Natural hazards · Payson

Payson, UT natural hazards

Most of the natural-hazard damage FEMA expects in Payson comes from earthquakes, and overall the risk is high for a U.S. community. Flood insurance has paid 1 claim here since 2011. 1 federal disaster brought FEMA money into town.

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

Expected damage

How exposed is Payson?

High

vs. U.S. communities

FEMA expects yearly storm and flood damage to homes and buildings in Payson to be higher than in 72% of U.S. communities, mostly from earthquakes.

Earthquakes82%Inland flooding10%Everything else8%

By hazard

What Payson faces

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

Earthquakes

82% of expected damage

Well above average · higher than 93% of U.S. places

Inland flooding

10% of expected damage

Well below average · higher than 12% of U.S. places

Recorded about once a year in the area

Lower here

TornadoesHailIce stormsWinter weatherCold wavesHeat wavesWildfireLandslidesStrong windLightningDroughtVolcanic activity

Not a risk here

Coastal floodingHurricanesAvalanchesTsunamis

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 Payson flood?

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

1paid claims since 2011

$3Kpaid to owners

0homes flooded more than once

20112026

of homes in flood zones
are insured

of all homes
are insured

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

Insurance rates: Utah County.

Disasters that hit Payson

1 federal disaster brought FEMA money here

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

Brought FEMA money into PaysonDeclared for Utah County only

2011

Flooding

$17K to the City of Payson for repairs

Utah County has had 11 natural disasters declared since 1953, most often fires and floods.

Around Payson

Payson and the towns around it

Very lowLowModerateHighVery high

Elk Ridgemostly avalanchesVery high

West Mountainmostly earthquakesHigh

Paysonmostly earthquakesHigh

Salemmostly earthquakesHigh

Spring Lakemostly avalanchesModerate

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. Payson covers 4 census tracts, combined by population.

Money that reached townFlood claims are matched to Payson’s own flood-insurance community; household aid to the registrant’s city; repair grants to the City of Payson. 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 Payson total about $8.3M 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.