Utah
The Wasatch Fault sits directly beneath the I-15 corridor where 80 percent of Utah's population lives. The Great Salt Lake is shrinking to crisis levels. Canyon country flash floods kill hikers. And the air quality during winter inversions is among the worst in the nation.
Enter your Utah ZIP for live alerts, forecasts, and county-specific data.
Know your region
Salt Lake City, Provo, Ogden, Layton, the I-15 corridor. The Wasatch Fault runs directly beneath this metro of 2.5 million people. The 2020 Magna earthquake (M5.7) was a warning. Liquefaction risk is high in the valley. Wildfire threatens foothill neighborhoods. Winter inversions trap pollution.
Primary hazards: earthquakes, wildfire, winter inversions, flooding
Moab, Zion, Bryce, Capitol Reef, the slot canyons. Flash floods from distant thunderstorms race through slot canyons with minutes of warning. The 2015 Hildale flood killed 20 people. Spring snowmelt caused unprecedented Great Salt Lake shoreline flooding in 2023.
Primary hazards: flash floods, extreme heat, wildfire, drought
Park City, Heber, Logan, the Wasatch and Uinta ranges. Over 500 inches of snow annually. Avalanche risk is persistent. Highway closures are routine. Winter inversions in valleys trap cold air and pollution for weeks.
Primary hazards: avalanches, winter storms, wildfire, flooding
Your hazard profile
Each links to a full guide with during-event protocol, recovery steps, and resources specific to UT.
The Wasatch Fault has a 43 percent probability of a M6.75+ quake in the next 50 years. The 2020 Magna earthquake (M5.7) was a warning. Liquefaction risk is high in Salt Lake Valley fill soils.
Read the earthquakes guide →
Dry conditions and mountain terrain produce significant fire seasons. Smoke degrades Salt Lake Valley air quality for weeks. Foothill neighborhoods along the Wasatch Front face direct fire risk.
Read the wildfires guide →
The 2015 Hildale flood killed 20. Slot canyons produce deadly flash floods from distant storms. Spring snowmelt flooding threatened Great Salt Lake communities in 2023.
Read the flash floods guide →
500+ inches of snow annually in the Wasatch. Avalanche risk is persistent. Valley inversions trap pollution, creating some of the worst air quality in the nation.
Read the winter storms and inversions guide →
Utah is the second-driest state. The Great Salt Lake has shrunk to crisis levels, exposing toxic dust. Declining snowpack threatens municipal water supplies.
Read the drought and the great salt lake guide →
Utah resources
Utah Division of Emergency Management. Coordinates disaster response and manages the state's earthquake preparedness programs.
Utah Geological Survey earthquake information. Wasatch Fault maps, expected shaking intensity, and retrofit guidance.
Daily avalanche forecasts for all Wasatch and Uinta backcountry zones. Essential for winter recreation.
Northern Utah forecasts. Winter storm warnings, flash flood advisories, air quality alerts, and fire weather.
Drought monitoring, Great Salt Lake levels, reservoir storage, and conservation programs.
The lake is disappearing
The Great Salt Lake has lost two-thirds of its water since 1987. The exposed lakebed contains arsenic, mercury, and other heavy metals from decades of mining and industrial runoff. As the lakebed dries, wind picks up this toxic dust and carries it directly into the lungs of the 2.5 million people who live along the Wasatch Front.
This is not a future scenario. Dust storms from the exposed lakebed have already reached Salt Lake City. Air quality during these events degrades rapidly. The health consequences of chronic toxic dust exposure are still being studied, but the early data is concerning.
For Utah households along the Wasatch Front, the Great Salt Lake crisis adds a new dimension to preparedness: indoor air quality during dust events. Sealed windows, HEPA air purifiers, and N95 masks for outdoor exposure during dust storms. This hazard did not exist a generation ago. It exists now.