Nearly 5% of homes in the Salt Lake metro — worth about $9 billion — face severe or extreme flood risk, per a recent Realtor.com analysis.

Why it matters: Climate change is fueling more extreme weather — driving up home insurance premiums in high-risk areas and leaving some Utahns without coverage as insurers drop homeowners.

Driving the news: Heavy flooding inundated parts of Southern Utah during the weekend, impacting homes and roads.

The big picture: Nationwide, roughly 6.1% of homes (worth around $3.4 trillion) are at severe or extreme risk of flood damage;

• 18.3% ($8 trillion) from hurricane wind damage;
• 5.6% ($3.2 trillion) from fire.

Reality check: Flood risks, in particular, are "largely underestimated" by homeowners, per the analysis, which looks at figures from First Street, a climate risk data provider.

• Homeowners may not realize their property faces significant flood risk — and opt out of flood insurance — if it's outside a FEMA Special Flood Hazard Area, defined as having a 1% or greater chance of flooding each year.
• Unlike FEMA's maps, First Street's model accounts for heavy rain and future climate change, identifying millions of additional properties facing risk.

Zoom out: Separately, about 4% of Salt Lake homes face severe or extreme wildfire risk, according to the analysis.

• Utah Gov. Spencer Cox in July declared a state of emergency after wildfires burned nearly 114,000 acres for the year, the majority of which were human-caused.

The bottom line: "Understanding climate risk in the housing market is essential, as these challenges not only affect residential safety but also influence property values, insurance costs, and overall market stability," Realtor.com economist Jiayi Xu wrote in the report.

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A small neighborhood bar has drawn big crowds since it opened less than a week ago.

Why it matters: Cozy corner bars are rare under Utah's rigid liquor laws, leaving Salt Lake without many of the small watering holes that serve as community hubs in other cities.

Driving the news: Kiitos Brewing opened its new location Wednesday at 1533 S. 1100 East — in the heart of a neighborhood where almost all other businesses close before nightfall.

• That has left the commercial district mostly deserted after hours.

Context: The corridor sits between the bustling corners at 15th & 15th and 9th & 9th on a prosperous side of town, amid walkable, older residential streets lined with sidewalks.

• Bars were by far the most preferred type of new businesses for the 9th & 9th area in a 2019 survey of East Liberty Park residents.

What's inside: The bar occupies a 113-year-old building that once housed a sewing shop, with a front-room bar that leads to booths and a back room with easy chairs and a couch.

Flashback: Another team of entrepreneurs planned to open a bar there but struggled to secure financing, the previous owner told Building Salt Lake.

The latest: Kiitos Sugar House Bar was teeming with people the day after it opened, filling almost every seat with a continuous rotation of customers.

Yes, but: Be patient and chat up the neighbors while you wait for a table.

• That's how corner bars work.

Tell a neighbor

⚡ A 23-year-old woman attending the RedWest country musical festival at Utah State Fairpark on Saturday died after being struck by wind-blown debris while leaving the event. Concertgoers were forced to evacuate and seek shelter due to lightning and high winds. (FOX 13)

• A scheduled performance by Post Malone was canceled that evening because of the weather.

⚖️ The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints is appealing a state supreme court decision to halt plans to construct a temple near Heber City. (KSL.com)

A Senate committee rejected Gov. Spencer Cox's nomination of Maria Garciaz to the University of Utah Board of Trustees after state GOP lawmakers criticized her use of the word "equity" during a hearing. (Salt Lake Tribune)

• Cox first appointed Garciaz, the former CEO of NeighborWorks Salt Lake, in 2021.

Independent music venues like Kilby Court and Urban Lounge added $645.6 million to Utah's GDP in 2024, according to a first-of-its-kind analysis released this month.

By the numbers: In Utah, independent venues generated $1.3 billion in total economic output, according to a report produced by the National Independent Venue Association (NIVA).

Yes, but: The report's findings weren't all cause for a standing ovation. In 2024, 64% of the nation's independent venues were not profitable.

• In major cities, they're facing escalating real estate costs and inflation.

How it works: NIVA categorizes independent venues and music festivals as those not owned by a multinational corporation or a publicly traded company.

The big picture: It's a gritty time for indie music venues. The live music industry is dominated by corporate giants like Live Nation and AEG.

Case in point: In August, Live Nation announced plans to build a downtown SLC concert venue with Ryan Smith's company, Smith Entertainment Group.

Pass along to a fan

SLC waits with bated breath each year to see what Halloween display appears at 1542 S. 900 East.

The latest: A giant jack o'lantern-headed scarecrow now looms over the neighborhood.

Sometimes the head turns and fills with fog. Pop by to see it!