Chaffee County, Colorado
County storm and disaster record · FIPS 08015 · population 19,470 · 1,013 sq mi
NOAA's Storm Events Database holds 682 records for Chaffee County, Colorado from 1950 through June 30, 2026, on 411 days; the most frequent are winter storm records (546 records). 634 of them are forecast-zone records, which the National Weather Service files once per zone: a county covered by several zones receives each one, so a single storm can add several records on the same day. The deadliest single record is the February 15, 2014 avalanche, filed for the forecast zone Eastern Sawatch Mountains Above 11000 Ft, which covers the county: 2 deaths and 3 injuries. FEMA has issued 5 declarations naming the county since 2002, 3 of them for natural hazards; the latest for a natural hazard was “Hurricane Katrina Evacuation” on September 5, 2005.
The record, 1950 to 2026
Storm records filed for the county each year (2026 to June 30, 2026). Before 1996 NOAA recorded only tornadoes (from 1950), thunderstorm wind and hail (from 1955).
- recorded, no damage figure
- under $100,000
- $100,000 or more
- $1 million or more
- $10 million or more, or a death
- $100 million or more, or 10 deaths
- a year's colour: its recorded damage or deaths
- a year with a death
- 1955: wind and hail recorded from 1955
- 1996: all 48 event types from 1996
- Storm records
- 682on 411 days, 1950 to June 30, 2026
- Deaths recorded
- 910 injuries
- Damage, 2025 dollars
- $4.7Mas filed (scale steps before 1993)
- Tornadoes
- 1strongest F0
- FEMA declarations
- 5latest 2020
Source: NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database, records through June 30, 2026 (file revision 20260918); damage converted to 2025 dollars with the BLS CPI-U. Search the record at NCEI. BLS consumer price index.
What hazards hit Chaffee County most?
The most frequent records are winter storm records: 546 since 1996. The rank column places the county among Colorado's counties by days with a record per 1,000 square miles of land over each hazard's complete period.
| Hazard | Records | Days | First, last | Killed | Injured | Damage | Rank in state |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Winter storms | 546 | 318 | 1996-2026 | 0 | 0 | – | 24 of 63 |
| High wind and dust storms | 74 | 50 | 1996-2026 | 0 | 0 | – | 33 of 63 |
| Floods | 20 | 16 | 2002-2022 | 0 | 2 | $4.5M | 27 of 63 |
| Hail | 10 | 7 | 1993-2016 | 0 | 0 | $1K | 42 of 63 |
| Landslides and avalanches | 9 | 9 | 2004-2022 | 7 | 4 | – | 23 of 63 |
| Lightning | 7 | 7 | 2003-2015 | 2 | 4 | $159K | 16 of 63 |
| Severe thunderstorm wind | 7 | 7 | 1978-2023 | 0 | 0 | – | 44 of 63 |
| Drought | 5 | 1 | 2002-2002 | 0 | 0 | – | 46 of 63 |
| Extreme cold | 2 | 1 | 1996-1996 | 0 | 0 | – | 56 of 63 |
| Fog, smoke and funnel clouds | 1 | 1 | 2011-2011 | 0 | 0 | – | 45 of 63 |
| Tornadoes | 1 | 1 | 1991-1991 | 0 | 0 | $54K | 50 of 63 |
Source: NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database (county and forecast-zone records attributed to the county; a zone record shows its own totals on each county it covers). Days: dates with at least one record of the hazard in the county. Ranks: days with a record per 1,000 square miles of land (Census Bureau 2024 Gazetteer), since 1950 for tornadoes, 1955 for hail and thunderstorm wind, 1996 for the rest.
How many tornadoes has Chaffee County had?
NOAA records 1 tornado in Chaffee County from 1991 to 1991, the strongest rated F0, with 0 deaths and 0 injuries recorded in the county. A tornado that crossed a county line is counted in each county it touched, with the length of its path inside the county.
Counted as whole tornadoes rather than county records, the Storm Prediction Center's database holds 1 tornado whose track touched Chaffee County since 1950 (NOAA's county records number 1, the same count); along their whole tracks they killed 0 people.
Map of the strongest tornado tracks in Colorado.
Every tornado record filed for Chaffee County (1)
| Date | Place | Character | Killed | Injured | Damage |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1991-05-05 | Chaffee County | F0 0.2 mi x 10 yd | 0 | 0 | $25K step |
A damage figure marked "step" is a record from before 1993: NOAA then filed damage by category, and the figure is the category as entered, in the dollars of that year, not an estimate of the loss.
Source: NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database, tornado records by county (path length in the county, maximum width); ratings as published: F scale before February 1, 2007, EF scale after. Whole-track figures: NOAA Storm Prediction Center tornado database (1950-2025). SPC severe weather database.
When was the last damaging storm in Chaffee County?
The most recent record with damage, injuries or deaths is the February 5, 2016 avalanche (1 death).
A snow biker died in an avalanche near the summit of Cottonwood Pass.
National Weather Service event narrative, NOAA Storm Events Database (search the full record, event 611168)
| Date | Record | Character | Killed | Injured | Damage |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026-05-05 | Heavy SnowAlamosa County and 6 more · forecast zone Northern Sangre De Cristo Mountains Between 8500 & 11000 Ft | 0 | 0 | – | |
| 2026-05-05 | Heavy SnowChaffee County · forecast zone Central Chaffee County Below 9000 Ft | 0 | 0 | – | |
| 2026-03-15 | High WindChaffee County · forecast zone Central Chaffee County Below 9000 Ft | 52 kt wind | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2026-01-23 | Heavy SnowChaffee County and 2 more · forecast zone Eastern Sawatch Mountains Above 11000 Ft | 0 | 0 | – | |
| 2026-01-02 | Heavy SnowChaffee County and 2 more · forecast zone Eastern Sawatch Mountains Above 11000 Ft | 0 | 0 | – | |
| 2025-12-19 | High WindAlamosa County and 6 more · forecast zone Northern Sangre De Cristo Mountains Between 8500 & 11000 Ft | 71 kt wind | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2025-12-06 | High WindAlamosa County and 6 more · forecast zone Northern Sangre De Cristo Mountains Between 8500 & 11000 Ft | 66 kt wind | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2025-12-03 | Heavy SnowChaffee County · forecast zone Central Chaffee County Below 9000 Ft | 0 | 0 | – | |
| 2025-12-03 | Heavy SnowChaffee County and 2 more · forecast zone Eastern Sawatch Mountains Above 11000 Ft | 0 | 0 | – | |
| 2025-04-18 | Heavy SnowChaffee County · forecast zone Central Chaffee County Below 9000 Ft | 0 | 0 | – | |
| 2025-04-04 | Heavy SnowChaffee County · forecast zone Central Chaffee County Below 9000 Ft | 0 | 0 | – | |
| 2025-03-14 | High WindAlamosa County and 6 more · forecast zone Northern Sangre De Cristo Mountains Between 8500 & 11000 Ft | 53 kt wind | 0 | 0 | – |
Source: NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database; every record of 2025-2026 is listed, earlier ones when they caused deaths, injuries or $250,000 of damage (2025 dollars), and every tornado.
The deadliest and costliest records
| Date | Record | Character | Killed | Injured | Damage |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2014-02-15 | AvalancheChaffee County and 2 more · forecast zone Eastern Sawatch Mountains Above 11000 Ft Two skiers were killed and three other skiers were injured in an avalanche which occurred around one mile west of the La Plata parking area and eight miles west of Twin Lakes. The bodies were recovered the day after the avalanche occurred. | 2 | 3 | – | |
| 2015-07-17 | LightningAlpine, Chaffee County One woman perished and three were injured from the lightning strike. | 1 | 3 | – | |
| 2004-03-20 | AvalancheChaffee County and 2 more · forecast zone Eastern Sawatch Mountains Above 11000 Ft Three snowshoers were involved in an avalanche, initiated by them, on La Plata Peak, about 11 miles west of Granite in northwest Chaffee county. A 22-year old Colorado Springs man died in the avalanche, which was a couple hundred feet wide and around 1600 feet long. He was buried in about 6 feet of snow, and his body ... | 1 | 1 | – | |
| 2016-02-05 | AvalancheChaffee County and 2 more · forecast zone Eastern Sawatch Mountains Above 11000 Ft A snow biker died in an avalanche near the summit of Cottonwood Pass. | 1 | 0 | – | |
| 2011-06-30 | Debris FlowChaffee County and 2 more · forecast zone Eastern Sawatch Mountains Above 11000 Ft A thunderstorm and accompanying heavy rain causes a small landslide that killed a hiker near the summit of Mt. Princeton. | 1 | 0 | – | |
| 2010-06-12 | LightningBrown Canon, Chaffee County A motorcyclist was struck by lightning in Chaffee County on Highway 285, and died from his injuries a few days later at a hospital in Denver. | 1 | 0 | – | |
| 2010-03-12 | AvalancheChaffee County · forecast zone Western Chaffee County Between 9000 & 11000 Ft A snowmobiler perished in a avalanche in northern Saguache County near Marshall Pass. | 1 | 0 | – | |
| 2004-04-09 | AvalancheChaffee County and 2 more · forecast zone Eastern Sawatch Mountains Above 11000 Ft An avalanche took the life of a 24-year old man from California, on Mt. Huron in Chaffee county, which is 19 miles west-northwest of Buena Vista. Three men triggered the avalanche while snowshoeing and skiing. The avalanche was approximately 1500 feet long and 1500 feet wide. The man was buried under about six feet of ... | 1 | 0 | – |
| Date | Record | Character | Killed | Injured | Damage |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2007-08-02 | Flash FloodAlpine, Chaffee County | 0 | 0 | $2.8M | |
| 2007-07-21 | Flash FloodAlpine, Chaffee County | 0 | 0 | $1.4M | |
| 2002-07-22 | Flash FloodBuena Vista, Chaffee County | 0 | 2 | $164K |
Before 1993 NOAA filed damage by category, not amount, so the list above starts in 1993. The highest category filed here before then (entered as $25K, in the dollars of the day) holds: May 5, 1991 (tornado, Chaffee County).
Source: NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database: deaths and injuries direct and indirect; damage is property plus crops as estimated by the National Weather Service, converted to 2025 dollars.
Is it getting more frequent?
Records per decade for Chaffee County's most frequent hazards. Counts rose everywhere after 1996, when NOAA began recording every event type, so compare decades within a hazard's complete period only (the shaded cells come before it).
| Hazard | 1950s | 1960s | 1970s | 1980s | 1990s | 2000s | 2010s | 2020-26 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Winter storms | – | – | – | – | 154 | 182 | 126 | 84 |
| High wind and dust storms | – | – | – | – | 7 | 13 | 22 | 32 |
| Floods | – | – | – | – | 0 | 8 | 2 | 10 |
| Hail | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 3 | 5 | 0 |
Source: NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database, records per calendar decade; zone records from the CZ_TYPE field (Z).
What time of year?
Records by month in Chaffee County. The two busiest months are in violet.
The values, month by month
Jan 82 · Feb 84 · Mar 84 · Apr 82 · May 33 · Jun 9 · Jul 30 · Aug 12 · Sep 23 · Oct 56 · Nov 94 · Dec 93 (records).
Source: NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database, records by the month they began.
Federal disaster declarations for Chaffee County
FEMA's register lists 5 declarations that include Chaffee County: 2 major disasters, 3 emergencies and 0 fire management assistance declarations. Most were for biological (2) and coastal storm (1).
| Declared | Number | Type | Title |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2020-03-28 | DR-4498 | Biological | Covid-19 Pandemic |
| 2020-03-13 | EM-3436 | Biological | Covid-19 |
| 2005-09-05 | EM-3224 | Coastal Storm | Hurricane Katrina Evacuation |
| 2003-04-09 | EM-3185 | Snowstorm | Snow |
| 2002-06-19 | DR-1421 | Fire | Wildfires |
Source: FEMA OpenFEMA Disaster Declarations Summaries (v2), declarations through October 2, 2026; one declaration is counted once however many areas it names. OpenFEMA dataset page.
How many floods has Chaffee County had?
NOAA's Storm Events Database holds 20 flood or flash flood records for Chaffee County from 2002 to 2022, on 16 days, with 0 deaths. By flood insurance claims since 1978 (OpenFEMA, as of September 8, 2026), Chaffee County ranks 2477th of 2,942 U.S. counties.
The National Flood Insurance Program has paid $307,000 on 7 claims filed in Chaffee County; the most in one year was 2 in 1995. Claims count insured losses only: uninsured flood damage is not in this file.
The values, year by year
1995: 2 · 1996: 1 · 1997: 2 · 2012: 1 · 2021: 1; the other years: 0.
Source: FEMA OpenFEMA NFIP Redacted Claims, as of September 8, 2026; claims by year of loss, payments in the dollars of the year paid. OpenFEMA dataset page.
FEMA's modeled risk for Chaffee County
FEMA's National Risk Index rates Chaffee County Relatively Low overall, with an expected annual loss of $20.0 million. These are FEMA's model estimates of future loss from 18 hazards, not a count of what happened; they can differ from the record above.
| Hazard | Risk rating | Expected annual loss | Modeled frequency |
|---|---|---|---|
| Avalanche | Very High | $4.6M | once in about 3 years (modeled) |
| Lightning | Relatively High | $1.2M | 58 a year (modeled) |
| Landslide | Relatively Moderate | $489K | once in about 2 years (modeled) |
| Wildfire | Relatively Low | $236K | once in about 1,192 years (modeled) |
| Riverine Flooding | Relatively Low | $13M | once in about 2 years (modeled) |
| Hail | Relatively Low | $211K | 1.1 a year (modeled) |
| Winter Weather | Relatively Low | $51K | 23 a year (modeled) |
| Earthquake | Very Low | $183K | once in about 1,235 years (modeled) |
Source: FEMA National Risk Index, county table, December 2025 release. FEMA's National Risk Index map.
Counties that share a border with Chaffee County
Source: U.S. Census Bureau county adjacency file; NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database, records since 1950. The Census Bureau's adjacency file.
Next
- Tornadoes in ColoradoEvery Colorado tornado since 1950 and the counties with the most per square mile
- Winter storms in ColoradoThe state's winter storm records, by county, year and month
- The Colorado recordEvery hazard in the state, its deadliest events and its federal declarations
- FEMA's risk rating for each hazard in Chaffee CountyThe hazard risk calculator: 18 hazards beside the county's record
- Download Chaffee County's FEMA declarations (CSV)5 rows: every declaration that named the county, for your own analysis