Natural hazards · Murray

Murray, UT natural hazards

Most of the natural-hazard damage FEMA expects in Murray comes from earthquakes, and overall the risk is high for a U.S. community. Flood insurance has paid 36 claims here since 1982. 1 federal disaster brought FEMA money into town.

FEMA National Risk Index, December 2025 · OpenFEMA claims, aid & declarations

Expected damage

How exposed is Murray?

High

vs. U.S. communities

FEMA expects yearly storm and flood damage to homes and buildings in Murray to be higher than in 79% of U.S. communities, mostly from earthquakes.

Earthquakes88%Inland flooding10%Everything else2%

By hazard

What Murray faces

Each hazard’s share of the damage FEMA expects here, and how that compares with the rest of the country.

Earthquakes

88% of expected damage

Well above average · higher than 95% of U.S. places

Inland flooding

10% of expected damage

Well below average · higher than 20% of U.S. places

Recorded about once a year in the area

Lower here

TornadoesHailIce stormsWinter weatherCold wavesHeat wavesWildfireLandslidesStrong windLightningVolcanic activity

Not a risk here

Coastal floodingHurricanesDroughtAvalanchesTsunamis

Flood risk changes street by street. Check a specific address on FEMA’s flood map, and ask about flood insurance before you buy.

Flood insurance claims

Does Murray flood?

Every paid claim on a federal flood insurance policy in Murray, from FEMA’s records.

36paid claims since 1982

$257Kpaid to owners

0homes flooded more than once

19822026

of homes in flood zones
are insured

of all homes
are insured

No community discount. Murray isn’t in FEMA’s Community Rating System, which cuts flood insurance up to 45% in towns that do extra flood-proofing.

Insurance rates: Salt Lake County.

Disasters that hit Murray

1 federal disaster brought FEMA money here

Disasters the President declared that paid out in Murray itself: aid to households, or repair grants to the City of Murray.

Brought FEMA money into MurrayDeclared for Salt Lake County only

2020

Earthquake and Aftershocks

16 households applied for aid $19K aid approved

Salt Lake County has had 10 natural disasters declared since 1953, most often floods and fires.

Around Murray

Murray and the towns around it

Very lowLowModerateHighVery high

Murraymostly earthquakesHigh

Millcreekmostly earthquakesHigh

Holladaymostly earthquakesHigh

Midvalemostly earthquakesHigh

Taylorsvillemostly earthquakesHigh

Cottonwood Heightsmostly avalanchesModerate

West Jordanmostly earthquakesLow

About these numbers

How to read this page

An average, not a forecastFEMA’s National Risk Index estimates the damage 18 kinds of natural hazards cause in a typical year, from decades of records and models. A quiet decade can follow a bad year.

Compared by rate“Higher than N%” compares yearly damage as a share of what’s here, so a big city isn’t rated riskier just for having more buildings. Murray covers 12 census tracts, combined by population.

Money that reached townFlood claims are matched to Murray’s own flood-insurance community; household aid to the registrant’s city; repair grants to the City of Murray. FEMA’s model follows property values, so a place that recently lost many homes can rate lower than it feels.

FEMA’s expected losses across Murray total about $39.2M a year, counting buildings, people and crops.

Sources: FEMA National Risk Index (December 2025); 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. Census tracts: U.S. Census Bureau.