declarations + NRI for Garfield County · vintage 2026-08-25 · Methodology · Utah profile · Verify with FEMA OpenFEMA · Verify with NOAA Storm Events