9 flood insurance claims·$332,489 paid·2 federal flood & hurricane disasters
Share of the whole county outline, rivers and lakes included; parts FEMA hasn’t mapped count as zero.
Shaded areas are FEMA’s mapped flood hazard zones in and around Carbon County, Utah. Zoomed out they are simplified; at street level the map switches to FEMA’s exact layer. Tap anywhere to check that spot, or search an address above.
Flash flooding from summer thunderstorms dominates the flood risk profile in Carbon County, Utah. Over the last 30 years, the NOAA Storm Events Database records 18 flash flood events resulting in 2 deaths, compared to only 1 general flood event.
Recent history illustrates this pattern. In June 2022, strong thunderstorms associated with a three-day weather system produced severe wind gusts, a tornado, hail, and flash flooding. Similarly, on June 21, 2024, thunderstorms brought heavy rain, hail, gusty winds, and flash flooding to portions of southern and eastern Utah.
Homeowners, real estate agents, and journalists should pay attention to properties across multiple FEMA flood zones where claims have historically occurred. NFIP records show claims in Zone A, with an average water depth of 0 inches and an average payout of $0. Properties in Zone X recorded 3 claims with an average payout of $100,809 and an average water depth of 2 inches. Zone X_UNSHADED recorded 2 claims with an average payout of $26,665 and an average water depth of 1 inch, while Zone X_SHADED recorded 1 claim with an average payout of $3,396 and an average water depth of 0 inches.
Summary written from NOAA storm reports and NFIP claims for this county. Not a prediction.
In flood insurance claims here that reported a flood depth, the average was 2 inches.
Drawn to scale against an 80-inch door. Even a few inches soaks flooring, the bottom of the drywall and anything plugged in near the floor.
Average of the depths reported on claims (zero and implausible values left out); FEMA’s record doesn’t say exactly where each depth was measured. Source: OpenFEMA NFIP claims.
The worst year was 2014, with 2 claims and $26,665 paid.
Bar height is scaled by square root so ordinary years stay visible next to the worst one. NFIP claims by year of loss. Source: OpenFEMA.
3 NOAA storm reports from Carbon County describe what happened, in the words of the forecasters who covered it. Read the Utah flood stories →
5 federal disaster declarations since 1977, 2 of them floods, coastal storms or hurricanes.
| Disaster | Began |
|---|---|
| Hurricane Katrina Evacuation | Aug 29, 2005 |
| Severe Storms, Landslides & Flooding | Apr 13, 1983 |
| Drought | Jan 20, 1977 |
Weather and water disasters only; most recent first. Source: OpenFEMA Disaster Declarations.
19 since 1996: 18 flash floods and 1 river or area floods.
| Event | Date | Damage |
|---|---|---|
| Flash Flood | Jun 21, 2024 | — |
| Flash Flood | Aug 4, 2024 | $1,000 |
| Flash Flood | Jun 19, 2022 | — |
| Flash Flood | Sep 11, 2021 | — |
| Flash Flood | Oct 6, 2021 | — |
| Flash Flood | Jul 21, 2017 | — |
| Flash Flood | Sep 22, 2016 | $4.0M |
| Flash Flood | Sep 3, 2016 | — |
— = no damage estimate in the record. Source: NOAA Storm Events Database.
Flash Flood · Jun 21, 2024. Thunderstorms brought heavy rain, hail, gusty winds, and flash flooding to portions of southern and eastern Utah.
Flash Flood · Aug 4, 2024. Thunderstorms brought strong winds to portions of Utah and flash flooding in Carbon County.
Flash Flood · Jun 19, 2022. A widespread high wind event across Utah was followed by strong thunderstorms associated with a system spanning a three-day period. These storms produced numerous instances of severe wind gusts, in addition to a tornado, a report of hail, and flash flooding.
Flash Flood · Sep 11, 2021. Thunderstorms brought strong wind gusts across portions of northern Utah and flash flooding to portions of southern Utah.
National Weather Service narratives, lightly trimmed. Source: NOAA Storm Events Database.
Every colour on the map above is a place on this drawing: where the ground sits relative to the flood FEMA plans for.
If a building in Carbon County is in a high-risk zone (A or V) and its mortgage comes from a federally regulated or insured lender, or is federally backed, flood insurance is required.
Outside those zones it is optional, and often worth having: from 2014 to 2024 nearly one-third of NFIP claims came from outside the high-risk Special Flood Hazard Area. Since Risk Rating 2.0, NFIP premiums are set for each building, so the only reliable price is a quote: FloodSmart.gov or a local agent.