FEMA Records
11
Low volume
Utah · FEMA + NOAA + National Risk Index
Wasatch County, UT
11 FEMA disaster declarations (1977-2024), with a FEMA National Risk Index rating of Very Low. Most common hazard: Flood.
- 11
- FEMA declarations
- 7
- Major disasters
- 34
- NRI risk · Very Low
- Flood
- Top hazard
The verdict
Two federal records point in the busier direction for Wasatch County. Its 11 FEMA declarations are 30% above the Utah county mean and exceed the count for 12% of the 3,266 counties in this registry. Separately, FEMA's National Risk Index places it safer than 34%, based on modeled expected annual loss, social vulnerability, and community resilience.
- Safer than 34%
- of U.S. counties for FEMA National Risk Index score
- Very Low
- FEMA National Risk Index rating
- 11
- FEMA declarations vs 21 national county avg
- 12
- 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 49051 · Wasatch County 11 declarations · rank 2810/3,266
DECL-MID · MAJOR-MID · RANK-LOWER · PHOTO-FINISH · NRI-LOW · ACT-HIGH · TYPE-LEAD · VS-ST-ABOVE
- DECL-MID 11
- MAJOR-MID 64%
- RANK-LOWER #2,810
- PHOTO-FINISH Meeker
- NRI-LOW Very Low
- ACT-HIGH High
- TYPE-LEAD Flood
- VS-ST-ABOVE +30%
Nearest declaration peer: Meeker, MN (0 declaration gap)
FEMA Disaster Declarations Summaries v2 filing stamps for this county register. Read with this county → · Utah state profile
Wasatch County among counties with fewer federal records
FEMA declaration records among Wasatch County and nearest peers by total count
- Los Angeles · largest
Los Angeles · largest
88 declarations
- Brown · near 11
Brown · near
11 declarations
- Davis · near 11
Davis · near
11 declarations
- Meeker · near 11
Meeker · near
11 declarations
- Wasatch · this county 11
Wasatch · this county
11 declarations
- Ujelang · smallest 1
Ujelang · smallest
1 declarations
What this shows Wasatch County carries 11 FEMA declaration records, ranked 2810 of 3,266 counties in this registry.
Wasatch County versus quieter counties in this dataset
Wasatch County among lower-declaration counties nationally
FEMA disaster declarations, all-time · Wasatch County
11 12th percentile higher than 12% 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
Wasatch County's FEMA Risk Index score
Which hazard drives modeled loss here?
FEMA's modeled annual dollar loss for Wasatch County is led by Riverine Flooding (about $5.8M 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 Wasatch County's hazard record show?
FEMA National Risk Index
FEMA's data shows an elevated National Risk Index composite of 33.5/100 for this county (Very Low rating). Expected Annual Loss comes in at Relatively Low (roughly $16.7M in annualized losses). Social vulnerability (Very Low) and community resilience (Very High) 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 1 time per year here.
Reading the federal records together
This county has a small entry in FEMA's NFIP paid-claims table: 12 claims and $39.5K 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.
The declaration register points in the busier direction. Wasatch County's 11 federal records stand 30% above the Utah county mean of 8.5. That comparison describes how often federal action was recorded, including any Major Disaster, Emergency, and Fire Management entries shown on this page; it does not convert the count into future probability.
53 /100
Historical Activity Index
High historical activity
Wasatch 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) Moderate
8/30
11 OpenFEMA declarations, full ingest window (0.5x national county average)
County Disaster Density High
16/25
11 declarations (1.3x state county average of 8)
Major Disaster Share High
16/25
7 of 11 declarations are major disasters (64%)
Hazard Diversity High
13/20
5 different disaster types declared in Wasatch County
FEMA NRI 8-hazard radar - Wasatch 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
64%
Major-heavy
NRI risk score
34
Very Low
Source: FEMA National Risk Index Per-county per-hazard ratings, December 2025 release
How often does each hazard strike Wasatch 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 1 time per year |
| Wildfire | Relatively Moderate | roughly once every 226 years |
| Avalanche | Relatively High | an average of 1.2 times per year |
| Winter Weather | Relatively High | an average of 48 times per year |
| Lightning | Relatively Moderate | an average of 46 times per year |
| Earthquake | Very Low | roughly once every 142 years |
| Volcanic Activity | Very Low | roughly once every 10,000 years |
| Riverine Flooding | Very Low | roughly once every 28 years |
| Strong Wind | Relatively Low | roughly once every 1 years |
| Drought | Very Low | 59 modeled event-days per year |
| Heat Wave | Very Low | 0.1 modeled event-days per year |
| Tornado | Very Low | roughly once every 16 years |
| Ice Storm | Very Low | roughly once every 67 years |
| Cold Wave | Very Low | roughly once every 34 years |
| Hail | Very Low | roughly once every 4 years |
Source: FEMA National Risk Index Modeled annualized frequency; drought and heat wave use event-days/year, December 2025 release
Disaster Types
Flood 6
Biological 2
Fire 1
Coastal Storm 1
Drought 1
What Flood declarations mean here
Flood is the most frequent declaration type on Wasatch County's record, 55% of its declarations. Federal flood declarations cover two mechanisms that behave very differently: riverine flooding, which builds over days as a watershed drains and is usually forecast well in advance, and flash flooding, which can arrive in under an hour from rainfall that fell somewhere upstream.
Flood is also the one hazard class where a second federal dataset exists for the same events. The National Flood Insurance Program records what was actually paid on insured losses, so it measures a narrower thing than the declaration count: uninsured damage, and flooding outside mapped special flood hazard areas, never enters it. Reading the two together is more informative than either alone.
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 - 7 63.6%
of all 11 declarations
Emergency - 3 27.3%
of all 11 declarations
Fire Management - 1 9.1%
of all 11 declarations
FEMA Declarations Timeline
| Year | Declarations | |
|---|---|---|
| 2024 | 1 | |
| 2020 | 2 | |
| 2018 | 1 | |
| 2011 | 1 | |
| 2005 | 2 | |
| 1986 | 1 | |
| 1984 | 1 | |
| 1983 | 1 | |
| 1977 | 1 | |
Disaster Declarations
How the 11 FEMA declarations break into federal action codes (DR / EM / FM). Same DISTINCT grain as the table below.
Download these 11 declarations as CSV . FEMA source data is public domain; our derived presentation is CC0.
| DR# | Title | Type | Incident | Date |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 4752 | FLOODING | DR | Flood | 2023-12-23 |
| 4525 | COVID-19 PANDEMIC | DR | Biological | 2020-04-04 |
| 3478 | COVID-19 | EM | Biological | 2020-03-13 |
| 5248 | DOLLAR RIDGE FIRE | FM | Fire | 2018-07-02 |
| 4011 | FLOODING | DR | Flood | 2011-08-08 |
| 3223 | HURRICANE KATRINA EVACUATION | EM | Coastal Storm | 2005-09-05 |
| 1598 | FLOODING AND LANDSLIDES | DR | Flood | 2005-08-01 |
| 760 | HEAVY RAINS, SNOWMELT & FLOODING | DR | Flood | 1986-03-13 |
| 720 | SEVERE STORMS, MUDSLIDES, LANDSLIDES & FLOODING | DR | Flood | 1984-08-17 |
| 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 Wasatch 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
12
Total Paid
$39.5K
Avg Per Claim
$3.3K
Source: FEMA National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP) OpenFEMA Claims Data
FEMA National Risk Index
Overall Risk
Very Low
Score: 33.5/100
Expected Annual Loss
Relatively Low
$16.7M/year
Social Vulnerability
Very Low
Community Resilience
Very High
Hazard Risk Breakdown
Landslide Relatively Moderate
Wildfire Relatively Moderate
Avalanche Relatively High
Winter Weather Relatively High
Lightning Relatively Moderate
Earthquake Very Low
Volcanic Activity Very Low
Riverine Flooding Very Low
Strong Wind Relatively Low
Drought Very Low
Heat Wave Very Low
Tornado Very Low
Ice Storm Very Low
Cold Wave 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 Wasatch 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 Flood. 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
Wasatch County's closest FEMA peer: Eddy County, NM
Comparisons use published FEMA declaration fields plus the National Risk Index composite for Wasatch County. Record similarity, not a safety rating.
Closest declaration profiles
Wasatch County shows 11 FEMA declarations, led by Flood.
Similar Major-disaster share
Wasatch County: 7 of 11 of its declarations are Major.
Similar modeled NRI score
Wasatch County: NRI composite 33.5 (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 Wasatch County - capture-dated entries only.
Compare beyond this state
Nationwide peers by NRI score & FEMA declaration volume
Two PlainHazard-derived comparison paths for Wasatch 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: 33.5 (Very Low).
Similar declaration volume
Nearest out-of-state counties by FEMA declaration count. This county: 11. NRI peers are excluded so the two link sets stay distinct.
Further reading for this county
Most disaster-prone counties
With 11 FEMA declarations, Wasatch County sits in the high-volume declaration band - see how that count ranks against other U.S. counties.
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 Wasatch County?
The most common disaster type in Wasatch County is Flood, with 6 declarations. Other disaster types include Biological (2), Fire (1), Coastal Storm (1).
How does Wasatch County's FEMA declaration record compare with the Utah average?
FEMA lists 11 declaration records for Wasatch County. That is 30% above the Utah county mean of 8.5. Its count is also 47% below the national county mean of 20.7. A larger declaration history records more federal actions; it is not a forecast of the county's next hazard.
How many major FEMA disaster declarations has Wasatch County received?
Wasatch County has received 7 major disaster declarations, representing 64% of all 11 disaster declarations.
How many flood insurance claims has Wasatch County filed?
Wasatch County has 12 National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP) claims totaling $39.5K in payments, with an average of $3.3K per claim.
Does FEMA's top risk-rated hazard match the highest Expected Annual Loss in Wasatch County?
No. In Wasatch County, Landslide has the highest National Risk Index rating (Relatively Moderate), while Riverine Flooding leads Expected Annual Loss at about $5.8M. FEMA's risk score and dollar-loss model use different inputs, so the leaders often differ.
What was the worst year for disasters in Wasatch County?
The most active year for disaster declarations in Wasatch County was 2005, with 2 declarations. The county has FEMA disaster data spanning 1977 to 2024.
What is the FEMA National Risk Index score for Wasatch County?
According to the FEMA National Risk Index, Wasatch County, Utah has an overall risk score of 33.5 out of 100 (Very Low). The county's social vulnerability rating is Very Low and community resilience is Very High. The Expected Annual Loss (EAL) score is Relatively Low, representing $16.7M in annualized losses.
Which natural hazard poses the greatest risk to Wasatch County?
The top hazard flagged by FEMA's NRI for Wasatch County as of the latest release is Landslide (risk rating: Relatively Moderate). Other significant hazards include Wildfire (Relatively Moderate) and Avalanche (Relatively High). FEMA's modeled event frequency puts landslide here at an average of 1 time 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 Wasatch County · vintage 2026-08-25 · Methodology · Utah profile · Verify with FEMA OpenFEMA · Verify with NOAA Storm Events