Salt Lake County, Utah: hazard risk
FEMA rates Salt Lake County's overall risk Relatively High (score 98.6 of 100, higher than 98% of rated U.S. counties); 5 of its 16 hazards are rated Relatively High or Very High, led by avalanche, winter weather, earthquake. Its storm record holds 1,445 events since 1950.
FEMA's rating for each hazard
These are FEMA's county-wide model ratings and this county's storm record. They are not an assessment of any property, address or building, and not insurance advice: a property's risk depends on its own elevation, construction and location.
FEMA gives each hazard its own rating, and a rating does not follow the score from one hazard to the next: a hazard with a higher score can carry a lower rating than another. The table sorts by FEMA's rating, then by score (0 to 100, the county against every other county for that hazard).
| Hazard | Risk rating | Score | Expected annual loss |
|---|---|---|---|
| Avalanche | Very High | 99.1 | $12M |
| Winter Weather | Very High | 98.7 | $2.3M |
| Earthquake | Relatively High | 99.6 | $488M |
| Wildfire | Relatively High | 98.3 | $25M |
| Lightning | Relatively High | 94.4 | $2.5M |
| Riverine Flooding | Relatively Moderate | 92.9 | $79M |
| Heat Wave | Relatively Moderate | 92.9 | $6.3M |
| Tornado | Relatively Moderate | 71.0 | $3.8M |
| Strong Wind | Relatively Moderate | 68.4 | $1.4M |
| Landslide | Relatively Low | 86.4 | $53K |
| Hail | Relatively Low | 68.1 | $754K |
| Drought | Relatively Low | 44.4 | $144K |
| Cold Wave | Relatively Low | 32.6 | $696K |
| Volcanic Activity | Very Low | 75.2 | $281 |
| Ice Storm | Very Low | 13.8 | $12K |
| Coastal Flooding | No Rating | 0.0 | $0 |
Source: FEMA National Risk Index, December 2025 release. A model of future loss, not a count of past events. FEMA's National Risk Index map.
What the record holds
| Hazard | Records | Deaths | Damage | Rank in state | Rank in U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Winter storms | 636 | 17 | $93M | 4th of 29 | 69th of 3,077 |
| Severe thunderstorm wind | 318 | 0 | $7.9M | 2nd of 29 | 988th of 3,080 |
| High wind and dust storms | 205 | 2 | $14M | 2nd of 29 | 104th of 3,080 |
| Hail | 121 | 0 | $11M | 1st of 29 | 1645th of 3,080 |
| Landslides and avalanches | 56 | 43 | $335K | 1st of 29 | 12th of 2,278 |
| Floods | 44 | 0 | $36M | 3rd of 29 | 1626th of 3,080 |
| Wildfires | 18 | 1 | $27M | 1st of 29 | 153rd of 2,972 |
| Tornadoes | 14 | 1 | $303M | 2nd of 29 | 2088th of 3,080 |
| Lightning | 11 | 4 | $639K | 3rd of 29 | 603rd of 3,080 |
| Heavy rain | 9 | 0 | $2.8M | 2nd of 29 | 762nd of 3,080 |
| Extreme cold | 3 | 0 | – | 9th of 29 | 2589th of 3,076 |
| Heat | 2 | 0 | – | 3rd of 29 | 2121st of 3,076 |
Source: NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database, 1950 to 2026-06-30; damage in 2025 dollars. Search the record at NCEI.
The full Salt Lake County record: every hazard by year and month, the deadliest events and FEMA's declarations.