Photo: Ntsimp · Public domainWest Bountiful’s building-damage rate from wildfire is in the top 5% of U.S. census tracts
On FEMA’s National Risk Index, West Bountiful gets a B− for hazard risk: higher expected damage per building than 52% of U.S. towns, #53 of 119 in Utah. Most of that expected damage is earthquakes (56%), then river and rain flooding (29%). Flood insurance has paid 4 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 West Bountiful faces
Each hazard’s share of the building damage FEMA expects here, and how its rate compares with the rest of the country.
Earthquakes
River and rain flooding
Wildfire
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 West Bountiful’s grade
Earthquakes are 56% of the building damage FEMA expects in West Bountiful, and West Bountiful’s rate of earthquakes damage is higher than 88% of U.S. census tracts. Wildfire adds 12%, at a rate in the top 5% of U.S. census tracts.
B− #53 of 119 in Utah; higher expected damage per building than 52% of U.S. towns (21,298).
West Bountiful’s residents live in 4 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, West Bountiful has less expected damage per building than 56% of Utah towns.
In dollars, FEMA expects about $1.8M a year in losses across West Bountiful: $1.1M to buildings, the rest to people and crops.
Does West Bountiful flood? Rarely: 4 flood claims since 1980
Every paid claim on a federal flood insurance policy in West Bountiful, from FEMA’s records: 2.0 per 1,000 homes, fewer than 62% of the 13,809 U.S. towns with a flood insurance record.
West Bountiful isn’t in FEMA’s Community Rating System, which cuts flood insurance up to 45% in towns that do extra flood-proofing.
Insurance rates: Davis County.2 federal disasters brought FEMA money to West Bountiful
Disasters that paid out in West Bountiful itself (aid to households or repair grants to the City of West Bountiful), newest first, with that year’s flood claims.
- 2020Straight-line Winds$57K to the City of West Bountiful for repairs
- 2011Severe Storm$29K to the City of West Bountiful for repairs
Davis 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 2 FEMA wildfire suppression grants (Fire Management Assistance, not a disaster declaration) for fires in Davis County, 2017–2019.
Old photos of West Bountiful after a storm or flood belong in the town’s history. Add one, or share what you remember below.
Add to the West Bountiful archive →West Bountiful and its neighbors
West Bountiful is 2nd 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Centerville | Bless damage than 58% | earthquakes | 4 |
| West Bountiful | B−more damage than 52% | earthquakes | 4 |
| Woods Cross | Cmore damage than 66% | earthquakes | 27 |
| Bountiful | Cmore damage than 67% | earthquakes | 20 |
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 West Bountiful 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.
- 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.
- 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.
- 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 West Bountiful
Is West Bountiful at risk for natural disasters?
On FEMA’s National Risk Index, West Bountiful has higher expected damage per building than 52% of U.S. towns: B− for hazard risk, #53 of 119 in Utah. Most of the expected damage is earthquakes (56%) and river and rain flooding (29%). This is FEMA’s model of an average year for today’s buildings, not a forecast.
Does West Bountiful flood?
Flood insurance has paid 4 claims in West Bountiful since 1980, $8K in all, or 2.0 per 1,000 homes, fewer than 62% of U.S. towns with a flood insurance record.
Is West Bountiful 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 Davis County, 11% of homes in mapped flood zones carry federal flood insurance, and 0.3% of all homes do.
How much is flood insurance in West Bountiful?
FEMA’s Community Rating System list shows no discount for West Bountiful’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 West Bountiful?
By FEMA money that reached West Bountiful, Straight-line Winds (2020): $57K to the City of West Bountiful for repairs.
Is West Bountiful at risk from earthquakes?
It is the largest share of the building damage FEMA expects here (56%), and West Bountiful’s rate for it is higher than 88% of U.S. census tracts.
Storm stories
Memories, warnings and help from neighbors in West Bountiful.
Sources: FEMA National Risk Index v1.20 (December 2025), census-tract table, combined by where West Bountiful’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.