Natural disaster risk in Colorado, by county
All 64 counties in Colorado, ranked by FEMA's National Risk Index composite risk score, with each one's highest-rated hazard. Other states
At a glance
0
Very high risk
2
Relatively high risk
8
Relatively moderate risk
19
Relatively low risk
35
Very low risk
Highest overall risk: Denver County (relatively high, score 95.2). Lowest: Hinsdale County (very low, score 1.0).
Top hazards in Colorado
| Hazard | Counties rated relatively high or very high | Average score |
|---|---|---|
| Lightning | 24 of 64 | 63.5 |
| Avalanche | 23 of 64 | 76.1 |
| Hail | 11 of 64 | 50.8 |
| Winter weather | 10 of 64 | 51.9 |
| Strong wind | 10 of 64 | 30.4 |
All counties, highest risk first
| # | County | Overall risk | Highest-rated hazard |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Denver County | Relatively high 95.2 | Hail (very high) |
| 2 | Jefferson County | Relatively high 94.9 | Hail (very high) |
| 3 | El Paso County | Relatively moderate 94.1 | Winter weather (very high) |
| 4 | Arapahoe County | Relatively moderate 93.8 | Hail (very high) |
| 5 | Adams County | Relatively moderate 91.2 | Hail (very high) |
| 6 | Boulder County | Relatively moderate 90.7 | Lightning (very high) |
| 7 | Larimer County | Relatively moderate 90.1 | Lightning (very high) |
| 8 | Weld County | Relatively moderate 89.2 | Hail (relatively high) |
| 9 | Douglas County | Relatively moderate 88.7 | Lightning (very high) |
| 10 | Pueblo County | Relatively moderate 82.5 | Lightning (very high) |
| 11 | Eagle County | Relatively low 76.2 | Avalanche (very high) |
| 12 | La Plata County | Relatively low 75.2 | Avalanche (relatively high) |
| 13 | Mesa County | Relatively low 75.1 | Lightning (very high) |
| 14 | Fremont County | Relatively low 68.6 | Lightning (relatively high) |
| 15 | Garfield County | Relatively low 64.5 | Landslide (relatively high) |
| 16 | Summit County | Relatively low 60.2 | Avalanche (very high) |
| 17 | Logan County | Relatively low 58.7 | Hail (relatively high) |
| 18 | Pitkin County | Relatively low 54.1 | Avalanche (very high) |
| 19 | Morgan County | Relatively low 51.9 | Hail (relatively moderate) |
| 20 | Delta County | Relatively low 51.3 | Lightning (relatively high) |
| 21 | Chaffee County | Relatively low 51.1 | Avalanche (very high) |
| 22 | Otero County | Relatively low 50.7 | Lightning (relatively high) |
| 23 | Grand County | Relatively low 50.2 | Avalanche (very high) |
| 24 | Montrose County | Relatively low 49 | Lightning (relatively high) |
| 25 | Prowers County | Relatively low 48.6 | Drought (relatively high) |
| 26 | Montezuma County | Relatively low 47.6 | Avalanche (relatively high) |
| 27 | Clear Creek County | Relatively low 46.7 | Avalanche (very high) |
| 28 | Rio Grande County | Relatively low 45.8 | Drought (relatively high) |
| 29 | Gunnison County | Relatively low 45 | Avalanche (very high) |
| 30 | Alamosa County | Very low 40.4 | Drought (relatively high) |
| 31 | Teller County | Very low 38.8 | Lightning (relatively high) |
| 32 | Rio Blanco County | Very low 37.6 | Avalanche (relatively high) |
| 33 | Yuma County | Very low 36.8 | Hail (relatively moderate) |
| 34 | Elbert County | Very low 36.6 | Wildfire (relatively moderate) |
| 35 | Broomfield County | Very low 34.7 | Lightning (relatively high) |
| 36 | Archuleta County | Very low 34.5 | Wildfire (relatively moderate) |
| 37 | Routt County | Very low 33.4 | Landslide (relatively moderate) |
| 38 | Kit Carson County | Very low 32.5 | Hail (relatively moderate) |
| 39 | Huerfano County | Very low 24.2 | Winter weather (relatively moderate) |
| 40 | Las Animas County | Very low 23.6 | Wildfire (relatively moderate) |
| 41 | Baca County | Very low 23.2 | Drought (relatively high) |
| 42 | Conejos County | Very low 22.9 | Avalanche (relatively high) |
| 43 | Park County | Very low 22.2 | Landslide (relatively moderate) |
| 44 | San Miguel County | Very low 19.1 | Avalanche (relatively high) |
| 45 | Ouray County | Very low 17.7 | Landslide (relatively high) |
| 46 | Saguache County | Very low 14.2 | Landslide (relatively moderate) |
| 47 | Phillips County | Very low 12.3 | Drought (relatively moderate) |
| 48 | Moffat County | Very low 12.1 | Landslide (relatively moderate) |
| 49 | Washington County | Very low 12 | Hail (relatively moderate) |
| 50 | Jackson County | Very low 11.8 | Avalanche (very high) |
| 51 | Dolores County | Very low 11.3 | Landslide (relatively high) |
| 52 | San Juan County | Very low 10.7 | Avalanche (very high) |
| 53 | Lincoln County | Very low 7.5 | Hail (relatively low) |
| 54 | Costilla County | Very low 6.6 | Drought (relatively moderate) |
| 55 | Sedgwick County | Very low 6.5 | Drought (relatively moderate) |
| 56 | Gilpin County | Very low 6.4 | Wildfire (relatively low) |
| 57 | Lake County | Very low 5.7 | Avalanche (relatively high) |
| 58 | Bent County | Very low 5.6 | Drought (relatively moderate) |
| 59 | Mineral County | Very low 5.4 | Avalanche (relatively high) |
| 60 | Crowley County | Very low 3.9 | Hail (relatively low) |
| 61 | Custer County | Very low 3.9 | Lightning (relatively moderate) |
| 62 | Kiowa County | Very low 3.8 | Drought (relatively moderate) |
| 63 | Cheyenne County | Very low 3 | Drought (relatively moderate) |
| 64 | Hinsdale County | Very low 1 | Avalanche (relatively moderate) |
How to read these ratings
- Ratings run in five steps: very low, relatively low, relatively moderate, relatively high and very high. They compare a county with every other US county; they are not a measure of danger on their own.
- Scores run from 0 to 100 and are national percentiles. The bar shows the score: a score of 80 means a higher value than 80% of US counties.
- Overall risk combines the expected annual loss with social vulnerability and community resilience.
- Expected annual loss is the average yearly loss to buildings, people and agriculture the model expects from all 18 hazards.
- Social vulnerability describes how hard it may be for people to prepare for and recover from a disaster. Higher is worse.
- Community resilience describes a community's ability to prepare, adapt and recover. Higher is better.
- "Not applicable" means FEMA does not model that hazard there (for example, hurricanes far inland).
About this data
Source: FEMA National Risk Index, version 1.20, released December 2025, published by the Federal Emergency Management Agency (US public domain). About the National Risk Index. The index is a model of relative risk built from historical hazard records, what is exposed and community factors. It is not a forecast, it does not describe any single property, and it is not insurance or financial advice. For decisions about a specific address, check FEMA's flood maps and your local emergency management office.
Questions
Which county in Colorado has the highest natural disaster risk?
Denver County has the highest composite risk score in Colorado in FEMA's National Risk Index: 95.2, rated relatively high.
Which county in Colorado has the lowest natural disaster risk?
Hinsdale County has the lowest composite risk score in Colorado: 1.0, rated very low. A low score means lower modelled risk compared with other US counties, not no risk.
What natural disasters is Colorado most at risk from?
Across Colorado, the hazards rated highest in the most counties are lightning, avalanche, hail, according to FEMA's National Risk Index. Each county page lists all 18 hazards.
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