Conejos County, Colorado
County storm and disaster record · FIPS 08021 · population 7,453 · 1,287 sq mi
NOAA's Storm Events Database holds 628 records for Conejos County, Colorado from 1950 through June 30, 2026, on 446 days; the most frequent are winter storm records (476 records). 614 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 October 24, 1997 blizzard, filed for the forecast zone Southern El Paso County/Colorado Springs And Vicinity, which covers the county: 4 deaths, 2 injuries and $552,000 in damage in 2025 dollars. FEMA has issued 7 declarations naming the county since 1970, 5 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
- 628on 446 days, 1950 to June 30, 2026
- Deaths recorded
- 123 injuries
- Damage, 2025 dollars
- $28Mas filed (scale steps before 1993)
- Tornadoes
- 5strongest F2
- FEMA declarations
- 7latest 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 Conejos County most?
The most frequent records are winter storm records: 476 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 | 476 | 348 | 1996-2026 | 7 | 2 | $760K | 30 of 63 |
| High wind and dust storms | 111 | 69 | 1996-2025 | 0 | 0 | $1.9M | 29 of 63 |
| Hail | 8 | 7 | 1961-2014 | 0 | 0 | – | 46 of 63 |
| Extreme cold | 7 | 6 | 1996-1997 | 0 | 0 | – | 39 of 63 |
| Landslides and avalanches | 6 | 6 | 2006-2022 | 5 | 1 | – | 32 of 63 |
| Fog, smoke and funnel clouds | 5 | 5 | 1996-1998 | 0 | 0 | – | 23 of 63 |
| Tornadoes | 5 | 5 | 1953-2021 | 0 | 0 | $59K | 35 of 63 |
| Wildfires | 4 | 2 | 2013-2013 | 0 | 0 | – | 52 of 63 |
| Drought | 3 | 1 | 2002-2002 | 0 | 0 | – | 48 of 63 |
| Floods | 3 | 2 | 1999-1999 | 0 | 0 | $25M | 61 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 Conejos County had?
NOAA records 5 tornadoes in Conejos County from 1953 to 2021, the strongest rated F2, 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 5 tornadoes whose track touched Conejos County since 1950 (NOAA's county records number 5, the same count); along their whole tracks they killed 0 people.
Map of the strongest tornado tracks in Colorado.
Every tornado record filed for Conejos County (5)
| Date | Place | Character | Killed | Injured | Damage |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2021-05-31 | Bountiful, Conejos County | EF0 3.54 mi x 20 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2005-04-17 | Manassa, Conejos County | F0 0.5 mi x 50 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2005-04-15 | Manassa, Conejos County | F0 0.5 mi x 50 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 1990-07-20 | Conejos County | F0 1.5 mi x 13 yd | 0 | 0 | $25K step |
| 1953-06-17 | Conejos County | F2 1 mi x 1,417 yd | 0 | 0 | $250 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 Conejos County?
The most recent record with damage, injuries or deaths is the February 2, 2016 avalanche (1 death).
A snowmobile rider died in an avalanche in the Lost Mine Creek drainage between Campo Mollino and Park Creek.
National Weather Service event narrative, NOAA Storm Events Database (search the full record, event 611167)
| Date | Record | Character | Killed | Injured | Damage |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026-01-23 | Heavy SnowConejos County and 2 more · forecast zone Eastern San Juan Mountains Above 10000 Ft | 0 | 0 | – | |
| 2026-01-08 | Heavy SnowConejos County and 2 more · forecast zone Eastern San Juan Mountains Above 10000 Ft | 0 | 0 | – | |
| 2026-01-08 | Heavy SnowConejos County and Costilla County · forecast zone Southern San Luis Valley | 0 | 0 | – | |
| 2026-01-02 | Heavy SnowConejos County and 2 more · forecast zone Eastern San Juan Mountains Above 10000 Ft | 0 | 0 | – | |
| 2025-12-26 | Heavy SnowConejos County and 2 more · forecast zone Eastern San Juan Mountains Above 10000 Ft | 0 | 0 | – | |
| 2025-12-03 | Heavy SnowConejos County and 2 more · forecast zone Eastern San Juan Mountains Above 10000 Ft | 0 | 0 | – | |
| 2025-12-03 | Heavy SnowConejos County and Costilla County · forecast zone Southern San Luis Valley | 0 | 0 | – | |
| 2025-05-05 | Heavy SnowConejos County and Costilla County · forecast zone Southern San Luis Valley | 0 | 0 | – | |
| 2025-04-04 | Heavy SnowConejos County and Costilla County · forecast zone Southern San Luis Valley | 0 | 0 | – | |
| 2025-04-01 | High WindConejos County and 2 more · forecast zone Eastern San Juan Mountains Above 10000 Ft | 63 kt wind | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2025-03-13 | Heavy SnowConejos County and 2 more · forecast zone Eastern San Juan Mountains Above 10000 Ft | 0 | 0 | – | |
| 2025-03-07 | Heavy SnowConejos County and Costilla County · forecast zone Southern San Luis Valley | 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1997-10-24 | BlizzardConejos County and Costilla County · forecast zone Southern El Paso County/Colorado Springs And Vicinity | 4 | 2 | $552K | |
| 2010-03-19 | AvalancheConejos County and 2 more · forecast zone Upper Rio Grande Valley / Eastern San Juan Mountains Below 10000 Ft Two men were buried and perished when up to 2 1/2 feet of snow slid off a cabin roof 17 miles west of Creede. This was the first instance of a fatal roof avalanche since 1996 in Vail. | 2 | 0 | – | |
| 2012-02-16 | AvalancheConejos County and 2 more · forecast zone Eastern San Juan Mountains Above 10000 Ft A back country skier was killed in an avalanche near Wolf Creek Pass in the Gibbs Creek drainage basin. The skier was found under 5-feet of snow in a 600 foot by 600 foot slide. Another skier was injured. | 1 | 1 | – | |
| 2016-02-02 | AvalancheConejos County and 2 more · forecast zone Upper Rio Grande Valley / Eastern San Juan Mountains Below 10000 Ft A snowmobile rider died in an avalanche in the Lost Mine Creek drainage between Campo Mollino and Park Creek. | 1 | 0 | – | |
| 2010-11-22 | AvalancheConejos County and 2 more · forecast zone Eastern San Juan Mountains Above 10000 Ft An avalanche at Wolf Creek Ski Area killed the Wolf Creek Ski Area Director. | 1 | 0 | – | |
| 1998-04-02 | Heavy SnowConejos County and 2 more · forecast zone Teller County/Rampart Range/Pikes Peak A strong upper level system brought a quick blast of snow to south central and southeast Colorado. Snow totals ranged from 4 to 8 inches across the affected area, with a high of 18 inches at the Valley View Hot Springs in the Northern San Luis Valley, and 15 inches at the Wolf Creek Ski Area in the Eastern San Juan ... | 1 | 0 | – | |
| 1998-02-18 | Heavy SnowConejos County and Costilla County · forecast zone Southern El Paso County/Colorado Springs And Vicinity An upper level disturbance brought a blast of snow from the Palmer Divide north of Colorado Springs to the southeast mountains and foothills. Total snow accumulations ranged from 2 to 5 inches in western El Paso county, 6 inches in Canon City in western Fremont county, 8 inches across the Wet mountains including Rye ... | 1 | 0 | – | |
| 1997-11-27 | Winter StormConejos County and 2 more · forecast zone Western Fremont And Northern Custer Counties A strong winter storm system moved into Colorado from the west, bringing an abundance of moisture and gusty winds from 20 to 40 mph. The storm brought accumulations of 12 to 20 inches to the Eastern San Juan and La Garita mountains during the morning and afternoon of the 27th. The San Luis valley received 6 to 18 ... | 1 | 0 | – |
| Date | Record | Character | Killed | Injured | Damage |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1999-04-30 | FloodConejos County and Costilla County · forecast zone Southern El Paso County/Colorado Springs And Vicinity | 0 | 0 | $25M | |
| 1996-04-19 | High WindConejos County and Costilla County · forecast zone Southern San Luis Valley | 0 | 0 | $564K | |
| 1997-10-24 | BlizzardConejos County and Costilla County · forecast zone Southern El Paso County/Colorado Springs And Vicinity | 4 | 2 | $552K | |
| 1996-02-22 | High WindConejos County and Costilla County · forecast zone Southern San Luis Valley | 0 | 0 | $470K | |
| 1996-10-29 | High WindConejos County and Costilla County · forecast zone Southern San Luis Valley | 0 | 0 | $470K |
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: July 20, 1990 (tornado, Conejos 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 Conejos 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 | – | – | – | – | 104 | 153 | 118 | 101 |
| High wind and dust storms | – | – | – | – | 45 | 37 | 10 | 19 |
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 Conejos County. The two busiest months are in violet.
The values, month by month
Jan 104 · Feb 102 · Mar 84 · Apr 80 · May 21 · Jun 12 · Jul 11 · Aug 3 · Sep 8 · Oct 37 · Nov 71 · Dec 95 (records).
Source: NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database, records by the month they began.
Federal disaster declarations for Conejos County
FEMA's register lists 7 declarations that include Conejos County: 4 major disasters, 3 emergencies and 0 fire management assistance declarations. Most were for biological (2) and flood (2).
| 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 |
| 2002-06-19 | DR-1421 | Fire | Wildfires |
| 1977-01-29 | EM-3025 | Drought | Drought |
| 1973-07-06 | DR-396 | Flood | Flooding & Landslides |
| 1970-09-22 | DR-293 | Flood | Heavy Rains & Flooding |
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 Conejos County had?
NOAA's Storm Events Database holds 3 flood or flash flood records for Conejos County from 1999 to 1999, on 2 days, with 0 deaths. By flood insurance claims since 1978 (OpenFEMA, as of September 8, 2026), Conejos County ranks 2590th of 2,942 U.S. counties.
The National Flood Insurance Program has paid $0 on 5 claims filed in Conejos County; the most in one year was 2 in 2001. Claims count insured losses only: uninsured flood damage is not in this file.
The values, year by year
2001: 2 · 2008: 1 · 2013: 1 · 2020: 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 Conejos County
FEMA's National Risk Index rates Conejos County Very Low overall, with an expected annual loss of $5.2 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 | Relatively High | $1.0M | once in about 5 years (modeled) |
| Drought | Relatively Moderate | $471K | 83 modeled event-days a year |
| Landslide | Relatively Low | $3K | once in about 3 years (modeled) |
| Cold Wave | Relatively Low | $744K | about once a year (modeled) |
| Lightning | Relatively Low | $104K | 55 a year (modeled) |
| Winter Weather | Relatively Low | $18K | 17 a year (modeled) |
| Wildfire | Very Low | $50K | once in about 3,915 years (modeled) |
| Earthquake | Very Low | $151K | once in about 578 years (modeled) |
Source: FEMA National Risk Index, county table, December 2025 release. FEMA's National Risk Index map.
Counties that share a border with Conejos 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 Conejos CountyThe hazard risk calculator: 18 hazards beside the county's record
- Download Conejos County's FEMA declarations (CSV)7 rows: every declaration that named the county, for your own analysis