FEMA Records
3
Total declarations
Utah · FEMA + NOAA + National Risk Index
Washington County, UT
3 FEMA disaster declarations (2016–2025), with a FEMA National Risk Index rating of Relatively Moderate. Most common hazard: Fire.
- 3
- FEMA declarations
- 0
- Major disasters
- 93
- NRI risk · Relatively Moderate
- Fire
- Top hazard
The verdict
Washington County ranks in the riskiest 7% of U.S. counties for FEMA-modeled hazard risk, with more federally declared disasters than 41% of the 2,791 counties FEMA tracks. FEMA rates the county's overall risk as Relatively Moderate, based on 3 federal disaster declarations recorded since 2016, most often fire, 22% below the national county average of 4.
- Riskiest 7%
- of U.S. counties for FEMA National Risk Index score
- Relatively Moderate
- FEMA National Risk Index rating
- 3
- FEMA declarations vs 4 national county avg
- 3
- fire declarations, the most common hazard here
FEMA's National Risk Index score reflects expected annual loss, social vulnerability, and community resilience; the declaration count above reflects only Presidentially declared disasters, not every hazard event.
How does Washington County compare?
Washington County vs. every U.S. county
FEMA disaster declarations, all-time
3 41st percentile higher than 41% of 2,791 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 · 2026-07-25
Washington County's FEMA Risk Index score
FEMA National Risk Index composite score vs. the Utah county average
How disaster-prone is Washington County?
Declaration frequency
Washington County, Utah has recorded 3 FEMA disaster declarations between 2016 and 2025, of which 0 were classified as Major Disaster declarations (DR) requiring federal individual and public assistance. That puts the county's average at 0.3 declarations per year across a 9-year record, or roughly 46% above the Utah county average of 2.1 and 22% below the national county average of 3.8. The dominant disaster type on record is Fire, with 3 of 3 declarations falling under this category.
FEMA National Risk Index
This county sits among the highest-risk counties nationally on FEMA's National Risk Index, a composite score of 92.8/100 (Relatively Moderate). Expected Annual Loss is rated Relatively Moderate (roughly $147.7M in annualized losses). Social vulnerability reads Relatively Low and community resilience Relatively Moderate, both critical modifiers of realized harm here. Of the 18 hazards FEMA models, Wildfire stands out as the sharpest exposure here, rated Relatively High.
Flood exposure & the bottom line
Taken together, Washington County reads as low relative risk on this historical lens, fewer federally recognized disasters than a typical U.S. county.
Risk Assessment
Risk Level
Low
vs. Utah Avg
+46%
State avg: 2.1
vs. National Avg
-22%
National avg: 3.8
Avg Per Year
0.3
Over 9 years
FEMA NRI 8-hazard radar - Washington County
How to read this radar
The radar plots Washington County's relative exposure to the eight headline natural hazards used by the FEMA National Risk Index. Each axis is the qualitative NRI risk rating (Very Low through Very High) re-expressed on a 0-100 scale so that the polygon shape lets you compare a county against another at a glance. A rounder polygon means broad multi-hazard exposure; a spiky polygon means one or two dominant hazards drive most of the modeled risk.
NRI Source
FEMA 2023
Latest NRI release
County FIPS
49053
UT state code
Source: FEMA National Risk Index FEMA National Risk Index Per-county per-hazard ratings, 2023 release
Disaster Types
Fire 3
Declaration Types
What DR / EM / FM mean
FEMA categorizes declarations as Major Disasters (DR), Emergencies (EM), or Fire Management Assistance (FM).
Fire Management - 3 100.0%
of all 3 declarations
FEMA Declarations Timeline
| Year | Declarations | |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 1 | |
| 2020 | 1 | |
| 2016 | 1 | |
Disaster Declarations
| DR# | Title | Type | Incident | Date |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 5591 | FORSYTH FIRE | FM | Fire | 2025-06-20 |
| 5321 | VEYO WEST FIRE | FM | Fire | 2020-07-13 |
| 5130 | SADDLE FIRE | FM | Fire | 2016-06-21 |
Storm Events in Utah
| Storm Type | Events | Fatalities | Injuries | Property Damage |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Thunderstorm Wind | 1,713 | 3 | 7 | $2.4M |
| Flash Flood | 660 | 30 | 20 | $138.2M |
| High Wind | 605 | 4 | 60 | $13.0M |
| Heavy Snow | 567 | 2 | 4 | $2.4M |
| Drought | 368 | 0 | 0 | $0 |
Source: NOAA Storm Events Database NOAA Storm Events Database State-level aggregated data, 2015–2025
FEMA National Risk Index
Overall Risk
Relatively Moderate
Score: 92.8/100
Expected Annual Loss
Relatively Moderate
$147.7M/year
Social Vulnerability
Relatively Low
Community Resilience
Relatively Moderate
Hazard Risk Breakdown
Wildfire Relatively High
Lightning Very High
Landslide Relatively High
Heat Wave Relatively Moderate
Avalanche Relatively High
Earthquake Relatively Low
Volcanic Activity Very Low
Ice Storm Relatively Low
Winter Weather Relatively Low
Drought Relatively Low
Strong Wind Very Low
Tornado Very Low
Hail Very Low
Cold Wave Very Low
Source: FEMA National Risk Index (NRI) FEMA National Risk Index (NRI) Ratings reflect relative scores among all US counties. Data: hazards.fema.gov/nri
Counties with Similar Risk in Utah
Disaster Preparedness Guides
Related
Frequently Asked Questions
How many natural disasters has Washington County, Utah had?
Washington County, Utah has received 3 FEMA disaster declarations from 2016 to 2025.
What is the most common disaster type in Washington County?
The most common disaster type in Washington County is Fire, with 3 declarations.
How does Washington County's disaster risk compare to the Utah average?
Washington County has 3 disaster declarations, which is 46% higher than the Utah county average of 2.1 declarations. Compared to the national county average of 3.8, it is 22% lower.
What types of storms are most common in Utah?
The most common storm types in Utah include Thunderstorm Wind (1,713 events), Flash Flood (660 events), High Wind (605 events). NOAA storm event data covers severe weather from 2015 to 2025.
What was the worst year for disasters in Washington County?
The most active year for disaster declarations in Washington County was 2016, with 1 declaration. The county has FEMA disaster data spanning 2016 to 2025.
What is the overall disaster risk level for Washington County?
Washington County's 3 FEMA disaster declarations put it in the low-risk band, fewer federally recognized disasters than a typical U.S. county over the same span.
What is the FEMA National Risk Index score for Washington County?
According to the FEMA National Risk Index, Washington County, Utah has an overall risk score of 92.8 out of 100 (Relatively Moderate). The county's social vulnerability rating is Relatively Low and community resilience is Relatively Moderate. The Expected Annual Loss (EAL) score is Relatively Moderate, representing $147.7M in annualized losses.
Which natural hazard poses the greatest risk to Washington County?
Based on FEMA NRI data, the highest-risk natural hazard in Washington County is Wildfire (risk rating: Relatively High). Other significant hazards include Lightning (Very High) and Landslide (Relatively High). These scores are based on FEMA's analysis of historical event frequency, 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.
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.
What this means for Washington County
Washington County, UT runs 46% above the Utah county average for federal disaster declarations (3 vs 2), a low historical load overall.
- Its most common federal declaration type is fire management (3 of 3) - know the hazards most likely here before they happen. Utah overview
- See how this county ranks against the rest of the country for disaster frequency. Most-disaster rankings
- Read how to read FEMA declarations, NRI risk scores, and what they do and don't tell you. Disaster-data guide
Historical declaration counts describe past federal response, not a forecast. For current threats, follow the National Weather Service and local officials; in an emergency call 911.
According to the Federal Emergency Management Agency, this profile draws on 2,791 tracked U.S. counties in FEMA's Disaster Declarations Summaries dataset, refreshed as of 2026-07-25. Read our methodology - how this data is sourced, computed, and verified.
All federal data sources used on this page
- FEMA OpenFEMA, Disaster Declarations Summaries v2 - all federally-declared disasters for this county. fema.gov/openfema/disaster-declarations
- FEMA National Risk Index (NRI) - per-county per-hazard risk ratings and expected annual loss. hazards.fema.gov/nri
- NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database - state-level storm/severe-weather event records, 2015–2025. ncdc.noaa.gov/stormevents
Data sourced from official public datasets. See our methodology for details. Retrieved and formatted by PlainHazard Editorial
Verify with FEMA → · Verify with FEMA NRI → · Verify with NOAA →
Every figure on PlainHazard is rendered directly from FEMA federal disaster data, no number is typed in by an editor. This page draws directly on FEMA federal disaster data, no figure is typed in by an editor. See our editorial standards & corrections policy, the methodology behind these numbers, or national statistics report, or report a data error.