Grand County, Utah severe weather history spans 236 recorded events between 1968 and 2025. The dominant hazard is flash flood, accounting for 33.5% of all recorded events. It ranks #2,206 nationally and #7 in Utah.
236
Recorded events
5
Direct deaths
2
Direct injuries
$44.0M
Property damage
The record
What the Grand County, Utah severe weather history record shows
Across the archive, Grand County, Utah severe weather history averages 4.1 recorded events a year. The busiest stretch on record is the 2020s, with 73 events logged in that decade alone. Roughly 7 events fall before 1990 and 229 from 1990 onward — a gap that reflects the expansion of NOAA reporting practice as much as the weather itself.
The deadliest hazard in the Grand County, Utah record is flash flood, responsible for 3 direct deaths. The costliest is flash flood, with $43.1M in reported property damage. In total, 10 distinct hazard types appear in this county archive, each listed with its own dated record below.
By hazard type
Every hazard type recorded in Grand County
| Hazard | Events | Deaths | Damage | Max | Span |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flash Flood | 79 | 3 | $43.1M | 0 | 1997–2025 |
| Thunderstorm Wind | 56 | 0 | $85K | 85 | 1969–2025 |
| Hail | 26 | 0 | $15K | 1.75 | 1968–2025 |
| Heavy Rain | 19 | 0 | $12K | 0 | 1998–2025 |
| Flood | 15 | 0 | $631K | 0 | 2000–2023 |
| Wildfire | 15 | 0 | $0 | 0 | 1999–2003 |
| Debris Flow | 13 | 0 | $56K | 0 | 2013–2024 |
| Lightning | 7 | 2 | $104K | 0 | 1996–2021 |
| Tornado | 4 | 0 | $1K | F2 | 1970–2006 |
| Funnel Cloud | 2 | 0 | $0 | 0 | 2003–2022 |
Decade by decade
Grand County, Utah severe weather history by decade
Reporting practice changed over time — early decades are undercounted, not calmer.
Tornado tracks
Paths crossing this county
5 mapped tornado paths intersect this county: 4 touched down inside it and 1 crossed in from a neighbouring county. This comes from path geometry, not county-tagged reports.
| Date | Scale | Deaths | Injuries | Path length | Origin |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1970-06-10 | EF2 | 0 | 0 | 0.1 mi | Touched down here |
| 1961-05-04 | EF2 | 0 | 0 | 9.4 mi | Crossed in |
| 2006-09-22 | EF0 | 0 | 0 | 0.2 mi | Touched down here |
| 2000-09-08 | EF0 | 0 | 0 | 2.0 mi | Touched down here |
| 2000-04-18 | EF0 | 0 | 0 | 0.5 mi | Touched down here |
Significant events
Deadliest events on record in Grand County
| Date | Type | Location | Deaths | Injuries | Damage |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jun 21, 2024 | Flash Flood | MOAB | 2 | 0 | $0 |
| Sep 28, 2014 | Flash Flood | HARLEY DOME | 1 | 0 | $20K |
| May 29, 1999 | Lightning | CISCO | 1 | 0 | $0 |
| Aug 18, 1996 | Lightning | MOAB | 1 | 0 | $0 |
| Jun 24, 2021 | Lightning | POTASH | 0 | 2 | $0 |
From the record
What the reports say
Written by National Weather Service staff at the time of the event · public domain
Major flooding in Moab and Castle Valley from strong thunderstorm that produced very heavy rain across town, Mill Creek, North Mill Creek, Kane Creek and a drainage above Castle Valley. 1 inch of rain fell in 15 minutes for a rainrate of 4 inches per hour. 2 reported missing in Moab area with an abandoned vehicle discovered in Mill Creek drainage after flash flooding, 1 was found deceased and other assumed fatality but not found.
Flash flood waters at least four feet deep flowed down the normally dry Bittercreek Wash and swept away a jeep which had been driven into the flood waters where the Tabeguache Trail crosses the wash. The driver was able to get out of the vehicle and reach the bank while the passenger was trapped inside and drowned. The vehicle came to a stop about 200 feet downstream from the Tabeguache Trail crossing.
More than 50 people were stranded overnight in Grand County, Utah after heavy rain from severe thunderstorms wiped out a portion of Mineral Bottom Road which led to a remote boat ramp. The rain completed demolished a section of switchbacks with large boulders accumulating.
Context
Risk, population and federal disasters
Very Low
FEMA NRI risk rating
9,754
Population (ACS)
$539K
Median home value
4
Federal declarations
| Declared | Incident | Title | Type |
|---|---|---|---|
| Apr 4, 2020 | Biological | COVID-19 PANDEMIC | DR |
| Mar 13, 2020 | Biological | COVID-19 | EM |
| Sep 5, 2005 | Coastal Storm | HURRICANE KATRINA EVACUATION | EM |
| Jan 20, 1977 | Drought | DROUGHT | EM |
Within the county
Most affected places
- Moab 226
- Castle Valley 109
Quick answers
Frequently asked
How many severe weather events have been recorded in Grand County, Utah?
236 events are on record between 1968 and 2025, causing 5 direct deaths and $44.0M in property damage.
What is the most common severe weather hazard in Grand County?
Flash Flood, with 79 recorded events — 33.5% of everything in the archive for this county.
How many tornadoes have crossed Grand County?
5 mapped tornado paths intersect the county boundary; 4 of them touched down inside it. This is derived from path geometry, not county-tagged reports.
How many federal disaster declarations cover Grand County?
4 federal disaster declarations from FEMA include Grand County, each tied to a specific incident period.
How risky is Grand County compared with the rest of the country?
FEMA's National Risk Index rates Grand County as very low risk, placing it in the 10 percentile of its state for expected annual loss.
Where does the Grand County, Utah severe weather history data come from?
Every figure is drawn from United States federal public-domain records: NOAA/NCEI Storm Events for the event archive, NOAA SPC SVRGIS for mapped tornado paths, FEMA for disaster declarations and risk ratings, and the U.S. Census for population context. Dates are shown in UTC and recent entries may still be revised by NOAA.
Nearby
Neighbouring counties
- Garfield County 188
- Iron County 111
- Emery County 107
- Juab County 57
- Duchesne County 97
- Kane County 254
Cite this page
“Grand County, Utah.” Severe Weather History. severeweatherhistory.com/county/utah/grand-county/ · Data: NOAA/NCEI, FEMA, U.S. Census — public domain.