Sanpete County, Utah
County storm and disaster record · FIPS 49039 · population 28,408 · 1,590 sq mi
NOAA's Storm Events Database holds 989 records for Sanpete County, Utah from 1950 through June 30, 2026, on 639 days; the most frequent are winter storm records (768 records). 942 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 10 declarations naming the county since 1977, 8 of them for natural hazards; the latest for a natural hazard was “Flooding” on December 23, 2023.
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
- 989on 639 days, 1950 to June 30, 2026
- Deaths recorded
- 58115 injuries
- Damage, 2025 dollars
- $86Mas filed (scale steps before 1993)
- Tornadoes
- 10strongest F2
- FEMA declarations
- 10latest 2023
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 Sanpete County most?
The most frequent records are winter storm records: 768 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 | 768 | 488 | 1996-2026 | 15 | 69 | $1.4M | 9 of 29 |
| High wind and dust storms | 103 | 76 | 1996-2024 | 0 | 19 | $4.4M | 9 of 29 |
| Landslides and avalanches | 44 | 40 | 1998-2021 | 42 | 17 | $123K | 6 of 29 |
| Floods | 20 | 20 | 1997-2017 | 0 | 0 | $3.7M | 16 of 29 |
| Wildfires | 17 | 12 | 2012-2018 | 1 | 9 | $72M | 6 of 29 |
| Severe thunderstorm wind | 16 | 12 | 1969-2026 | 0 | 0 | $104K | 19 of 29 |
| Tornadoes | 10 | 8 | 1955-2005 | 0 | 0 | $3.5M | 4 of 29 |
| Extreme cold | 5 | 2 | 1998-2005 | 0 | 0 | – | 12 of 29 |
| Hail | 5 | 4 | 1964-2009 | 0 | 0 | – | 24 of 29 |
| Lightning | 1 | 1 | 2001-2001 | 0 | 1 | – | 13 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 Sanpete County had?
NOAA records 10 tornadoes in Sanpete County from 1955 to 2005, the strongest rated F2, with 0 deaths and 0 injuries recorded in the county. That is 4th 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 9 tornadoes whose track touched Sanpete County since 1950 (NOAA's county records number 10: they file a crossing tornado once per county segment, and the two databases differ on some tracks); along their whole tracks they killed 0 people.
Map of the strongest tornado tracks in Utah.
Every tornado record filed for Sanpete County (10)
| Date | Place | Character | Killed | Injured | Damage |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2005-06-25 | Mt Pleasant, Sanpete County | F0 0.5 mi x 0 yd | 0 | 0 | $12K |
| 2002-09-12 | Ephraim, Sanpete County | F0 0.1 mi x 10 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2002-09-08 | Manti, Sanpete County | F2 2.7 mi x 270 yd | 0 | 0 | $3.4M |
| 2002-09-08 | Centerfield, Sanpete County | F0 0.2 mi x 10 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2001-08-08 | Fairview, Sanpete County | F0 2 mi x 20 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2000-05-24 | Gunnison, Sanpete County | F0 0.2 mi x 25 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 1984-08-15 | Sanpete County | F0 | 0 | 0 | $30 step |
| 1964-08-28 | Sanpete County | F1 | 0 | 0 | $3K step |
| 1955-06-16 | Sanpete County | F2 2.7 mi x 333 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 1955-06-16 | Sanpete County | 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 Sanpete 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026-05-29 | Thunderstorm WindMt Pleasant Airport, Sanpete County | 50 kt wind | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2026-05-29 | Thunderstorm WindManti, Sanpete County | 56 kt wind | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2026-05-13 | Thunderstorm WindSterling, Sanpete County | 59 kt wind | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2026-05-13 | Thunderstorm WindFayette, Sanpete County | 63 kt wind | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2026-03-28 | Thunderstorm WindFayette, Sanpete County | 50 kt wind | 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 | |
| 2025-07-15 | Thunderstorm WindPine Creek, Sanpete County | 51 kt wind | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2025-03-13 | Heavy SnowCarbon County and 5 more · forecast zone Wasatch Plateau/Book Cliffs | 0 | 0 | – | |
| 2025-03-05 | Heavy SnowEmery County and 4 more · forecast zone Central Mountains | 0 | 0 | – | |
| 2025-03-05 | Heavy SnowCarbon County and 5 more · forecast zone Wasatch Plateau/Book Cliffs | 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 | – | |
| 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 | – | |
| 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 | – | |
| 2000-01-11 | 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 skiers were killed in a large avalanche in the backcountry near The Canyons ski resort. The slide from Square Top Peak was estimated to be near 500 feet wide and 5 feet deep, with a vertical drop of 1000 feet. The couple, a man and a woman, were discovered the next day by a search team. | 2 | 0 | – | |
| 1999-01-02 | AvalancheJuab County and 3 more · forecast zone Sanpete/Sevier Valleys Two teenagers from Mapleton were killed when they triggered an avalanche in Fairview Canyon, 12 miles southeast of Fairview in San Pete County. The boys, ages 16 and 17, ventured out onto a snow cornice which collapsed, sweeping the pair 150 feet down the mountain. Their bodies were discovered the next afternoon, ... | 2 | 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 | WildfireJuab County and 4 more · forecast zone Wasatch Mountains South Of I-80 | 0 | 0 | $12M | |
| 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 |
| 2002-09-08 | TornadoManti, Sanpete County | F2 2.7 mi x 270 yd | 0 | 0 | $3.4M |
| 1998-07-22 | Flash FloodSpring City, Sanpete County | 0 | 0 | $2.2M | |
| 2012-07-01 | WildfireCarbon County and 5 more · forecast zone Wasatch Plateau/Book Cliffs | 0 | 3 | $1.2M | |
| 1997-01-25 | Winter StormJuab County and 4 more · forecast zone Wasatch Mountains South Of I80 | 1 | 20 | $552K |
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 $3K, in the dollars of the day) holds: August 28, 1964 (tornado, Sanpete 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 Sanpete 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 | – | – | – | – | 211 | 306 | 176 | 75 |
| High wind and dust storms | – | – | – | – | 14 | 35 | 48 | 6 |
| Landslides and avalanches | – | – | – | – | 4 | 21 | 16 | 3 |
| Floods | – | – | – | – | 6 | 8 | 6 | 0 |
| Wildfires | – | – | – | – | 0 | 0 | 17 | 0 |
| Severe thunderstorm wind | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 1 | 11 |
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 Sanpete County. The two busiest months are in violet.
The values, month by month
Jan 180 · Feb 142 · Mar 141 · Apr 106 · May 31 · Jun 27 · Jul 23 · Aug 8 · Sep 16 · Oct 41 · Nov 98 · Dec 176 (records).
Source: NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database, records by the month they began.
Federal disaster declarations for Sanpete County
FEMA's register lists 10 declarations that include Sanpete County: 5 major disasters, 3 emergencies and 2 fire management assistance declarations. Most were for flood (4) and biological (2).
| Declared | Number | Type | Title |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2023-12-23 | DR-4752 | Flood | Flooding |
| 2020-04-04 | DR-4525 | Biological | Covid-19 Pandemic |
| 2020-03-13 | EM-3478 | Biological | Covid-19 |
| 2018-08-06 | FM-5267 | Fire | Hilltop Fire |
| 2012-06-24 | FM-2986 | Fire | Wood Hollow Fire |
| 2011-08-08 | DR-4011 | Flood | Flooding |
| 2005-09-05 | EM-3223 | Coastal Storm | Hurricane Katrina Evacuation |
| 1984-08-17 | DR-720 | Flood | Severe Storms, Mudslides, Landslides & Flooding |
| 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 Sanpete County had?
NOAA's Storm Events Database holds 20 flood or flash flood records for Sanpete County from 1997 to 2017, on 20 days, with 0 deaths. By flood insurance claims since 1978 (OpenFEMA, as of September 8, 2026), Sanpete County ranks 2291st of 2,942 U.S. counties.
The National Flood Insurance Program has paid $41,000 on 12 claims filed in Sanpete County; the most in one year was 5 in 1983. Claims count insured losses only: uninsured flood damage is not in this file.
The values, year by year
1979: 1 · 1980: 2 · 1983: 5 · 1984: 1 · 1997: 1 · 2013: 1 · 2021: 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 Sanpete County
FEMA's National Risk Index rates Sanpete County Very Low overall, with an expected annual loss of $12.1 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 | $4.0M | about once a year (modeled) |
| Wildfire | Relatively Moderate | $1.2M | once in about 363 years (modeled) |
| Lightning | Relatively Moderate | $726K | 46 a year (modeled) |
| Winter Weather | Relatively Moderate | $198K | 25 a year (modeled) |
| Earthquake | Relatively Low | $2.3M | once in about 85 years (modeled) |
| Landslide | Relatively Low | $14K | 1.4 a year (modeled) |
| Drought | Relatively Low | $222K | 73 modeled event-days a year |
| Heat Wave | Relatively Low | $296K | 0.5 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 Sanpete 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 Sanpete CountyThe hazard risk calculator: 18 hazards beside the county's record
- Download Sanpete County's FEMA declarations (CSV)10 rows: every declaration that named the county, for your own analysis