Washington County, Utah: hazard risk
FEMA rates Washington County's overall risk Relatively Moderate (score 92.8 of 100, higher than 92% of rated U.S. counties); 5 of its 15 hazards are rated Relatively High or Very High, led by lightning, wildfire, landslide. Its storm record holds 850 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Lightning | Very High | 99.2 | $5.7M |
| Wildfire | Relatively High | 99.8 | $68M |
| Landslide | Relatively High | 98.6 | $1.2M |
| Riverine Flooding | Relatively High | 93.4 | $66M |
| Avalanche | Relatively High | 86.7 | $1.4M |
| Heat Wave | Relatively Moderate | 90.8 | $3.7M |
| Earthquake | Relatively Low | 81.1 | $2.1M |
| Ice Storm | Relatively Low | 52.2 | $109K |
| Winter Weather | Relatively Low | 47.3 | $68K |
| Drought | Relatively Low | 38.8 | $69K |
| Volcanic Activity | Very Low | 65.5 | $74 |
| Strong Wind | Very Low | 13.4 | $127K |
| Tornado | Very Low | 6.0 | $31K |
| Hail | Very Low | 5.6 | $17K |
| Cold Wave | Very Low | 5.0 | $18K |
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 | 308 | 6 | $1.9M | 17th of 29 | 1447th of 3,077 |
| Floods | 300 | 27 | $525M | 1st of 29 | 885th of 3,080 |
| Severe thunderstorm wind | 82 | 0 | $442K | 8th of 29 | 2712th of 3,080 |
| High wind and dust storms | 81 | 1 | $6.0M | 15th of 29 | 1412th of 3,080 |
| Hail | 26 | 0 | $16K | 8th of 29 | 2833rd of 3,080 |
| Heavy rain | 16 | 0 | $4K | 4th of 29 | 1347th of 3,080 |
| Heat | 8 | 6 | – | 4th of 29 | 2136th of 3,076 |
| Landslides and avalanches | 8 | 3 | $16M | 17th of 29 | 201st of 2,278 |
| Wildfires | 8 | 0 | $40M | 13th of 29 | 670th of 2,972 |
| Extreme cold | 5 | 0 | $177K | 13th of 29 | 2736th of 3,076 |
| Lightning | 4 | 0 | $499K | 9th of 29 | 2030th of 3,080 |
| Tornadoes | 4 | 0 | $81 | 11th of 29 | 2846th of 3,080 |
Source: NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database, 1950 to 2026-06-30; damage in 2025 dollars. Search the record at NCEI.
The full Washington County record: every hazard by year and month, the deadliest events and FEMA's declarations.