FEMA expects more hazard damage per building in Elk Ridge than in 87% of U.S. towns, mostly from wildfire
On FEMA’s National Risk Index, Elk Ridge gets a D for hazard risk: higher expected damage per building than 87% of U.S. towns, #110 of 119 in Utah. Most of that expected damage is wildfire (68%), then river and rain flooding (26%). Flood insurance has paid 1 claim here since 2018.
Graded on FEMA’s expected yearly building damage per dollar of building value (NRI v1.20, December 2025), weighted by where residents live; flood claims are shown, not graded. How hazard risk is graded
What Elk Ridge faces
Each hazard’s share of the building damage FEMA expects here, and how its rate compares with the rest of the country.
Wildfire
River and rain flooding
Shares are of FEMA’s expected building damage, the measure the grade uses; ranks compare each hazard’s building-damage rate with all 85,154 U.S. census tracts. In FEMA’s terms, river and rain flooding is FEMA’s “Inland Flooding” (rivers and streams overflowing their banks, or rain overwhelming drainage). FEMA defines coastal flooding as high or rising tides and storm surge, so surge damage is counted there. Drought isn’t listed: FEMA counts its losses in crops only.
What’s behind Elk Ridge’s grade
Wildfire is 68% of the building damage FEMA expects in Elk Ridge, and Elk Ridge’s rate of wildfire damage is in the top 1% of U.S. census tracts. Next is river and rain flooding at 26% (lower than 68% of U.S. census tracts).
D #110 of 119 in Utah; higher expected damage per building than 87% of U.S. towns (21,298).
All of Elk Ridge’s residents live in one census tract; the figures are that tract’s.
The typical Utah town has higher expected damage than 56% of U.S. towns; within the state, Elk Ridge has more expected damage per building than 92% of Utah towns.
In dollars, FEMA expects about $4.0M a year in losses across Elk Ridge: $1.7M to buildings, the rest to people and crops.
Does Elk Ridge flood? Rarely: 1 flood claim since 2018
Every paid claim on a federal flood insurance policy in Elk Ridge, from FEMA’s records: 0.7 per 1,000 homes, fewer than 84% of the 13,809 U.S. towns with a flood insurance record.
Elk Ridge isn’t in FEMA’s Community Rating System, which cuts flood insurance up to 45% in towns that do extra flood-proofing.
Insurance rates: Utah County.The storms Elk Ridge remembers
None of the 4 disasters declared for Utah County shows FEMA aid or repair money reaching Elk Ridge itself in FEMA’s records, so these are its biggest flood-claim years.
- 20181 flood claims paidNo declaration for the county that year
Utah County has had 4 natural disasters declared by the President since 1953, most often floods. Not counted: the 2005 Hurricane Katrina evacuee emergency, which covered counties that took in evacuees.
Also 6 FEMA wildfire suppression grants (Fire Management Assistance, not a disaster declaration) for fires in Utah County, 2001–2026.
Old photos of Elk Ridge after a storm or flood belong in the town’s history. Add one, or share what you remember below.
Add to the Elk Ridge archive →Elk Ridge and its neighbors
Elk Ridge is 4th of the 4 graded towns here, from least expected damage per building to most. Tap a town to see its hazards.
| Town | Hazard risk | Mostly (buildings) | Flood claims |
|---|---|---|---|
| Salem | Cmore damage than 75% | earthquakes | — |
| Payson | C−more damage than 77% | earthquakes | 1 |
| Woodland Hills | Dmore damage than 87% | wildfire | — |
| Elk Ridge | Dmore damage than 87% | wildfire | 1 |
Hazard risk = FEMA’s expected yearly building damage per dollar of building value, vs. the 21,298 U.S. towns we grade; the map is shaded by fifths of the same scale. Flood claims = paid federal flood insurance claims on record.
Get ready for what Elk Ridge faces
A short kit for the hazards that drive the building damage here, what to check before you buy, and where neighbors get alerts.
- Clear dead leaves and brush within 5 feet of the house.
- Sign up for local alerts and know two ways out.
- Keep N95 masks for smoky days.
- Turn around at flooded roads: a foot of moving water can carry off a car.
- Flood insurance usually takes 30 days to start, so buy it before the forecast.
- Keep papers and medicines up high, in a grab-and-go bag.
- Look up the address on FEMA’s flood map.
- Ask the seller or landlord whether it has ever flooded, and what flood insurance costs there.
- Get a flood insurance quote early: policies usually start 30 days after you buy.
Know where neighbors sign up for alerts? Add it to the Handbook so everyone has it.
Questions about natural hazards in Elk Ridge
Is Elk Ridge at risk for natural disasters?
On FEMA’s National Risk Index, Elk Ridge has higher expected damage per building than 87% of U.S. towns: D for hazard risk, #110 of 119 in Utah. Most of the expected damage is wildfire (68%) and river and rain flooding (26%). The figures are for the one census tract the town shares with its neighbors. This is FEMA’s model of an average year for today’s buildings, not a forecast.
Does Elk Ridge flood?
Flood insurance has paid 1 claim in Elk Ridge since 2018, $27K in all, or 0.7 per 1,000 homes, fewer than 84% of U.S. towns with a flood insurance record.
Is Elk Ridge in a flood zone?
Flood zones are drawn street by street, so the answer depends on the address: look it up on FEMA’s flood map. In Utah County, 27% of homes in mapped flood zones carry federal flood insurance, and 0.3% of all homes do.
How much is flood insurance in Elk Ridge?
FEMA’s Community Rating System list shows no discount for Elk Ridge’s flood program. Premiums depend on the building; policies usually start 30 days after you buy, so get a quote early.
Is Elk Ridge at risk from wildfire?
It is the largest share of the building damage FEMA expects here (68%), and Elk Ridge’s rate for it is in the top 1% of U.S. census tracts.
Storm stories
Memories, warnings and help from neighbors in Elk Ridge.
Sources: FEMA National Risk Index v1.20 (December 2025), census-tract table, combined by where Elk Ridge’s residents lived in the 2020 census; OpenFEMA: NFIP redacted claims, multiple-loss properties, community status book and residential penetration rates, housing assistance (owners and renters), public assistance funded projects, hazard mitigation properties and disaster declarations. Homes: Census ACS 2020–24. Preparedness tips: Ready.gov. FEMA’s model is an average of expected damage, not a forecast. How hazard risk is graded.