12 flood insurance claims·$41,176 paid·5 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 Sanpete 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.
In flood insurance claims here that reported a flood depth, the average was 1 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 1983, with 5 claims and $38,394 paid, the year of Severe Storms, Landslides & Flooding.
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.
2 NOAA storm reports from Sanpete County describe what happened, in the words of the forecasters who covered it. Read the Utah flood stories →
10 federal disaster declarations since 1977, 5 of them floods, coastal storms or hurricanes.
| Disaster | Began |
|---|---|
| Flooding | May 1, 2023 |
| Hilltop Fire | Aug 6, 2018 |
| Wood Hollow Fire | Jun 24, 2012 |
| Flooding | Apr 18, 2011 |
| Hurricane Katrina Evacuation | Aug 29, 2005 |
| Severe Storms, Mudslides, Landslides & Flooding | Aug 17, 1984 |
| Severe Storms, Landslides & Flooding | Apr 13, 1983 |
| Drought | Jan 20, 1977 |
Weather and water disasters only; most recent first. Source: OpenFEMA Disaster Declarations.
13 since 1996: 11 flash floods and 2 river or area floods.
| Event | Date | Damage |
|---|---|---|
| Flash Flood | Jul 20, 2017 | — |
| Flash Flood | May 27, 2015 | $100,000 |
| Flash Flood | Aug 3, 2014 | — |
| Flash Flood | Jul 30, 2012 | $100,000 |
| Flash Flood | Jul 15, 2012 | $20,000 |
| Flood | Jun 1, 2011 | $100,000 |
| Flash Flood | Jul 26, 2007 | — |
| Flash Flood | Jul 25, 2007 | $25,000 |
— = no damage estimate in the record. Source: NOAA Storm Events Database.
Flash Flood · Jul 20, 2017. Widespread thunderstorms developed across the state of Utah for several days in mid-July, producing both strong wind gusts and heavy rainfall.
Flash Flood · May 27, 2015. The end of May produced very active weather across the state of Utah, with widespread thunderstorms on most days. Several flash floods were observed across southern Utah, and multiple severe thunderstorms occurred across the northern half of the state.
Flash Flood · Aug 3, 2014. Thunderstorms with heavy rain developed across Utah in the first week of August, leading to multiple flash floods across the state. Some flood waters produced significant damage, especially in the city of Helper.
Flash Flood · Jul 30, 2012. Thunderstorms remained very active across Utah at the end of the month of July. Several flash floods occurred during this period of time, and severe winds were observed in Utah's northwest desert on July 26th.
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 Sanpete 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.