23 flood insurance claims·$194,275 paid·3 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 Iron 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 driven by summer thunderstorms dominates the flood risk in Iron County, Utah. Over the last 30 years, the NOAA Storm Events Database recorded 52 flash flood events compared to just one general flood event. Recent history illustrates this pattern, including monsoonal activity in August 2023 that brought flash flooding and road closures to southern Utah, as well as moisture-driven storms in July 2024 and July 2025 that produced isolated flash flooding across rain-sensitive areas.
National Flood Insurance Program records indicate that claims have occurred across multiple zones. Zone X_UNSHADED recorded 16 claims with an average payout of $7,943 and an average recorded water depth of 8 inches. Zone X recorded 5 claims with an average payout of $19,005 and an average recorded water depth of 4 inches, while Zone A recorded 1 claim with an average payout of $14,999 and an average recorded water depth of 1 inch. An additional claim was logged with an unknown zone, resulting in a $0 payout and 0 inches of recorded water depth. Property owners in unshaded Zone X areas and standard Zone X zones should pay the closest attention, as these areas account for the majority of historical flood insurance claims in the county.
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 7 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 2013, with 3 claims and $23,652 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.
4 NOAA storm reports from Iron County describe what happened, in the words of the forecasters who covered it. Read the Utah flood stories →
7 federal disaster declarations since 1977, 3 of them floods, coastal storms or hurricanes.
| Disaster | Began |
|---|---|
| Flooding | May 1, 2023 |
| Brian Head Fire | Jun 17, 2017 |
| Hurricane Katrina Evacuation | Aug 29, 2005 |
| Flooding And Landslides | Apr 28, 2005 |
| Drought | Jan 20, 1977 |
Weather and water disasters only; most recent first. Source: OpenFEMA Disaster Declarations.
53 since 1996: 52 flash floods and 1 river or area floods.
| Event | Date | Damage |
|---|---|---|
| Flash Flood | Jul 17, 2025 | — |
| Flash Flood | Jul 25, 2024 | $10,000 |
| Flash Flood | Aug 18, 2023 | — |
| Flash Flood | Aug 17, 2023 | $1.0M |
| Flash Flood | Jul 31, 2021 | $300,000 |
| Flash Flood | Jul 26, 2021 | — |
| Flash Flood | Jul 25, 2021 | $300,000 |
| Flash Flood | Jul 25, 2021 | — |
— = no damage estimate in the record. Source: NOAA Storm Events Database.
Flash Flood · Jul 17, 2025. A weak northern stream shortwave trough moving through the northwest CONUS resulted in the development of high based convection. Some of this convection resulted in strong to severe wind gusts. Additionally, a cutoff low placed off of the southwest CONUS helped advect moisture into southern Utah, leading to convection with periods of sufficiently heavy rain to result in flash flooding over some rain sensitive areas.
Flash Flood · Jul 25, 2024. Sufficient moisture in combination with a shortwave impulse brushing by the area resulted in numerous strong thunderstorm wind gusts in addition to isolated instances of flash flooding.
Flash Flood · Aug 18, 2023. Monsoonal flash flooding brought a variety of impacts to southern Utah, including flash flooding in Capitol Reef National Park that prompted evacuation of a campground and road closures.
Flash Flood · Aug 17, 2023. Monsoonal flash flooding brought a variety of impacts to southern Utah, including flash flooding in Capitol Reef National Park that prompted evacuation of a campground and road closures.
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 Iron 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.