Natural disaster risk in La Plata County, Colorado
Colorado · population 55,533 · FIPS 08067
Overall: relatively low risk
La Plata County has a composite risk score of 75.2 out of 100 — higher than 75% of US counties. It ranks 12 of 64 in Colorado (1 = highest risk). Its highest-rated hazards are avalanche, lightning, wildfire.
Drought now: Yes: D2 Severe Drought, 36 weeks
Yes. On the U.S. Drought Monitor map valid 13 October 2026, 5.91% of La Plata County is in D2 Severe Drought. Some of it has been at D2 or worse for 36 weeks in a row. In all, 69.15% of the county is in drought (D1 to D4).
Drought in La Plata County: the last 52 weeks · droughtmonitor.unl.edu
The U.S. Drought Monitor is jointly produced by the National Drought Mitigation Center at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln, the United States Department of Agriculture, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration and the National Aeronautics and Space Administration. Map courtesy of NDMC.
Risk, loss, vulnerability and resilience
| Measure | Rating and score |
|---|---|
| Overall risk Expected annual loss, adjusted for social vulnerability and community resilience. |
Relatively low 75.2 |
| Expected annual loss About $39.5 million a year, on average, across all 18 hazards. |
Relatively low 79.5 |
| Social vulnerability Higher means people may find it harder to prepare and recover. |
Relatively low 21 |
| Community resilience Higher means a stronger ability to prepare, adapt and recover. |
Relatively moderate 48.3 |
Risk by hazard
FEMA's risk rating for each of 18 natural hazards in La Plata County, highest first. "Not applicable" means the hazard is not modelled here.
| Hazard | Risk rating and score |
|---|---|
| Avalanche | Relatively high 88 |
| Lightning | Relatively high 85 |
| Wildfire | Relatively moderate 97 |
| Landslide | Relatively moderate 87 |
| Inland (riverine) flooding | Relatively moderate 81 |
| Winter weather | Relatively moderate 64 |
| Earthquake | Relatively low 70 |
| Drought | Relatively low 47 |
| Ice storm | Very low 21 |
| Tornado | Very low 15 |
| Strong wind | Very low 10 |
| Hail | Very low 6 |
| Heat wave | Very low 6 |
| Cold wave | Very low 2 |
| Coastal flooding | Not applicable |
| Hurricane | Not applicable |
| Tsunami | Not applicable |
| Volcanic activity | Not applicable |
FEMA disaster declarations for La Plata County
Federal declarations that designated La Plata County, since 1 Jan 2024 (the period this site keeps from OpenFEMA). Older declarations are in FEMA's own dataset.
Not since 1 Jan 2024: no FEMA disaster declaration in the records this site read names La Plata County.
All FEMA declarations in Colorado, with estimated apply-by dates · Open FEMA deadlines
This product uses the Federal Emergency Management Agency's OpenFEMA API, but is not endorsed by FEMA. The Federal Government or FEMA cannot vouch for the data or analyses derived from these data after the data have been retrieved from the Agency's website(s). Dataset: Disaster Declarations Summaries - v2.
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
What is the natural disaster risk in La Plata County, Colorado?
FEMA's National Risk Index rates the overall risk in La Plata County as relatively low, with a score of 75.2 out of 100 (higher than 75% of US counties). That is a comparison with other US counties, not a forecast.
What are the biggest natural hazards in La Plata County?
The hazards rated highest for La Plata County are avalanche (relatively high), lightning (relatively high), wildfire (relatively moderate).
What is the flood risk in La Plata County?
FEMA rates inland (river and rain) flooding risk in La Plata County as relatively moderate. For a specific property, check the FEMA flood map and your local floodplain office.
Has La Plata County had a FEMA disaster declaration?
Not since 1 Jan 2024: no FEMA disaster declaration in the records this site read names La Plata County.
Is La Plata County in a drought?
Yes. On the U.S. Drought Monitor map valid 13 October 2026, 5.91% of La Plata County is in D2 Severe Drought. Some of it has been at D2 or worse for 36 weeks in a row. In all, 69.15% of the county is in drought (D1 to D4).
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