Salt Lake County, Utah
County storm and disaster record · FIPS 49035 · population 1,185,141 · 753 sq mi
NOAA's Storm Events Database holds 1,445 records for Salt Lake County, Utah from 1950 through June 30, 2026, on 966 days; the most frequent are winter storm records (636 records). 922 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 February 6, 2021 avalanche, filed for the forecast zone Wasatch Mountains South Of I-80, which covers the county: 4 deaths and 1 injury. FEMA has issued 12 declarations naming the county since 1983, 10 of them for natural hazards; the latest for a natural hazard was “Parleys Canyon Fire” on August 14, 2021.
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
- 1,445on 966 days, 1950 to June 30, 2026
- Deaths recorded
- 701,019 injuries
- Damage, 2025 dollars
- $497Mas filed (scale steps before 1993)
- Tornadoes
- 14strongest F2
- FEMA declarations
- 12latest 2021
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 Salt Lake County most?
The most frequent records are winter storm records: 636 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.
| Hazard | Records | Days | First, last | Killed | Injured | Damage | Rank in state |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Winter storms | 636 | 461 | 1996-2026 | 17 | 824 | $93M | 4 of 29 |
| Severe thunderstorm wind | 318 | 198 | 1956-2026 | 0 | 15 | $7.9M | 2 of 29 |
| High wind and dust storms | 205 | 173 | 1996-2026 | 2 | 19 | $14M | 2 of 29 |
| Hail | 121 | 77 | 1958-2026 | 0 | 0 | $11M | 1 of 29 |
| Landslides and avalanches | 56 | 52 | 1998-2026 | 43 | 31 | $335K | 1 of 29 |
| Floods | 44 | 34 | 1996-2025 | 0 | 0 | $36M | 3 of 29 |
| Wildfires | 18 | 14 | 2010-2026 | 1 | 25 | $27M | 1 of 29 |
| Tornadoes | 14 | 14 | 1965-2001 | 1 | 80 | $303M | 2 of 29 |
| Lightning | 11 | 9 | 1997-2013 | 4 | 10 | $639K | 3 of 29 |
| Heavy rain | 9 | 9 | 1997-2021 | 0 | 0 | $2.8M | 2 of 29 |
| Fog, smoke and funnel clouds | 8 | 7 | 1997-2023 | 2 | 15 | $1.1M | 4 of 29 |
| Extreme cold | 3 | 2 | 1998-2004 | 0 | 0 | – | 9 of 29 |
| Heat | 2 | 2 | 2021-2021 | 0 | 0 | – | 3 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 Salt Lake County had?
NOAA records 14 tornadoes in Salt Lake County from 1965 to 2001, the strongest rated F2, with 1 death and 80 injuries recorded in the county. That is 2nd 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 13 tornadoes whose track touched Salt Lake County since 1950 (NOAA's county records number 14: they file a crossing tornado once per county segment, and the two databases differ on some tracks); along their whole tracks they killed 1 person.
| Date | Tornado | Rating | Path | Killed |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1999-08-11 12:41, as SPC files it | Salt Lake | F2 | 4.3 mi | 1 |
Map of the strongest tornado tracks in Utah.
Every tornado record filed for Salt Lake County (14)
| Date | Place | Character | Killed | Injured | Damage |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2001-08-21 | Sugar House, Salt Lake County | F0 0.1 mi x 10 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2000-05-25 | Holladay, Salt Lake County | F0 0.3 mi x 30 yd | 0 | 0 | $171K |
| 1999-08-11 | Salt Lake City, Salt Lake County | F2 4.3 mi x 150 yd | 1 | 80 | $302M |
| 1998-09-12 | Salt Lake City, Salt Lake County | F0 0.1 mi x 10 yd | 0 | 0 | $5K |
| 1998-05-08 | Magna, Salt Lake County | F0 0.1 mi x 33 yd | 0 | 0 | $9K |
| 1993-11-05 | Emigration Canyon, Salt Lake County | F0 0.1 mi x 10 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 1992-08-30 | Salt Lake County | F0 0.8 mi x 200 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 1990-08-16 | Salt Lake County | F0 0.2 mi x 7 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 1989-07-08 | Salt Lake County | F1 0.2 mi x 10 yd | 0 | 0 | $3K step |
| 1989-03-02 | Salt Lake County | F1 0.2 mi x 10 yd | 0 | 0 | $3K step |
| 1989-01-10 | Salt Lake County | F1 0.2 mi x 23 yd | 0 | 0 | $25K step |
| 1986-09-09 | Salt Lake County | F0 0.2 mi x 10 yd | 0 | 0 | $30 step |
| 1968-08-14 | Salt Lake County | 0 | 0 | $3K step | |
| 1965-02-09 | Salt Lake County | F2 0.1 mi x 13 yd | 0 | 0 | $25K 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 Salt Lake County?
The most recent record with damage, injuries or deaths is the May 13, 2026 thunderstorm wind ($1,000 in damage in 2025 dollars).
Public photo of large tree split and downed along the 9 Line Trail on 900 S near 300 E. This was the result of outflow winds associated with a nearby cluster of showers and thunderstorms moving through the area.
National Weather Service event narrative, NOAA Storm Events Database (search the full record, event 1331930)
| Date | Record | Character | Killed | Injured | Damage |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026-06-26 | WildfireBox Elder County and 3 more · forecast zone Great Salt Lake Desert And Mountains | 0 | 0 | – | |
| 2026-06-25 | HailHolladay, Salt Lake County | 1.50 in hail | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2026-06-25 | HailHolladay, Salt Lake County | 1.00 in hail | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2026-06-25 | HailTaylorsville, Salt Lake County | 1.75 in hail | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2026-06-25 | HailTaylorsville, Salt Lake County | 1.75 in hail | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2026-05-13 | High WindBox Elder County and 3 more · forecast zone Great Salt Lake Desert And Mountains | 59 kt wind | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2026-05-13 | Thunderstorm WindSalt Lake City, Salt Lake County | 50 kt wind | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2026-05-13 | Thunderstorm WindSugar House, Salt Lake County | 54 kt wind | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2026-05-13 | Thunderstorm WindSugar House, Salt Lake County | 59 kt wind | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2026-05-13 | Thunderstorm WindHolladay, Salt Lake County | 51 kt wind | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2026-05-13 | Thunderstorm WindSugar House, Salt Lake County | 54 kt wind | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2026-05-13 | Thunderstorm WindCottonwood Hgts, Salt Lake County | 52 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2021-02-06 | AvalancheJuab County and 4 more · forecast zone Wasatch Mountains South Of I-80 The Forest Service Utah Avalanche Center reported that two groups, totaling eight people, were backcountry skiing at Wilson Glade in Millcreek Canyon, when an avalanche was triggered. The avalanche caught and buried six of the people, leading to four fatalities, while two survived, one with injuries. The avalanche ... | 4 | 1 | – | |
| 1998-01-11 | Winter StormJuab County and 4 more · forecast zone Wasatch Mountains South Of I80 A broad Pacific trough moved through the region. High winds occurred with the cold front on the 11th. Some of the highest gusts included: Mt. Ogden 107 mph (93kts), Hidden Peak 71 mph (62kts), Bountiful 50 mph (43kts), NWSFO SLC 47 mph (41kts) and Logan 43 mph (37kts). Criteria snow fell in all listed zones with Alta ... | 4 | 0 | – | |
| 2003-12-26 | AvalancheJuab County and 4 more · forecast zone W Summit T Nw/Se Salt Lake/Wasatch X Sc/E Utah/P X E Juab/X Nw San Pete Three snowboarders were killed as a large avalanche swept down the mountain near the Aspen Grove area around Sundance. There were a total of 14 people in the path of the avalanche, but the rest of the skiers and snowboarders were only partially buried and managed to dig themselves out unscathed. | 3 | 0 | – | |
| 2002-03-07 | Winter StormSalt Lake County and Tooele County · forecast zone W Salt Lake T X W/E Toole T X E A ferocious cold front moved across Northern Utah with lightning, small hail and heavy snow. Very heavy snow along with strong winds made driving treacherous several hours after frontal passage. Around 200 accidents occurred in the Salt Lake Valley on the 8th, with 2 weather-related traffic fatalities and about 50 ... | 2 | 35 | $230K | |
| 2024-05-09 | AvalancheJuab County and 4 more · forecast zone Wasatch Mountains South Of I-80 A group of three backcountry skiers set out early in the morning to ski in the Big Willow Aprons area near Lone Peak. After skiing for several hours without issue, an unintentionally triggered soft slab avalanche occurred on the north aspect of the slope (approximately 40 degree angle) around 10,600 feet elevation. ... | 2 | 1 | – | |
| 2003-01-10 | Dense FogSalt Lake County and Tooele County · forecast zone Salt Lake And Toole Valleys A Life Flight helicopter crashed in thick fog that shrouded much of the Wasatch Front on the evening of the 10th. The crash occurred just southwest of the Salt Lake City International Airport, killing the pilot, a paramedic, and seriously injuring a flight nurse. | 2 | 1 | $321K | |
| 2002-07-25 | LightningCountywide, Salt Lake County One 28-year-old male and one 23-year-old female, a husband and wife, were struck and killed by lightning near the summit of Lone Peak in the Wasatch Mountain Range just southeast of Salt Lake City. The experienced climbers saw the storm coming and were moving toward a more sheltered location when they were struck. A ... | 2 | 0 | – | |
| 2002-03-16 | AvalancheJuab County and 4 more · forecast zone W Summit T Nw/Se Salt Lake/Wasatch X Sc/E Utah/P X E Juab/X Nw San Pete Two snowboarders were buried and killed by a massive avalanche which swept down a steep slope in upper Big Cottonwood Canyon. The two were part of a large group of snowboarders traveling through the backcountry near the Brighton Ski Resort. Most of the group had traversed across an open slope when a large section of ... | 2 | 0 | – |
| Date | Record | Character | Killed | Injured | Damage |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1999-08-11 | TornadoSalt Lake City, Salt Lake County | F2 4.3 mi x 150 yd | 1 | 80 | $302M |
| 1997-01-11 | BlizzardSalt Lake County and Tooele County · forecast zone Salt Lake And Toole Valleys | 0 | 50 | $74M | |
| 2023-08-03 | Flash FloodNash, Salt Lake County | 0 | 0 | $15M | |
| 2012-07-01 | WildfireJuab County and 4 more · forecast zone Wasatch Mountains South Of I-80 | 0 | 0 | $12M | |
| 2017-07-26 | Flash FloodSalt Lake City, Salt Lake County | 0 | 0 | $11M | |
| 1994-10-05 | HailCottonwood Hts, Salt Lake County | 1.00 in hail | 0 | 0 | $10.0M |
| 2010-09-19 | WildfireSalt Lake County and Tooele County · forecast zone Salt Lake And Tooele Valleys | 0 | 6 | $6.8M | |
| 2020-09-08 | High WindSalt Lake County and Tooele County · forecast zone Salt Lake And Tooele Valleys | 77 kt wind | 1 | 12 | $4.9M |
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: February 9, 1965 (tornado, Salt Lake County); January 10, 1989 (tornado, Salt Lake 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 Salt Lake 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 | – | – | – | – | 147 | 268 | 135 | 86 |
| Severe thunderstorm wind | 2 | 8 | 15 | 29 | 40 | 33 | 52 | 139 |
| High wind and dust storms | – | – | – | – | 16 | 58 | 87 | 44 |
| Hail | 3 | 6 | 5 | 13 | 38 | 13 | 24 | 19 |
| Landslides and avalanches | – | – | – | – | 3 | 17 | 10 | 26 |
| Floods | – | – | – | – | 4 | 12 | 15 | 13 |
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 Salt Lake County. The two busiest months are in violet.
The values, month by month
Jan 147 · Feb 145 · Mar 152 · Apr 127 · May 113 · Jun 113 · Jul 119 · Aug 147 · Sep 68 · Oct 45 · Nov 103 · Dec 166 (records).
Source: NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database, records by the month they began.
Federal disaster declarations for Salt Lake County
FEMA's register lists 12 declarations that include Salt Lake County: 7 major disasters, 2 emergencies and 3 fire management assistance declarations. Most were for fire (3) and flood (3).
| Declared | Number | Type | Title |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2021-08-14 | FM-5408 | Fire | Parleys Canyon Fire |
| 2021-01-12 | DR-4578 | Severe Storm | Straight-Line Winds |
| 2020-07-09 | DR-4548 | Earthquake | Earthquake and Aftershocks |
| 2020-04-04 | DR-4525 | Biological | Covid-19 Pandemic |
| 2020-03-13 | EM-3478 | Biological | Covid-19 |
| 2012-06-29 | FM-2991 | Fire | Rose Crest Fire |
| 2011-08-08 | DR-4011 | Flood | Flooding |
| 2010-09-19 | FM-2859 | Fire | Machine Gun Fire |
| 2005-09-05 | EM-3223 | Coastal Storm | Hurricane Katrina Evacuation |
| 1999-08-16 | DR-1285 | Tornado | Tornado, Severe Thunderstorms, and Hail |
| 1984-08-17 | DR-720 | Flood | Severe Storms, Mudslides, Landslides & Flooding |
| 1983-04-30 | DR-680 | Flood | Severe Storms, Landslides & Flooding |
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 Salt Lake County had?
NOAA's Storm Events Database holds 44 flood or flash flood records for Salt Lake County from 1996 to 2025, on 34 days, with 0 deaths. By flood insurance claims since 1978 (OpenFEMA, as of September 8, 2026), Salt Lake County ranks 593rd of 2,942 U.S. counties.
The National Flood Insurance Program has paid $1.7 million on 406 claims filed in Salt Lake County; the most in one year was 112 in 1982. Claims count insured losses only: uninsured flood damage is not in this file.
The values, year by year
1978: 11 · 1979: 11 · 1980: 10 · 1981: 2 · 1982: 112 · 1983: 65 · 1984: 40 · 1985: 13 · 1986: 18 · 1987: 4 · 1988: 1 · 1989: 2 · 1991: 4 · 1992: 2 · 1993: 2 · 1995: 1 · 1996: 2 · 1998: 1 · 2001: 1 · 2003: 2 · 2004: 1 · 2005: 2 · 2006: 6 · 2007: 3 · 2009: 3 · 2010: 4 · 2011: 14 · 2012: 2 · 2013: 1 · 2014: 4 · 2015: 6 · 2016: 1 · 2017: 8 · 2018: 1 · 2019: 3 · 2020: 3 · 2021: 6 · 2022: 3 · 2023: 18 · 2024: 6 · 2025: 4 · 2026: 3; 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 Salt Lake County
FEMA's National Risk Index rates Salt Lake County Relatively High overall, with an expected annual loss of $622 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Avalanche | Very High | $12M | 1.5 a year (modeled) |
| Winter Weather | Very High | $2.3M | 28 a year (modeled) |
| Earthquake | Relatively High | $488M | once in about 66 years (modeled) |
| Wildfire | Relatively High | $25M | once in about 153 years (modeled) |
| Lightning | Relatively High | $2.5M | 39 a year (modeled) |
| Riverine Flooding | Relatively Moderate | $79M | 1.1 a year (modeled) |
| Heat Wave | Relatively Moderate | $6.3M | 2.2 modeled event-days a year |
| Tornado | Relatively Moderate | $3.8M | once in about 20 years (modeled) |
Source: FEMA National Risk Index, county table, December 2025 release. FEMA's National Risk Index map.
Counties that share a border with Salt Lake 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 Salt Lake CountyThe hazard risk calculator: 18 hazards beside the county's record
- Download Salt Lake County's FEMA declarations (CSV)12 rows: every declaration that named the county, for your own analysis