Photo: Eddie Maloney from North Las Vegas, USA · CC BY-SA 2.0FEMA puts St. George’s expected hazard damage per building above that of 92% of U.S. towns, led by wildfire
On FEMA’s National Risk Index, St. George gets a D for hazard risk: higher expected damage per building than 92% of U.S. towns, #114 of 119 in Utah. Most of that expected damage is wildfire (49%), then river and rain flooding (48%). Flood insurance has paid 12 claims here since 1980.
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 stands out about St. George’s natural hazards
From FEMA’s model and FEMA’s records, below.
What St. George 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 St. George’s grade
Wildfire is 49% of the building damage FEMA expects in St. George, and St. George’s rate of wildfire damage is in the top 1% of U.S. census tracts. Next is river and rain flooding at 48% (higher than 85% of U.S. census tracts).
D #114 of 119 in Utah; higher expected damage per building than 92% of U.S. towns (21,298).
St. George’s residents live in 22 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, St. George has more expected damage per building than 96% of Utah towns.
Among the 400 U.S. cities of 100,000 or more, St. George has higher expected damage per building than 85% (#342 of 400). Because it is so big, its total expected yearly loss, $72.0M, is the 165th largest of those 400.
Does St. George flood? Sometimes: 12 flood claims since 1980
Every paid claim on a federal flood insurance policy in St. George, from FEMA’s records: 0.3 per 1,000 homes, fewer than 95% of the 13,809 U.S. towns with a flood insurance record.
St. George is in FEMA’s Community Rating System (class 6) for its flood-proofing work.
Insurance rates: Washington County.3 federal disasters brought FEMA money to St. George
Disasters that paid out in St. George itself (aid to households or repair grants to the City of St. George), newest first, with that year’s flood claims.
- 2012Severe Storm and Flooding$217K to the City of St. George for repairs2 flood claims paid that year
- 2010Severe Winter Storm and Flooding$3.3M to the City of St. George for repairs
- 2005Severe Storms and Flooding$4.1M to the City of St. George for repairs1 flood claim paid 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 St. George after a storm or flood belong in the town’s history. Add one, or share what you remember below.
Add to the St. George archive →St. George and its neighbors
St. George has the lowest expected damage per building of the 4 graded towns here. 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 |
| Washington | 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 St. George 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.
- St. George residents get 20% off flood insurance.
Know where neighbors sign up for alerts? Add it to the Handbook so everyone has it.
Questions about natural hazards in St. George
Is St. George at risk for natural disasters?
On FEMA’s National Risk Index, St. George has higher expected damage per building than 92% of U.S. towns: D for hazard risk, #114 of 119 in Utah. Most of the expected damage is wildfire (49%) and river and rain flooding (48%). This is FEMA’s model of an average year for today’s buildings, not a forecast.
Does St. George flood?
Flood insurance has paid 12 claims in St. George since 1980, $181K in all, or 0.3 per 1,000 homes, fewer than 95% of U.S. towns with a flood insurance record.
Is St. George 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 St. George?
St. George is in FEMA’s Community Rating System (class 6), which takes 20% off federal flood insurance policies for its flood-proofing work. Premiums depend on the building; policies usually start 30 days after you buy, so get a quote early.
What was the biggest storm in St. George?
By FEMA money that reached St. George, Severe Storms and Flooding (2005): $4.1M to the City of St. George for repairs.
Is St. George at risk from wildfire?
It is the largest share of the building damage FEMA expects here (49%), and St. George’s rate for it is in the top 1% of U.S. census tracts.
Storm stories
Memories, warnings and help from neighbors in St. George.
Sources: FEMA National Risk Index v1.20 (December 2025), census-tract table, combined by where St. George’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.