The Horrific Crash At Utah's Bryce Canyon National Park That Will Never Be Forgotten

What kind of natural disasters in Utah are there?  

Thanks to seismic activity, Utah is a fairly disaster-prone state. It’s “overdue”, geologically speaking, for another earthquake event at any time. A large fault runs through Utah – though Utah County specifically. It runs from Malad City, Idaho, to Fayette, Utah, and is the likeliest culprit for a future earthquake disaster. Another common natural disaster in this state is wildfires, which threaten most of the west now due to extended drought, climate change, and other factors. From time to time, Utah will see a tornado or two, like the infamous Salt Lake City tornado in the 1990s. Other potential disasters include flooding and, as a result of flooding, landslides. In 1983, for example, the entire town of Thistle, Utah, was eaten by a landslide! Thankfully, natural disasters in Utah are fairly rare and don’t happen often at all. They don’t tend to be at the forefront of residents’ worries. Here are some examples of disasters throughout Utah’s history.  

Has there ever been any disasters at any of our National Parks?  

Thankfully, there have been very few disasters at our National Parks, though the risk for death in many of our National Parks tends to be higher than in most places thanks to uniquely dangerous landscapes in places. There was the great fire in 1947 that ravaged Acadia National Park, but few other specific “disasters” to speak of thus far (thankfully). Death is no stranger to the National Parks system, though; Grand Canyon National Park has seen at least 134 deaths in the last ten years, 27 of which were the result of falls – more still were the results of exposure and/or heat. In Yosemite National Park, there have been 126 deaths in the last decade, 45 of which were falls mostly from folks trying to get the perfect picture (PLEASE be careful – Instagram is not worth dying for). Finally, Great Smoky Mountains National Park saw at least 92 deaths in the last decade, but 37 of those were from vehicular accidents instead of anything that happened in natural settings.