Photo: Nicolas Henderson · CC BY 2.0Magna’s building-damage rate from wildfire is in the top 4% of U.S. census tracts
On FEMA’s National Risk Index, Magna gets a C+ for hazard risk: higher expected damage per building than 58% of U.S. towns, #64 of 119 in Utah. Most of that expected damage is earthquakes (63%), then wildfire (20%). Flood insurance has paid 2 claims here since 1983.
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 Magna faces
Each hazard’s share of the building damage FEMA expects here, and how its rate compares with the rest of the country.
Earthquakes
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 Magna’s grade
Earthquakes are 63% of the building damage FEMA expects in Magna, and Magna’s rate of earthquakes damage is higher than 89% of U.S. census tracts. Wildfire adds 20%, at a rate in the top 4% of U.S. census tracts.
C+ #64 of 119 in Utah; higher expected damage per building than 58% of U.S. towns (21,298).
Magna’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, Magna has more expected damage per building than 53% of Utah towns.
In dollars, FEMA expects about $22.0M a year in losses across Magna: $6.4M to buildings, the rest to people and crops.
Does Magna flood? Rarely: 2 flood claims since 1983
Every paid claim on a federal flood insurance policy in Magna, 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.
- Tropical Storm Hilary1 claim · $3K
Magna isn’t in FEMA’s Community Rating System, which cuts flood insurance up to 45% in towns that do extra flood-proofing.
Insurance rates: Salt Lake County.1 federal disaster brought FEMA money to Magna
Disasters that paid out in Magna itself (aid to households or repair grants to the City of Magna), newest first, with that year’s flood claims.
- 2020Earthquake and Aftershocks173 households applied for aid$197K aid approved
Salt Lake County has had 6 natural disasters declared by the President since 1953, most often severe storms, then floods. Not counted: the 2005 Hurricane Katrina evacuee emergency, which covered counties that took in evacuees.
Also 3 FEMA wildfire suppression grants (Fire Management Assistance, not a disaster declaration) for fires in Salt Lake County, 2010–2021.
Old photos of Magna after a storm or flood belong in the town’s history. Add one, or share what you remember below.
Add to the Magna archive →Magna and its neighbors
Magna has the lowest expected damage per building of the 3 graded towns here. Tap a town to see its hazards.
| Town | Hazard risk | Mostly (buildings) | Flood claims |
|---|---|---|---|
| Magna | C+more damage than 58% | earthquakes | 2 |
| West Valley City | C−more damage than 76% | earthquakes | 2 |
| Salt Lake City | Dmore damage than 87% | earthquakes | 98 |
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 Magna faces
A short kit for the hazards that drive the building damage here, what to check before you buy, and where neighbors get alerts.
- Drop, cover and hold on.
- Strap tall furniture and the water heater to the wall.
- Know how to shut off the gas.
- 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 Magna
Is Magna at risk for natural disasters?
On FEMA’s National Risk Index, Magna has higher expected damage per building than 58% of U.S. towns: C+ for hazard risk, #64 of 119 in Utah. Most of the expected damage is earthquakes (63%) and wildfire (20%). This is FEMA’s model of an average year for today’s buildings, not a forecast.
Does Magna flood?
Flood insurance has paid 2 claims in Magna since 1983, $4K in all, or 0.2 per 1,000 homes, fewer than 97% of U.S. towns with a flood insurance record. The most claims came from Tropical Storm Hilary (1).
Is Magna 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 Salt Lake County, 16% of homes in mapped flood zones carry federal flood insurance, and 0.2% of all homes do.
How much is flood insurance in Magna?
FEMA’s Community Rating System list shows no discount for Magna’s flood program. Premiums depend on the building; policies usually start 30 days after you buy, so get a quote early.
What was the biggest storm in Magna?
By FEMA money that reached Magna, Earthquake and Aftershocks (2020): 173 households applied for aid, $197K approved. By flood claims, Tropical Storm Hilary: 1 paid, $3K.
Is Magna at risk from earthquakes?
It is the largest share of the building damage FEMA expects here (63%), and Magna’s rate for it is higher than 89% of U.S. census tracts.
Storm stories
Memories, warnings and help from neighbors in Magna.
Sources: FEMA National Risk Index v1.20 (December 2025), census-tract table, combined by where Magna’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.