Utah natural disasters

The state's storm and disaster record · population 3,270,186 · 29 counties and county equivalents

NOAA's Storm Events Database records 12,098 storm events in Utah since 1950, 11,468 of them since 1996 when every event type began to be recorded, and the Storm Prediction Center counts 142 tornadoes in the state since 1950. The most frequent records are winter storm records (4,165). In NOAA's storm record since 1950, the deadliest storm in Utah is the September 14, 2015 flash flood in Washington County: 20 deaths, 3 injuries and $934,000 in damage in 2025 dollars across 2 records. FEMA has made 61 declarations for Utah since 1977, 59 for natural hazards; 16 were major disasters.

The record, 1950 to 2026

Storm events recorded in Utah 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 $1 million
$1 million or more
$10 million or more
$100 million or more, or 10 deaths
$1 billion or more, or 100 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 events recorded: 12,0981950 to June 30, 2026
Deaths recorded: 2571,901 injuries
Damage, 2025 dollars: $1.7Bas filed (scale steps before 1993)
Tornadoes (SPC): 1421950 to 2025
FEMA declarations: 6116 major disasters

Source: NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database, records through June 30, 2026 (file revision 20260918); tornado count: NOAA Storm Prediction Center, 1950-2025; damage in 2025 dollars (BLS CPI-U). Search the record at NCEI.

What natural disasters happen in Utah?

By NOAA's records, Utah's most frequent hazards are winter storm records (4,165), severe thunderstorm wind events (2,483), floods and flash floods (1,399); the deadliest are landslide and avalanche records (81 deaths). Each hazard is counted over the years NOAA has recorded it everywhere: tornadoes since 1950, hail and thunderstorm wind since 1955, everything else since 1996. Open a hazard for its years, months, counties and worst events.

Utah: records by hazard to June 30, 2026
Hazard	Records	Last 10 years	Killed	Injured	Damage	Counties
Winter storms	4,165	985	47	1,374	$111M	29 of 29
Severe thunderstorm wind	2,483	1,312	8	43	$128M	29 of 29
Floods	1,399	524	49	59	$708M	29 of 29
High wind and dust storms	1,200	473	20	143	$177M	29 of 29
Drought	1,019	289	0	0	–	4 of 29
Hail	638	135	0	11	$13M	29 of 29
Extreme cold	245	107	0	0	$406K	29 of 29
Fog, smoke and funnel clouds	226	73	7	32	$2.0M	20 of 29
Landslides and avalanches	191	92	81	51	$17M	29 of 29
Tornadoes	146	17	1	96	$317M	26 of 29
Wildfires	141	59	11	46	$172M	27 of 29
Heavy rain	133	29	0	0	$4.3M	24 of 29
Lightning	75	6	22	44	$2.7M	21 of 29
Heat	37	33	11	2	–	17 of 29

Source: NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database: every record counted once in the state; "last 10 years" is 2017-2026 (2026 to June 30, 2026).

What were the deadliest disasters in Utah?

The storms with the most deaths since 1950, from the National Weather Service's own entries. NOAA files one storm as several records when it crosses forecast zones and counties or changes type, and groups them under one episode; each row here is an episode, with its totals and the narrative of its deadliest record. Before 1996 tornado records carry no episode and stand alone. The narrative says what happened: some deaths the National Weather Service files under a weather type had another cause beside the weather.

Utah: the 10 storm episodes with the most deaths
Date	Record	Killed	Injured	Damage
2015-09-14	Flash FloodGrafton, Washington County One storm episode: 2 records; the totals are the episode's. Multiple strong thunderstorms producing heavy rainfall moved through southwest Utah on September 14, creating significant flash flooding in Hildale, Utah and Zion National Park. These two flash flood events combined to produce the deadliest natural disaster in Utah history, with 20 fatalities in the state of Utah, and ...	20	3	$934K
2007-06-29	Neola North Fire · WildfireDuchesne County and 2 more · forecast zone Western Uinta Mountains One named storm filed by several offices: 3 records in 3 episodes, 2007-06-29 to 2007-07-01; the totals are the storm's. Massive Fire began June 29th near Neola, Utah and quicky spread due to extremely dry fuels and favorable weather conditions. Three civilian fatalities resulted from this fire. Over 40,000 acres had burned by July 4th.	9	0	$996K
2021-07-25	Dust StormJuab County and Millard County · forecast zone Eastern Juab/Millard Counties One storm episode: 3 records in 3 places, 2021-07-25 to 2021-07-28; the totals are the episode's. An active monsoon surge brought several back-to-back days of thunderstorms producing heavy rain, damaging wind gusts, and hail across the state.	8	10	$653K
1998-01-11	Winter StormJuab County and 4 more · forecast zone Wasatch Mountains South Of I80 One storm episode: 2 records in 2 places; the totals are the episode's. 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	8	$290K
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	–
2004-12-10	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 One storm episode: 4 records, 2004-12-10 to 2004-12-11; the totals are the episode's. Several days of heavy wet snow combined with strong winds to produce extreme avalanche conditions in the Wasatch Mountains. 4 people lost their lives in avalanches during this two day period. One skier was killed when an avalanche he triggered in the Wasatch backcountry buried him in 2 to 3 feet of snow. A snowmobiler ...	4	0	–
1997-03-31	Winter StormCarbon County and 5 more · forecast zone Wasatch Plateau/Book Cliffs One storm episode: 2 records in 2 places; the totals are the episode's. 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), ...	3	60	$3.7M
1997-01-11	BlizzardCache County and 4 more · forecast zone Wasatch Mountains I80 North One storm episode: 2 records in 2 places; the totals are the episode's. A historic winter storm brought death and destruction to Utah during this 3 day period in January. Initially a moist westerly flow was in place over the state. Then a strong arctic front blew through on the 12th creating blizzard conditions. High northeast- east winds were reported along and behind the arctic front. ...	3	50	$74M
2001-11-29	Winter StormJuab County and Utah County · forecast zone W Utah T X Nw/P X E Juab One storm episode: 2 records in 2 places; the totals are the episode's. Another strong storm pounded Northern Utah, resulting in 3 fatalities. A 9-year-old girl was killed when a snowplow lost control in heavy snow and low visibilities, colliding into a school bus near Delta. Twelve other children were injured in the accident. Also, a head-on collision in heavy snow and icy roads resulted ...	3	13	$117K
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 One storm episode: 2 records in 2 places, 2005-01-08 to 2005-01-10; the totals are the episode's. 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 ...	3	6	$453M

Source: NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database: deaths direct and indirect, as filed in this state, summed over the records of each episode (EPISODE_ID); a forecast-zone record counts the zone's deaths once. A tornado's whole-track deaths (SPC), on the state's tornado page, can be higher when the track crossed a state line. Storm names from the titles of FEMA declarations that name the storm's counties.

The costliest records in Utah

Utah: the 8 records with the most damage since 1993, 2025 dollars
Date	Record	Character	Killed	Injured	Damage
2005-01-10	FloodWashington County · forecast zone Sc Washington		1	6	$453M
1999-08-11	TornadoSalt Lake City, Salt Lake County	F2 4.3 mi x 150 yd	1	80	$302M
2011-12-01	High WindBox Elder County and 2 more · forecast zone Northern Wasatch Front	89 kt wind	0	3	$108M
1994-05-31	Thunderstorm WindProvo, Utah County		0	15	$100M
1997-01-11	BlizzardSalt Lake County and Tooele County · forecast zone Salt Lake And Toole Valleys		0	50	$74M
2025-06-19	WildfireBeaver County and 6 more · forecast zone Southern Mountains		0	0	$35M
2018-08-01	WildfireCarbon County and 5 more · forecast zone Wasatch Plateau/Book Cliffs		0	0	$29M
2018-07-01	WildfireCarbon County and 5 more · forecast zone Wasatch Plateau/Book Cliffs		0	0	$29M

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 $250K, in the dollars of the day) holds: August 14, 1968 (tornado, Weber County).

Source: NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database: property and crop damage as estimated by the National Weather Service, converted to 2025 dollars with the BLS CPI-U. BLS consumer price index.

Which counties in Utah have the most records?

Source: NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database, records since 1950 attributed to each county (forecast-zone records count on every county the zone covers).

Every county in Utah

Billion-dollar disasters in Utah

NOAA counted 25 weather or climate disasters from 1980-2024 that cost at least $1 billion (adjusted for inflation) and affected Utah, led by drought (12). The most recent: Western/Central Drought and Heat Wave (2022); Western Wildfires (2021); Western Drought and Heat Wave (2021).

Utah: billion-dollar disasters by type, 1980-2024
Type	Events	Total cost (NOAA's range)
Drought	12	$500M-$1.0B
Wildfire	10	$1.0B-$2.0B
Flooding	1	$1.0B-$2.0B
Freeze	1	$5M-$100M
Severe Storm	1	$5M-$100M

Every one of the 25, newest first

Western/Central Drought and Heat Wave2022
Western Wildfires2021
Western Drought and Heat Wave2021
Western Wildfires - California, Oregon, Washington Firestorms2020
Western/Central Drought and Heat Wave2020
Colorado Hail Storm2018
Western Wildfires, California Firestorm2018
Southwest/Southern Plains Drought2018
Western Drought2015
Western Drought2014
Western/Plains Drought/Heat Wave2013
Western Wildfires2012
U.S. Drought/Heat Wave2012
U.S. Wildfires2008
Western/Eastern Drought/Heat Wave2007
Western Wildfires2007
Numerous Wildfires2006
California Wildfires2003
Western/Central Drought/Heat Wave2003
Western Fire Season2002
U.S. Drought2002
Western Fire Season1994
Northern Plains Drought1989
Freeze/Cold Wave1983
Western Storms and Flooding1982

Source: NOAA NCEI U.S. Billion-Dollar Weather and Climate Disasters, state summary for Utah, 1980-2024 (NCEI's last update; the product is archived). A disaster that affected several states counts in each. NCEI billion-dollar disasters.

Federal disaster declarations in Utah

FEMA has made 61 declarations for Utah since 1977: 16 major disasters, 3 emergencies and 42 fire management assistance declarations. The most common incident types are fire (42), flood (10), severe storm (3).

1970s 1
1980s 4
1990s 3
2000s 12
2010s 20
2020s 21

The 15 most recent declarations in Utah
Declared	Number	Type	Title	Areas named
2026-08-09	FM-5665	Fire	Rocky Canyon Fire	2
2026-08-02	FM-5661	Fire	Widemouth 2 Fire	1
2026-06-27	FM-5641	Fire	Cherry Fire	2
2026-06-23	FM-5640	Fire	Cottonwood Fire	1
2026-06-21	FM-5639	Fire	Iron Fire	3
2025-07-16	FM-5600	Fire	Monroe Canyon Fire	2
2025-07-12	FM-5598	Fire	Deer Creek Fire	1
2025-06-20	FM-5591	Fire	Forsyth Fire	1
2024-07-07	FM-5504	Fire	Silver King Fire	1
2023-12-23	DR-4752	Flood	Flooding	5
2021-08-14	FM-5408	Fire	Parleys Canyon Fire	2
2021-06-10	FM-5391	Fire	Pack Creek Fire	1
2021-06-05	FM-5388	Fire	Mammoth Fire	1
2021-01-12	DR-4578	Severe Storm	Straight-Line Winds	4
2020-09-07	FM-5353	Fire	Ether Hollow Fire	1

Source: FEMA OpenFEMA Disaster Declarations Summaries (v2), through October 2, 2026. OpenFEMA dataset page.

Flood insurance claims in Utah

The National Flood Insurance Program has paid $7.3 million on 1,147 claims in 27 Utah counties. Claims count insured losses only.

Source: FEMA OpenFEMA NFIP Redacted Claims, as of September 8, 2026. OpenFEMA dataset page.

FEMA's modeled risk across Utah's counties

How FEMA's National Risk Index rates Utah's counties overall: a model of expected future loss from 18 hazards, not a count of events.

Relatively High 2
Relatively Moderate 3
Relatively Low 5
Very Low 19

Source: FEMA National Risk Index, county table, December 2025 release. FEMA's National Risk Index map.