Tooele County, Utah
County storm and disaster record · FIPS 49045 · population 72,600 · 7,040 sq mi
NOAA's Storm Events Database holds 1,505 records for Tooele County, Utah from 1950 through June 30, 2026, on 829 days; the most frequent are severe thunderstorm wind events (771 records). The deadliest single record is the February 3, 2002 dense fog, filed for the forecast zone C W Box Elder/C W Xe Toole/X W Salt Lake/X Nw Utah, which covers the county: 3 deaths, 3 injuries and $820,000 in damage in 2025 dollars. FEMA has issued 11 declarations naming the county since 1977, 9 of them for natural hazards; the latest for a natural hazard was “Cherry Fire” on June 27, 2026.
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
- 1,505on 829 days, 1950 to June 30, 2026
- Deaths recorded
- 21889 injuries
- Damage, 2025 dollars
- $128Mas filed (scale steps before 1993)
- Tornadoes
- 5strongest F1
- FEMA declarations
- 11latest 2026
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 Tooele County most?
The most frequent records are severe thunderstorm wind events: 771 since 1961. 45% of its severe thunderstorm wind events since 1961 fell in July and August. 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Severe thunderstorm wind | 771 | 309 | 1961-2026 | 1 | 4 | $1.8M | 6 of 29 |
| High wind and dust storms | 343 | 257 | 1996-2026 | 2 | 39 | $15M | 14 of 29 |
| Winter storms | 298 | 242 | 1996-2024 | 10 | 801 | $90M | 29 of 29 |
| Hail | 31 | 28 | 1963-2023 | 0 | 0 | $10K | 18 of 29 |
| Floods | 24 | 19 | 2000-2025 | 0 | 0 | $1.8M | 26 of 29 |
| Wildfires | 13 | 11 | 2010-2026 | 0 | 23 | $16M | 23 of 29 |
| Fog, smoke and funnel clouds | 8 | 8 | 1997-2005 | 5 | 18 | $1.9M | 13 of 29 |
| Tornadoes | 5 | 5 | 1965-1993 | 0 | 0 | $1.0M | 24 of 29 |
| Landslides and avalanches | 4 | 4 | 2015-2023 | 1 | 0 | – | 29 of 29 |
| Extreme cold | 3 | 2 | 1998-2004 | 0 | 0 | – | 28 of 29 |
| Heat | 3 | 2 | 2021-2021 | 0 | 0 | – | 16 of 29 |
| Lightning | 2 | 2 | 2000-2011 | 2 | 4 | $66K | 18 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 Tooele County had?
NOAA records 5 tornadoes in Tooele County from 1965 to 1993, the strongest rated F1, 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 5 tornadoes whose track touched Tooele County since 1950 (NOAA's county records number 5, the same count); along their whole tracks they killed 0 people.
Map of the strongest tornado tracks in Utah.
Every tornado record filed for Tooele County (5)
| Date | Place | Character | Killed | Injured | Damage |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1993-05-03 | Erda, Tooele County | F1 0.1 mi x 15 yd | 0 | 0 | $1.0M |
| 1991-07-25 | Tooele County | F1 10 mi x 100 yd | 0 | 0 | $3K step |
| 1968-05-22 | Tooele County | 0 | 0 | – | |
| 1965-08-09 | Tooele County | 0 | 0 | – | |
| 1965-06-25 | Tooele 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 Tooele County?
The most recent record with damage, injuries or deaths is the May 13, 2026 thunderstorm wind ($12,000 in damage in 2025 dollars).
| Date | Record | Character | Killed | Injured | Damage |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026-06-26 | WildfireTooele County · forecast zone Tooele And Rush Valleys | 0 | 0 | – | |
| 2026-06-26 | WildfireBox Elder County and 3 more · forecast zone Great Salt Lake Desert And Mountains | 0 | 0 | – | |
| 2026-06-25 | Thunderstorm WindSt John, Tooele County | 53 kt wind | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2026-06-24 | Thunderstorm WindWarner, Tooele County | 52 kt wind | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2026-06-24 | Thunderstorm WindPehrson Station, Tooele County | 54 kt wind | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2026-06-24 | Thunderstorm WindWendover Airport, Tooele County | 57 kt wind | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2026-06-19 | WildfireTooele County · forecast zone Tooele And Rush Valleys | 0 | 0 | – | |
| 2026-06-07 | Thunderstorm WindGold Hill, Tooele County | 61 kt wind | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2026-06-06 | Thunderstorm WindClive, Tooele County | 56 kt wind | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2026-06-06 | Thunderstorm WindClive, Tooele County | 50 kt wind | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2026-06-06 | Thunderstorm WindBarro, Tooele County | 61 kt wind | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2026-06-06 | Thunderstorm WindClive, Tooele County | 62 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2002-02-03 | Dense FogBox Elder County and Tooele County · forecast zone C W Box Elder/C W Xe Toole/X W Salt Lake/X Nw Utah Dense fog caused an 11-vehicle pileup on Interstate 80 between Tooele and Grantsville. There were 3 fatalities and several injuries in an accident that involved 8 semi tractor trailers, 2 passenger cars and a pickup truck. A semi slammed into the rear of another semi that had pulled off the freeway in the dense fog. ... | 3 | 3 | $820K | |
| 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 | |
| 2000-08-23 | LightningCentral Portion, Tooele County A 26-year-old man and a 27-year-old man were struck and killed by lightning while fighting a fire on the north end of the Stansbury Mountains. The lightning strike also injured 4 other members of the Flame-N-Go's firefighting unit from the Utah State Prison's Lone Peak facility. The leader of the crew was not struck, ... | 2 | 4 | – | |
| 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 | |
| 1997-03-31 | Winter StormSalt Lake County and Tooele County · forecast zone Salt Lake And Toole Valleys 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), ... | 1 | 60 | $3.7M | |
| 2015-04-14 | High WindBox Elder County and Tooele County · forecast zone Great Salt Lake Desert And Mountains The winds were strongest across Utah's northwest desert, with maximum wind gusts of 82 mph at both Lakeside Mountain and English Village, 81 mph at the Interstate 80 at Milepost 1 sensor, 75 mph at Badger Island, 74 mph at Upper Cedar Mountain, 72 mph at the Wendover Point of Entry, and many observations in the 55-70 ... | 71 kt wind | 1 | 25 | $187K |
| 2015-04-14 | Winter StormSalt Lake County and Tooele County · forecast zone Salt Lake And Tooele Valleys Storm total snowfall in the Salt Lake Valley included 14 inches at Upper Millcreek, 12 inches in Sandy, and many reports of approximately 10 inches of snow. The worst conditions on roadways occurred on the morning commute of April 15, with 118 crashes reported, including 16 that resulted in injuries. During the ... | 1 | 18 | – | |
| 2020-09-08 | High WindSalt Lake County and Tooele County · forecast zone Salt Lake And Tooele Valleys A historic downslope wind event impacted the Salt Lake and Tooele Valleys, with the most extensive damage observed across the Salt Lake Valley. A peak wind gust of 89 mph was recorded at The University of Utah Browning Building. Other notable peak wind gusts recorded included 77 mph at Salt Lake City International ... | 77 kt wind | 1 | 12 | $4.9M |
| Date | Record | Character | Killed | Injured | Damage |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1997-01-11 | BlizzardSalt Lake County and Tooele County · forecast zone Salt Lake And Toole Valleys | 0 | 50 | $74M | |
| 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 |
| 2012-07-01 | WildfireSalt Lake County and Tooele County · forecast zone Salt Lake And Tooele Valleys | 0 | 0 | $3.9M | |
| 2016-07-19 | WildfireSalt Lake County and Tooele County · forecast zone Salt Lake And Tooele Valleys | 0 | 11 | $3.7M | |
| 1997-03-31 | Winter StormSalt Lake County and Tooele County · forecast zone Salt Lake And Toole Valleys | 1 | 60 | $3.7M | |
| 2001-05-02 | High WindSalt Lake County and Tooele County · forecast zone W Salt Lake T X W/E Toole T X E | 64 kt wind | 0 | 0 | $3.0M |
| 1996-10-24 | Winter StormSalt Lake County and Tooele County · forecast zone Salt Lake And Toole Valleys | 0 | 20 | $1.9M |
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 $3K, in the dollars of the day) holds: July 25, 1991 (tornado, Tooele 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 Tooele 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Severe thunderstorm wind | 0 | 5 | 1 | 13 | 32 | 89 | 218 | 413 |
| High wind and dust storms | – | – | – | – | 17 | 94 | 165 | 67 |
| Winter storms | – | – | – | – | 86 | 124 | 65 | 23 |
| Hail | 0 | 1 | 2 | 4 | 9 | 4 | 6 | 5 |
| Floods | – | – | – | – | 0 | 9 | 2 | 13 |
| Wildfires | – | – | – | – | 0 | 0 | 10 | 3 |
Source: NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database, records per calendar decade; zone records from the CZ_TYPE field (Z).
What time of year?
45% of its severe thunderstorm wind events since 1961 fell in July and August. The two busiest months are in violet.
The values, month by month
Jan 68 · Feb 82 · Mar 111 · Apr 103 · May 169 · Jun 187 · Jul 225 · Aug 177 · Sep 129 · Oct 55 · Nov 88 · Dec 111 (records).
Source: NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database, records by the month they began.
Federal disaster declarations for Tooele County
FEMA's register lists 11 declarations that include Tooele County: 5 major disasters, 3 emergencies and 3 fire management assistance declarations. Most were for flood (4) and fire (3).
| Declared | Number | Type | Title |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2026-06-27 | FM-5641 | Fire | Cherry Fire |
| 2026-06-21 | FM-5639 | Fire | Iron Fire |
| 2020-04-04 | DR-4525 | Biological | Covid-19 Pandemic |
| 2020-03-13 | EM-3478 | Biological | Covid-19 |
| 2014-07-21 | FM-5065 | Fire | Anaconda Fire |
| 2011-08-08 | DR-4011 | Flood | Flooding |
| 2005-09-05 | EM-3223 | Coastal Storm | Hurricane Katrina Evacuation |
| 2005-08-01 | DR-1598 | Flood | Flooding and Landslides |
| 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 Tooele County had?
NOAA's Storm Events Database holds 24 flood or flash flood records for Tooele County from 2000 to 2025, on 19 days, with 0 deaths. By flood insurance claims since 1978 (OpenFEMA, as of September 8, 2026), Tooele County ranks 2477th of 2,942 U.S. counties.
The National Flood Insurance Program has paid $62,000 on 7 claims filed in Tooele County; the most in one year was 2 in 2005. Claims count insured losses only: uninsured flood damage is not in this file.
The values, year by year
1979: 1 · 1984: 1 · 2004: 1 · 2005: 2 · 2019: 1 · 2023: 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 Tooele County
FEMA's National Risk Index rates Tooele County Relatively Low overall, with an expected annual loss of $26.5 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Winter Weather | Relatively High | $1.2M | 12 a year (modeled) |
| Wildfire | Relatively Moderate | $14M | once in about 61 years (modeled) |
| Lightning | Relatively Moderate | $1.2M | 30 a year (modeled) |
| Strong Wind | Relatively Moderate | $1.5M | 1.1 a year (modeled) |
| Earthquake | Relatively Low | $4.0M | once in about 79 years (modeled) |
| Heat Wave | Relatively Low | $762K | 2.9 modeled event-days a year |
| Drought | Relatively Low | $65K | 95 modeled event-days a year |
| Avalanche | Very Low | $2K | once in about 30 years (modeled) |
Source: FEMA National Risk Index, county table, December 2025 release. FEMA's National Risk Index map.
Counties that share a border with Tooele 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
- Severe thunderstorm wind in UtahThe state's severe thunderstorm wind events, 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 Tooele CountyThe hazard risk calculator: 18 hazards beside the county's record
- Download Tooele County's FEMA declarations (CSV)11 rows: every declaration that named the county, for your own analysis