FEMA Records
4
Total declarations
Colorado · FEMA + NOAA + National Risk Index
Boulder County, CO
4 FEMA disaster declarations (2021–2024), with a FEMA National Risk Index rating of Relatively Moderate. Most common hazard: Fire.
- 4
- FEMA declarations
- 1
- Major disasters
- 91
- NRI risk · Relatively Moderate
- Fire
- Top hazard
FEMA's National Risk Index places Boulder County in the top 9% of U.S. counties for overall natural-hazard risk, and its FEMA disaster-declaration count is higher than 59% of all 2,729 counties tracked.
How does Boulder County compare?
- Boulder County
- 4
- Colorado county avg
- 1.6
- National county avg
- 3.7
How disaster-prone is Boulder County?
Boulder County, Colorado has recorded 4 FEMA disaster declarations between 2021 and 2024, of which 1 were classified as Major Disaster declarations (DR) requiring federal individual and public assistance. That puts the county's average at 1.3 declarations per year across a 3-year record, or roughly 158% above the Colorado county average of 1.6 and 7% above the national county average of 3.7.
The dominant disaster type on record is Fire, with 4 of 4 declarations falling under this category. This county sits among the highest-risk counties nationally on FEMA's National Risk Index, a composite score of 90.7/100 (Relatively Moderate). Expected Annual Loss is rated Relatively Moderate (roughly $125.3M in annualized losses). Social vulnerability reads Very Low and community resilience Very High, both critical modifiers of realized harm here. Of the 18 hazards FEMA models, Lightning stands out as the sharpest exposure here, rated Very High.
Taken together, Boulder County reads as low relative risk on this historical lens, fewer federally recognized disasters than a typical U.S. county.
Risk Assessment
Risk Level
Low
vs. Colorado Avg
+158%
State avg: 1.6
vs. National Avg
+7%
National avg: 3.7
Avg Per Year
1.3
Over 3 years
FEMA NRI 8-hazard radar - Boulder County
How to read this radar
The radar plots Boulder County's relative exposure to the eight headline natural hazards used by the FEMA National Risk Index. Each axis is the qualitative NRI risk rating (Very Low through Very High) re-expressed on a 0-100 scale so that the polygon shape lets you compare a county against another at a glance. A rounder polygon means broad multi-hazard exposure; a spiky polygon means one or two dominant hazards drive most of the modeled risk.
NRI Source
FEMA 2023
Latest NRI release
County FIPS
08013
CO state code
Source: FEMA National Risk Index FEMA National Risk Index Per-county per-hazard ratings, 2023 release
Disaster Types
Fire 4
Declaration Types
What DR / EM / FM mean
FEMA categorizes declarations as Major Disasters (DR), Emergencies (EM), or Fire Management Assistance (FM).
Fire Management - 3 75.0%
of all 4 declarations
Major Disaster - 1 25.0%
of all 4 declarations
FEMA Declarations Timeline
| Year | Declarations | |
|---|---|---|
| 2024 | 1 | |
| 2022 | 2 | |
| 2021 | 1 | |
Disaster Declarations
| DR# | Title | Type | Incident | Date |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 5525 | STONE MOUNTAIN FIRE | FM | Fire | 2024-07-31 |
| 4634 | WILDFIRES AND STRAIGHT-LINE WINDS | DR | Fire | 2021-12-31 |
| 5423 | MARSHALL FIRE | FM | Fire | 2021-12-30 |
| 5379 | CALWOOD FIRE | FM | Fire | 2020-10-17 |
Storm Events in Colorado
| Storm Type | Events | Fatalities | Injuries | Property Damage |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Hail | 5,405 | 0 | 100 | $2.9B |
| Winter Weather | 2,815 | 3 | 23 | $22.5K |
| High Wind | 2,148 | 5 | 6 | $21.2M |
| Thunderstorm Wind | 1,995 | 2 | 11 | $5.7M |
| Winter Storm | 1,532 | 0 | 0 | $848.0K |
Source: NOAA Storm Events Database NOAA Storm Events Database State-level aggregated data, 2015–2025
FEMA National Risk Index
Overall Risk
Relatively Moderate
Score: 90.7/100
Expected Annual Loss
Relatively Moderate
$125.3M/year
Social Vulnerability
Very Low
Community Resilience
Very High
Hazard Risk Breakdown
Lightning Very High
Hail Relatively High
Wildfire Relatively High
Winter Weather Relatively High
Tornado Relatively High
Landslide Relatively Moderate
Avalanche Relatively High
Strong Wind Relatively High
Earthquake Relatively Low
Ice Storm Relatively Moderate
Cold Wave Relatively Moderate
Volcanic Activity Very Low
Heat Wave Relatively Low
Drought Relatively Low
Source: FEMA National Risk Index (NRI) FEMA National Risk Index (NRI) Ratings reflect relative scores among all US counties. Data: hazards.fema.gov/nri
Counties with Similar Risk in Colorado
Disaster Preparedness Guides
Related
Frequently Asked Questions
How many natural disasters has Boulder County, Colorado had?
Boulder County, Colorado has received 4 FEMA disaster declarations from 2021 to 2024. Of these, 1 were major disaster declarations.
What is the most common disaster type in Boulder County?
The most common disaster type in Boulder County is Fire, with 4 declarations.
How does Boulder County's disaster risk compare to the Colorado average?
Boulder County has 4 disaster declarations, which is 158% higher than the Colorado county average of 1.6 declarations. Compared to the national county average of 3.7, it is 7% higher.
How many major FEMA disaster declarations has Boulder County received?
Boulder County has received 1 major disaster declaration, representing 25% of all 4 disaster declarations. Major disaster declarations typically involve significant damage requiring federal assistance.
What types of storms are most common in Colorado?
The most common storm types in Colorado include Hail (5,405 events), Winter Weather (2,815 events), High Wind (2,148 events). NOAA storm event data covers severe weather from 2015 to 2025.
What was the worst year for disasters in Boulder County?
The most active year for disaster declarations in Boulder County was 2022, with 2 declarations. The county has FEMA disaster data spanning 2021 to 2024.
What is the overall disaster risk level for Boulder County?
Boulder County's 4 FEMA disaster declarations put it in the low-risk band, fewer federally recognized disasters than a typical U.S. county over the same span.
What is the FEMA National Risk Index score for Boulder County?
According to the FEMA National Risk Index, Boulder County, Colorado has an overall risk score of 90.7 out of 100 (Relatively Moderate). The county's social vulnerability rating is Very Low and community resilience is Very High. The Expected Annual Loss (EAL) score is Relatively Moderate, representing $125.3M in annualized losses.
Which natural hazard poses the greatest risk to Boulder County?
Based on FEMA NRI data, the highest-risk natural hazard in Boulder County is Lightning (risk rating: Very High). Other significant hazards include Hail (Relatively High) and Wildfire (Relatively High). These scores are based on FEMA's analysis of historical event frequency, exposed assets, and community vulnerability.
Data Sources & Methodology
Disaster declaration data comes from the FEMA OpenFEMA Disaster Declarations Summaries v2 API, which includes all federally declared disasters, emergencies, and fire management assistance grants.
Storm event data is sourced from the NOAA Storm Events Database (2015–2025), which tracks significant weather events including thunderstorms, tornadoes, floods, and winter storms.
This data is provided for informational purposes only. FEMA disaster declarations represent federal response actions and may not capture all local emergencies or weather events.
What this means for Boulder County
Boulder County, CO has 4 FEMA disaster declarations on record, a low historical disaster load, 158% above the Colorado county average.
- Its most common federal declaration type is fire management (3 of 4) - know the hazards most likely here before they happen. Colorado overview
- See how this county ranks against the rest of the country for disaster frequency. Most-disaster rankings
- Read how to read FEMA declarations, NRI risk scores, and what they do and don't tell you. Disaster-data guide
Historical declaration counts describe past federal response, not a forecast. For current threats, follow the National Weather Service and local officials; in an emergency call 911.
Read our methodology - how this data is sourced, computed, and verified.
All federal data sources used on this page
- FEMA OpenFEMA, Disaster Declarations Summaries v2 - all federally-declared disasters for this county. fema.gov/openfema/disaster-declarations
- FEMA National Risk Index (NRI) - per-county per-hazard risk ratings and expected annual loss. hazards.fema.gov/nri
- NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database - state-level storm/severe-weather event records, 2015–2025. ncdc.noaa.gov/stormevents
Data sourced from official public datasets. See our methodology for details. Retrieved and formatted by PlainHazard Editorial
Verify with FEMA → · Verify with FEMA NRI → · Verify with NOAA →
Every figure on PlainHazard is rendered directly from FEMA federal disaster data, no number is typed in by an editor. This page draws directly on FEMA federal disaster data, no figure is typed in by an editor. See our editorial standards & corrections policy, the methodology behind these numbers, or report a data error.