FEMA Records
2
Total declarations
Colorado · FEMA + NOAA + National Risk Index
Elbert County, CO
2 FEMA disaster declarations (2015–2023), with a FEMA National Risk Index rating of Very Low. Most common hazard: Flood.
- 2
- FEMA declarations
- 2
- Major disasters
- 37
- NRI risk · Very Low
- Flood
- Top hazard
The verdict
Elbert County ranks safer than 37% of U.S. counties for FEMA-modeled hazard risk, with more federally declared disasters than 22% of the 2,791 counties FEMA tracks. FEMA rates the county's overall risk as Very Low, based on 2 federal disaster declarations recorded since 2015, most often flood, 48% below the national county average of 4.
- Safer than 37%
- of U.S. counties for FEMA National Risk Index score
- Very Low
- FEMA National Risk Index rating
- 2
- FEMA declarations vs 4 national county avg
- 2
- flood declarations, the most common hazard here
FEMA's National Risk Index score reflects expected annual loss, social vulnerability, and community resilience; the declaration count above reflects only Presidentially declared disasters, not every hazard event.
How does Elbert County compare?
Elbert County vs. every U.S. county
FEMA disaster declarations, all-time
2 22nd percentile higher than 22% of 2,791 counties
Each bar is a band; taller bars hold more counties. The dashed line + filled bar mark this entry. Hover or tap any bar for its full count, share, and where it sits relative to this entry.
Source FEMA Disaster Declarations Summaries v2 · 2026-07-25
Elbert County's FEMA Risk Index score
FEMA National Risk Index composite score vs. the Colorado county average
How disaster-prone is Elbert County?
Declaration frequency
Elbert County, Colorado has recorded 2 FEMA disaster declarations between 2015 and 2023, of which 2 were classified as Major Disaster declarations (DR) requiring federal individual and public assistance. That puts the county's average at 0.3 declarations per year across a 8-year record, or roughly 17% above the Colorado county average of 1.7 and 48% below the national county average of 3.8. The dominant disaster type on record is Flood, with 2 of 2 declarations falling under this category.
FEMA National Risk Index
FEMA's data shows an elevated National Risk Index composite of 36.6/100 for this county (Very Low rating). Expected Annual Loss comes in at Relatively Low (roughly $16.6M in annualized losses). Social vulnerability (Very Low) and community resilience (Relatively High) both factor into how that raw exposure plays out on the ground. Among the 18 modeled hazards, Wildfire carries the county's highest rating, a mid-range Relatively Moderate.
Flood exposure & the bottom line
Taken together, Elbert 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
+17%
State avg: 1.7
vs. National Avg
-48%
National avg: 3.8
Avg Per Year
0.3
Over 8 years
FEMA NRI 8-hazard radar - Elbert County
How to read this radar
The radar plots Elbert 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
08039
CO state code
Source: FEMA National Risk Index FEMA National Risk Index Per-county per-hazard ratings, 2023 release
Disaster Types
Flood 2
Declaration Types
What DR / EM / FM mean
FEMA categorizes declarations as Major Disasters (DR), Emergencies (EM), or Fire Management Assistance (FM).
Major Disaster - 2 100.0%
of all 2 declarations
FEMA Declarations Timeline
| Year | Declarations | |
|---|---|---|
| 2023 | 1 | |
| 2015 | 1 | |
Disaster Declarations
| DR# | Title | Type | Incident | Date |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 4731 | SEVERE STORMS, FLOODING, AND TORNADOES | DR | Flood | 2023-08-25 |
| 4229 | SEVERE STORMS, TORNADOES, FLOODING, LANDSLIDES, AND MUDSLIDES | DR | Flood | 2015-07-16 |
Storm Events in Colorado
| Storm Type | Events | Fatalities | Injuries | Property Damage |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Hail | 5,610 | 0 | 100 | $2.9B |
| Winter Weather | 3,121 | 3 | 43 | $30.0K |
| High Wind | 2,522 | 6 | 6 | $21.3M |
| Thunderstorm Wind | 2,116 | 3 | 11 | $5.8M |
| Winter Storm | 1,632 | 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
Very Low
Score: 36.6/100
Expected Annual Loss
Relatively Low
$16.6M/year
Social Vulnerability
Very Low
Community Resilience
Relatively High
Hazard Risk Breakdown
Wildfire Relatively Moderate
Hail Relatively Moderate
Winter Weather Relatively Moderate
Cold Wave Relatively Low
Tornado Relatively Low
Lightning Relatively Low
Volcanic Activity Very Low
Drought Relatively Low
Landslide Very Low
Earthquake Very Low
Strong Wind Relatively Low
Ice Storm Very Low
Heat Wave Very 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 Elbert County, Colorado had?
Elbert County, Colorado has received 2 FEMA disaster declarations from 2015 to 2023. Of these, 2 were major disaster declarations.
What is the most common disaster type in Elbert County?
The most common disaster type in Elbert County is Flood, with 2 declarations.
How does Elbert County's disaster risk compare to the Colorado average?
Elbert County has 2 disaster declarations, which is 17% higher than the Colorado county average of 1.7 declarations. Compared to the national county average of 3.8, it is 48% lower.
How many major FEMA disaster declarations has Elbert County received?
Elbert County has received 2 major disaster declarations, representing 100% of all 2 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 (5,610 events), Winter Weather (3,121 events), High Wind (2,522 events). NOAA storm event data covers severe weather from 2015 to 2025.
What was the worst year for disasters in Elbert County?
The most active year for disaster declarations in Elbert County was 2015, with 1 declaration. The county has FEMA disaster data spanning 2015 to 2023.
What is the overall disaster risk level for Elbert County?
Elbert County's 2 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 Elbert County?
According to the FEMA National Risk Index, Elbert County, Colorado has an overall risk score of 36.6 out of 100 (Very Low). The county's social vulnerability rating is Very Low and community resilience is Relatively High. The Expected Annual Loss (EAL) score is Relatively Low, representing $16.6M in annualized losses.
Which natural hazard poses the greatest risk to Elbert County?
Based on FEMA NRI data, the highest-risk natural hazard in Elbert County is Wildfire (risk rating: Relatively Moderate). Other significant hazards include Hail (Relatively Moderate) and Winter Weather (Relatively Moderate). 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 Elbert County
Elbert County, CO runs 17% above the Colorado county average for federal disaster declarations (2 vs 2), a low historical load overall.
- Its most common federal declaration type is major disaster (2 of 2) - 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.
According to the Federal Emergency Management Agency, this profile draws on 2,791 tracked U.S. counties in FEMA's Disaster Declarations Summaries dataset, refreshed as of 2026-07-25. 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 national statistics report, or report a data error.