Sanpete County, Utah severe weather history spans 43 recorded events between 1955 and 2026. The dominant hazard is thunderstorm wind, accounting for 27.9% of all recorded events. It ranks #3,079 nationally and #26 in Utah.
43
Recorded events
0
Direct deaths
1
Direct injuries
$3.6M
Property damage
The record
What the Sanpete County, Utah severe weather history record shows
Across the archive, Sanpete County, Utah severe weather history averages 0.6 recorded events a year. The busiest stretch on record is the 2000s, with 14 events logged in that decade alone. Roughly 9 events fall before 1990 and 34 from 1990 onward — a gap that reflects the expansion of NOAA reporting practice as much as the weather itself.
The costliest is tornado, with $2.0M in reported property damage. In total, 7 distinct hazard types appear in this county archive, each listed with its own dated record below.
By hazard type
Every hazard type recorded in Sanpete County
| Hazard | Events | Deaths | Damage | Max | Span |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Thunderstorm Wind | 12 | 0 | $60K | 63 | 1969–2026 |
| Flash Flood | 11 | 0 | $1.4M | 0 | 1998–2017 |
| Tornado | 10 | 0 | $2.0M | F2 | 1955–2005 |
| Hail | 5 | 0 | $0 | 1.75 | 1964–2009 |
| Flood | 2 | 0 | $120K | 0 | 1997–2011 |
| Debris Flow | 2 | 0 | $0 | 0 | 2013–2013 |
| Lightning | 1 | 0 | $0 | 0 | 2001–2001 |
Decade by decade
Sanpete County, Utah severe weather history by decade
Reporting practice changed over time — early decades are undercounted, not calmer.
Tornado tracks
Paths crossing this county
9 mapped tornado paths intersect this county: 9 touched down inside it and 0 crossed in from a neighbouring county. This comes from path geometry, not county-tagged reports.
| Date | Scale | Deaths | Injuries | Path length | Origin |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2002-09-08 | EF2 | 0 | 0 | 2.7 mi | Touched down here |
| 1955-06-16 | EF2 | 0 | 0 | 2.7 mi | Touched down here |
| 1964-08-28 | EF1 | 0 | 0 | 0.1 mi | Touched down here |
| 2005-06-25 | EF0 | 0 | 0 | 0.5 mi | Touched down here |
| 2002-09-12 | EF0 | 0 | 0 | 0.1 mi | Touched down here |
| 2002-09-08 | EF0 | 0 | 0 | 0.2 mi | Touched down here |
| 2001-08-08 | EF0 | 0 | 0 | 2.0 mi | Touched down here |
| 1984-08-15 | EF0 | 0 | 0 | 0.1 mi | Touched down here |
| 1955-06-16 | EF0 | 0 | 0 | 0.1 mi | Touched down here |
Significant events
Deadliest events on record in Sanpete County
| Date | Type | Location | Deaths | Injuries | Damage |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jun 27, 2001 | Lightning | FAIRVIEW | 0 | 1 | $0 |
From the record
What the reports say
Written by National Weather Service staff at the time of the event · public domain
Heavy rain caused widespread flash flooding in the cities of Gunnison and Centerfield, with an approximate total of 30 homes and businesses sustaining some damage from the flood waters. About another 100 homes experienced yard flooding. Most damaged homes had minor damage to basements or lower levels. In addition, portions of the Gunnison Market grocery store were flooded, and some of the inventory was damaged.
A large debris flow occurred at the Wood Hollow burn scar. This debris flow damaged multiple homes, with two homes in particular receiving significant damage. The main damage was caused by mud flowing into basements, with one home having muddy water pooled as much as 8 feet deep in the basement. In addition, the debris crossed over State Route 132 and closed the road for several hours.
The Sevier River flooded in Sanpete County, with many roads damaged in the Gunnison and Centerfield area. Water was a foot deep along parts of the Clarion Road, damaging both the road and a nearby hunting club. There was extensive flooding along the Gunnison Farmers Freeway, with some road and bridge damage in that area. Damage was also reported along River Bridge Road in the Fayette area.
Context
Risk, population and federal disasters
Very Low
FEMA NRI risk rating
29,719
Population (ACS)
$347K
Median home value
10
Federal declarations
| Declared | Incident | Title | Type |
|---|---|---|---|
| Dec 23, 2023 | Flood | FLOODING | DR |
| Apr 4, 2020 | Biological | COVID-19 PANDEMIC | DR |
| Mar 13, 2020 | Biological | COVID-19 | EM |
| Aug 6, 2018 | Fire | HILLTOP FIRE | FM |
| Jun 24, 2012 | Fire | WOOD HOLLOW FIRE | FM |
| Aug 8, 2011 | Flood | FLOODING | DR |
Quick answers
Frequently asked
How many severe weather events have been recorded in Sanpete County, Utah?
43 events are on record between 1955 and 2026, causing 0 direct deaths and $3.6M in property damage.
What is the most common severe weather hazard in Sanpete County?
Thunderstorm Wind, with 12 recorded events — 27.9% of everything in the archive for this county.
How many tornadoes have crossed Sanpete County?
9 mapped tornado paths intersect the county boundary; 9 of them touched down inside it. This is derived from path geometry, not county-tagged reports.
How many federal disaster declarations cover Sanpete County?
10 federal disaster declarations from FEMA include Sanpete County, each tied to a specific incident period.
How risky is Sanpete County compared with the rest of the country?
FEMA's National Risk Index rates Sanpete County as very low risk, placing it in the 39 percentile of its state for expected annual loss.
Where does the Sanpete 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
- San Juan County 217
- Sevier County 57
- Salt Lake County 507
- Summit County 51
- Rich County 29
- Tooele County 821
Cite this page
“Sanpete County, Utah.” Severe Weather History. severeweatherhistory.com/county/utah/sanpete-county/ · Data: NOAA/NCEI, FEMA, U.S. Census — public domain.