Photo: P199 · CC BY-SA 3.0On FEMA’s figures, Ivins faces more hazard damage per building than 98% of U.S. towns, mostly from wildfire
On FEMA’s National Risk Index, Ivins gets a D− for hazard risk: higher expected damage per building than 98% of U.S. towns. Most of that expected damage is wildfire (83%), then river and rain flooding (16%). Flood insurance has paid 4 claims here since 2005.
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 Ivins 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 Ivins’ grade
Wildfire is 83% of the building damage FEMA expects in Ivins, and Ivins’ rate of wildfire damage is in the top 1% of U.S. census tracts. Next is river and rain flooding at 16% (higher than 55% of U.S. census tracts).
D− #119 of 119 in Utah; higher expected damage per building than 98% of U.S. towns (21,298).
Ivins’ residents live in 3 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, Ivins has more expected damage per building than 100% of Utah towns.
In dollars, FEMA expects about $10.0M a year in losses across Ivins: $7.8M to buildings, the rest to people and crops.
Does Ivins flood? Rarely: 4 flood claims since 2005
Every paid claim on a federal flood insurance policy in Ivins, from FEMA’s records: 0.9 per 1,000 homes, fewer than 81% of the 13,809 U.S. towns with a flood insurance record.
Ivins 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 Ivins remembers
None of the 5 disasters declared for Washington County shows FEMA aid or repair money reaching Ivins itself in FEMA’s records, so these are its biggest flood-claim years.
- 20051 flood claims paidThe year of Severe Storms and Flooding, declared for Washington County
- 20071 flood claims paidNo declaration for the county that year
- 20101 flood claims paidThe year of Severe Winter Storm and Flooding, declared for Washington County
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 Ivins after a storm or flood belong in the town’s history. Add one, or share what you remember below.
Add to the Ivins archive →Ivins and its neighbors
Ivins 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| St. George | Dmore damage than 92% | wildfire | 12 |
| Santa Clara | Dmore damage than 94% | wildfire | 1 |
| Ivins | D−more damage than 98% | wildfire | 4 |
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 Ivins 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 Ivins
Is Ivins at risk for natural disasters?
On FEMA’s National Risk Index, Ivins has higher expected damage per building than 98% of U.S. towns: D− for hazard risk. Most of the expected damage is wildfire (83%) and river and rain flooding (16%). This is FEMA’s model of an average year for today’s buildings, not a forecast.
Does Ivins flood?
Flood insurance has paid 4 claims in Ivins since 2005, $171K in all, or 0.9 per 1,000 homes, fewer than 81% of U.S. towns with a flood insurance record.
Is Ivins 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 Ivins?
FEMA’s Community Rating System list shows no discount for Ivins’ flood program. Premiums depend on the building; policies usually start 30 days after you buy, so get a quote early.
Is Ivins at risk from wildfire?
It is the largest share of the building damage FEMA expects here (83%), and Ivins’ rate for it is in the top 1% of U.S. census tracts.
Storm stories
Memories, warnings and help from neighbors in Ivins.
Sources: FEMA National Risk Index v1.20 (December 2025), census-tract table, combined by where Ivins’ 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.