Photo: John Bonzo · CC BY 3.0On FEMA’s figures, Hurricane faces more hazard damage per building than 96% of U.S. towns, mostly from wildfire
On FEMA’s National Risk Index, Hurricane gets a D− for hazard risk: higher expected damage per building than 96% of U.S. towns. Most of that expected damage is wildfire (75%), then river and rain flooding (24%). Flood insurance has paid 2 claims 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 Hurricane 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 Hurricane’s grade
Wildfire is 75% of the building damage FEMA expects in Hurricane, and Hurricane’s rate of wildfire damage is in the top 1% of U.S. census tracts. Next is river and rain flooding at 24% (higher than 63% of U.S. census tracts).
D− #118 of 119 in Utah; higher expected damage per building than 96% of U.S. towns (21,298).
Hurricane’s residents live in 5 census tracts; FEMA’s figures are combined by where they live.
The typical Utah town has higher expected damage than 56% of U.S. towns; within the state, Hurricane has more expected damage per building than 99% of Utah towns.
In dollars, FEMA expects about $23.6M a year in losses across Hurricane: $13.6M to buildings, the rest to people and crops.
Does Hurricane flood? Rarely: 2 flood claims since 2018
Every paid claim on a federal flood insurance policy in Hurricane, from FEMA’s records: 0.2 per 1,000 homes, fewer than 97% of the 13,809 U.S. towns with a flood insurance record.
Hurricane isn’t in FEMA’s Community Rating System, which cuts flood insurance up to 45% in towns that do extra flood-proofing.
Insurance rates: Washington County.The storms Hurricane remembers
None of the 5 disasters declared for Washington County shows FEMA aid or repair money reaching Hurricane itself in FEMA’s records, so these are its biggest flood-claim years.
- 20181 flood claims paidNo declaration for the county that year
- 20261 flood claims paidNo declaration for the county that year
Washington County has had 5 natural disasters declared by the President since 1953, most often floods, then severe storms. 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 Washington County, 2004–2025.
Old photos of Hurricane after a storm or flood belong in the town’s history. Add one, or share what you remember below.
Add to the Hurricane archive →Hurricane and its neighbors
Hurricane is 3rd of the 3 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| La Verkin | C−more damage than 80% | river and rain flooding | — |
| Washington | Dmore damage than 94% | wildfire | 1 |
| Hurricane | D−more damage than 96% | wildfire | 2 |
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 Hurricane 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 Hurricane
Is Hurricane at risk for natural disasters?
On FEMA’s National Risk Index, Hurricane has higher expected damage per building than 96% of U.S. towns: D− for hazard risk. Most of the expected damage is wildfire (75%) and river and rain flooding (24%). This is FEMA’s model of an average year for today’s buildings, not a forecast.
Does Hurricane flood?
Flood insurance has paid 2 claims in Hurricane since 2018, $16K in all, or 0.2 per 1,000 homes, fewer than 97% of U.S. towns with a flood insurance record.
Is Hurricane 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 Washington County, 14% of homes in mapped flood zones carry federal flood insurance, and 0.3% of all homes do.
How much is flood insurance in Hurricane?
FEMA’s Community Rating System list shows no discount for Hurricane’s flood program. Premiums depend on the building; policies usually start 30 days after you buy, so get a quote early.
Is Hurricane at risk from wildfire?
It is the largest share of the building damage FEMA expects here (75%), and Hurricane’s rate for it is in the top 1% of U.S. census tracts.
Storm stories
Memories, warnings and help from neighbors in Hurricane.
Sources: FEMA National Risk Index v1.20 (December 2025), census-tract table, combined by where Hurricane’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.