Natural disaster risk in Utah, by county
All 29 counties in Utah, ranked by FEMA's National Risk Index composite risk score, with each one's highest-rated hazard. Other states
At a glance
Highest overall risk: Salt Lake County (relatively high, score 98.6). Lowest: Rich County (very low, score 0.8).
Top hazards in Utah
| Hazard | Counties rated relatively high or very high | Average score |
|---|---|---|
| Avalanche | 12 of 29 | 77.8 |
| Winter weather | 12 of 29 | 72.5 |
| Lightning | 12 of 29 | 69.3 |
| Wildfire | 4 of 29 | 83.0 |
| Landslide | 2 of 29 | 78.6 |
All counties, highest risk first
| # | County | Overall risk | Highest-rated hazard |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Salt Lake County | Relatively high 98.6 | Avalanche (very high) |
| 2 | Utah County | Relatively high 95.3 | Lightning (very high) |
| 3 | Washington County | Relatively moderate 92.8 | Lightning (very high) |
| 4 | Davis County | Relatively moderate 87.8 | Lightning (very high) |
| 5 | Weber County | Relatively moderate 87 | Lightning (relatively high) |
| 6 | Cache County | Relatively low 66.5 | Avalanche (relatively high) |
| 7 | Iron County | Relatively low 61.4 | Wildfire (relatively high) |
| 8 | Summit County | Relatively low 60.1 | Avalanche (very high) |
| 9 | Box Elder County | Relatively low 55.9 | Wildfire (relatively moderate) |
| 10 | Tooele County | Relatively low 48.9 | Winter weather (relatively high) |
| 11 | Kane County | Very low 39.7 | Landslide (relatively moderate) |
| 12 | Sanpete County | Very low 38.6 | Avalanche (very high) |
| 13 | Garfield County | Very low 37.6 | Lightning (relatively high) |
| 14 | Wasatch County | Very low 33.5 | Avalanche (relatively high) |
| 15 | San Juan County | Very low 26.8 | Landslide (relatively high) |
| 16 | Sevier County | Very low 22.7 | Avalanche (relatively moderate) |
| 17 | Millard County | Very low 22.2 | Winter weather (relatively high) |
| 18 | Juab County | Very low 15.3 | Avalanche (relatively high) |
| 19 | Beaver County | Very low 10.4 | Winter weather (relatively high) |
| 20 | Grand County | Very low 10.3 | Lightning (relatively high) |
| 21 | Carbon County | Very low 8.7 | Lightning (relatively moderate) |
| 22 | Duchesne County | Very low 7.6 | Lightning (relatively high) |
| 23 | Emery County | Very low 7 | Lightning (relatively high) |
| 24 | Uintah County | Very low 4 | Lightning (relatively moderate) |
| 25 | Daggett County | Very low 3.7 | Avalanche (relatively high) |
| 26 | Morgan County | Very low 3.5 | Landslide (relatively moderate) |
| 27 | Wayne County | Very low 1.9 | Landslide (relatively moderate) |
| 28 | Piute County | Very low 0.9 | Landslide (relatively moderate) |
| 29 | Rich County | Very low 0.8 | Landslide (relatively low) |
How to read these ratings
- Ratings run in five steps: very low, relatively low, relatively moderate, relatively high and very high. They compare a county with every other US county; they are not a measure of danger on their own.
- Scores run from 0 to 100 and are national percentiles. The bar shows the score: a score of 80 means a higher value than 80% of US counties.
- Overall risk combines the expected annual loss with social vulnerability and community resilience.
- Expected annual loss is the average yearly loss to buildings, people and agriculture the model expects from all 18 hazards.
- Social vulnerability describes how hard it may be for people to prepare for and recover from a disaster. Higher is worse.
- Community resilience describes a community's ability to prepare, adapt and recover. Higher is better.
- "Not applicable" means FEMA does not model that hazard there (for example, hurricanes far inland).
About this data
Source: FEMA National Risk Index, version 1.20, released December 2025, published by the Federal Emergency Management Agency (US public domain). About the National Risk Index. The index is a model of relative risk built from historical hazard records, what is exposed and community factors. It is not a forecast, it does not describe any single property, and it is not insurance or financial advice. For decisions about a specific address, check FEMA's flood maps and your local emergency management office.
Questions
Which county in Utah has the highest natural disaster risk?
Salt Lake County has the highest composite risk score in Utah in FEMA's National Risk Index: 98.6, rated relatively high.
Which county in Utah has the lowest natural disaster risk?
Rich County has the lowest composite risk score in Utah: 0.8, rated very low. A low score means lower modelled risk compared with other US counties, not no risk.
What natural disasters is Utah most at risk from?
Across Utah, the hazards rated highest in the most counties are avalanche, winter weather, lightning, according to FEMA's National Risk Index. Each county page lists all 18 hazards.
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