Larimer County, Colorado

County storm and disaster record · FIPS 08069 · population 358,792 · 2,596 sq mi

NOAA's Storm Events Database holds 1,978 records for Larimer County, Colorado from 1950 through June 30, 2026, on 1,121 days; the most frequent are winter storm records (669 records). 1,059 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 July 28, 1997 flash flood: 5 deaths, 40 injuries and $349 million in damage in 2025 dollars. FEMA has issued 30 declarations naming the county since 1965, 28 of them for natural hazards; the latest for a natural hazard was “Alexander Mountain Fire” on July 31, 2024.

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
1,978on 1,121 days, 1950 to June 30, 2026
Deaths recorded
36134 injuries
Damage, 2025 dollars
$981Mas filed (scale steps before 1993)
Tornadoes
33strongest EF3
FEMA declarations
30latest 2024

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 Larimer County most?

The most frequent records are winter storm records: 669 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.

Larimer County: records by hazard, 1950 to June 30, 2026
HazardRecordsDaysFirst, lastKilledInjuredDamageRank in state
Winter storms 669 445 1996-2026 1 1 $50M 41 of 63
Hail 620 235 1955-2026 0 1 $8.6M 26 of 63
High wind and dust storms 337 243 1996-2026 0 11 $25M 16 of 63
Severe thunderstorm wind 136 113 1960-2024 2 17 $142K 21 of 63
Floods 83 59 1996-2024 13 40 $491M 19 of 63
Lightning 46 43 1996-2019 9 57 $349K 7 of 63
Tornadoes 33 30 1954-2018 0 0 $223K 28 of 63
Wildfires 16 14 2000-2025 0 0 $406M 35 of 63
Landslides and avalanches 12 12 2005-2025 10 4 – 33 of 63
Drought 10 5 2002-2021 0 3 – 36 of 63
Extreme cold 10 8 2011-2026 0 0 – 46 of 63
Heavy rain 3 3 2004-2022 0 0 – 39 of 63
Fog, smoke and funnel clouds 3 3 1997-1997 1 0 – 42 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 Larimer County had?

NOAA records 33 tornadoes in Larimer County from 1954 to 2018, the strongest rated EF3, with 0 deaths and 0 injuries recorded in the county. That is 28th of 63 Colorado counties by days with tornadoes per 1,000 square miles since 1950. 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 33 tornadoes whose track touched Larimer County since 1950 (NOAA's county records number 33, the same count); along their whole tracks they killed 1 person, 0 of them in Larimer County.

The deadliest and strongest tornadoes that touched Larimer County, whole tracks
DateTornadoRatingPathKilled
2008-05-22 11:26, as SPC files itFort CollinsEF338.69 mi1
2015-06-04 18:30, as SPC files itLyonsEF36.71 mi0

Map of the strongest tornado tracks in Colorado.

Every tornado record filed for Larimer County (33)
Every tornado recorded in Larimer County, newest first
DatePlaceCharacterKilledInjuredDamage
2018-05-18 Estes Park, Larimer County EF0 0.01 mi x 25 yd 0 0 –
2015-06-04 Berthoud, Larimer County EF3 0.87 mi x 440 yd 0 0 –
2008-05-22 Timnath, Larimer County EF1 14.43 mi x 500 yd 0 0 –
2005-07-25 Buckeye, Larimer County F0 0.1 mi x 50 yd 0 0 –
2002-05-09 Ft Collins, Larimer County F0 0.1 mi x 50 yd 0 0 –
1995-05-06 Larimer County F0 0.13 mi x 50 yd 0 0 –
1994-07-16 Fort Collins, Larimer County F0 0.1 mi x 10 yd 0 0 –
1994-07-16 Wellington, Larimer County F0 0.1 mi x 10 yd 0 0 –
1994-07-16 Wellington, Larimer County F0 0.1 mi x 10 yd 0 0 –
1993-08-05 Wellington, Larimer County F0 0.1 mi x 10 yd 0 0 –
1993-05-28 Loveland, Larimer County F0 0.1 mi x 100 yd 0 0 –
1991-06-22 Larimer County F0 0.1 mi x 10 yd 0 0 –
1990-07-08 Larimer County F0 3 mi x 13 yd 0 0 –
1990-06-09 Larimer County F2 3 mi x 200 yd 0 0 $25K step
1990-06-09 Larimer County F1 1 mi x 50 yd 0 0 –
1990-06-06 Larimer County F0 1 mi x 23 yd 0 0 $3K step
1989-05-31 Larimer County F0 0.1 mi x 13 yd 0 0 –
1988-08-07 Larimer County F0 0.1 mi x 20 yd 0 0 –
1988-06-25 Larimer County F1 1 mi x 63 yd 0 0 –
1988-06-15 Larimer County F1 1 mi x 50 yd 0 0 $3K step
1987-08-07 Larimer County F1 0.5 mi x 20 yd 0 0 –
1987-06-18 Larimer County F1 1 mi x 40 yd 0 0 $25K step
1985-08-02 Larimer County F1 0.3 mi x 20 yd 0 0 –
1983-07-07 Larimer County F1 0.2 mi x 30 yd 0 0 $30 step
1982-06-25 Larimer County F1 1 mi x 100 yd 0 0 $30 step
1980-05-24 Larimer County F1 1 mi x 40 yd 0 0 $3K step
1979-07-22 Larimer County F0 1 mi x 27 yd 0 0 –
1976-06-04 Larimer County F2 0.5 mi x 300 yd 0 0 –
1965-06-23 Larimer County F0 0 0 –
1963-07-07 Larimer County F1 0.5 mi x 33 yd 0 0 $3K step
1957-05-30 Larimer County F2 1.9 mi x 33 yd 0 0 $3K step
1957-05-29 Larimer County F1 6.1 mi x 33 yd 0 0 $250 step
1954-08-07 Larimer County 0 0 $3K 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 Larimer County?

The most recent record with damage, injuries or deaths is the March 17, 2025 wildfire ($750,000 in damage in 2025 dollars).

Wildfire started around 1:39 pm in rural Larimer County, approximately 4.5 miles west of Berthoud, CO. One house was destroyed. No injuries reported. Fire burned approximately 21 acres, before being fully contained by 3:49 pm.
National Weather Service event narrative, NOAA Storm Events Database (search the full record, event 1242224)
The 12 most recent records kept for Larimer County
DateRecordCharacterKilledInjuredDamage
2026-06-24 HailBerthoud, Larimer County 1.75 in hail 0 0 –
2026-06-24 HailBerthoud, Larimer County 1.75 in hail 0 0 –
2026-06-24 HailBerthoud, Larimer County 1.50 in hail 0 0 –
2026-06-24 HailBerthoud, Larimer County 1.50 in hail 0 0 –
2026-05-17 Winter StormBoulder County and 3 more · forecast zone S & E Jackson / Larimer / N & Ne Grand / Nw Boulder Counties Above 9000 Feet 0 0 –
2026-05-05 Winter StormLarimer County and Weld County · forecast zone Larimer County Below 6000 Feet / Nw Weld County 0 0 –
2026-05-05 Winter StormBoulder County and Larimer County · forecast zone Larimer & Boulder Counties Between 6000 & 9000 Feet 0 0 –
2026-05-05 Winter StormBoulder County and 3 more · forecast zone S & E Jackson / Larimer / N & Ne Grand / Nw Boulder Counties Above 9000 Feet 0 0 –
2026-04-14 Winter WeatherBoulder County and 3 more · forecast zone S & E Jackson / Larimer / N & Ne Grand / Nw Boulder Counties Above 9000 Feet 0 0 –
2026-03-14 High WindLarimer County and Weld County · forecast zone Larimer County Below 6000 Feet / Nw Weld County 59 kt wind 0 0 –
2026-03-12 High WindLarimer County and Weld County · forecast zone Larimer County Below 6000 Feet / Nw Weld County 82 kt wind 0 0 –
2026-03-12 High WindBoulder County and Larimer County · forecast zone Larimer & Boulder Counties Between 6000 & 9000 Feet 82 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

Records with deaths or injuries in Larimer County, most deaths first
DateRecordCharacterKilledInjuredDamage
1997-07-28 Flash FloodFt Collins, Larimer County A flash flood killed 5 women and injured 40 others when a 10-15 foot wall of water surged through 2 mobile home parks. Over 8 inches of rainfall was measured in southwest Fort Collins during the evening hours as a series of storms developed, dumping heavy rain over the same area. The disaster occurred when debris ... 5 40 $349M
2021-07-20 Flash FloodRustic, Larimer County A debris flow moved into Black Hollow Gulch and damaged or destroyed several structures including four homes. Four people in one of the homes perished when their residence washed away in the floodwaters. 4 0 $545K
2005-07-02 Thunderstorm WindLoveland, Larimer County Strong thunderstorm winds occurred at Boyd Lake. Two women drowned when the boat they were in capsized. Four others that were in the boat had to be hospitalized, one was in intensive care. 50 kt wind 2 4 –
2022-07-15 Flash FloodDrake, Larimer County Two people were killed when very heavy rainfall produced flash flooding in the Cameron Peak burn area. 2 0 $353K
2013-09-12 Flash FloodBerthoud, Larimer County Heavy rain continued to produce widespread flash flooding. A 79-yr old Larimer County resident was killed when she was swept away while trying to climb to safety from her home in Cedar Point. In addition, A 61-yr old Cedar Point resident died when her home was swept down the Big Thompson River by the floodwaters. 2 0 –
2008-12-26 AvalancheGrand County and 2 more · forecast zone S & E Jackson / Larimer / N & Ne Grand / Nw Boulder Counties Above 9000 Feet Two snowmobilers were killed on the side of Gravel Mountain near Grand Lake. The avalanche occurred when one of the men tried to assist the other, after his snowmobile had become stuck in the snow. Both men were buried by the slide and died at the scene of the accident. Another snowmobiler was partially buried in the ... 2 0 –
2008-07-24 LightningFt Collins, Larimer County Two graduate students at Colorado State University were struck by lightning while standing under a tree. One man was killed instantly, the other died of his injuries a week later. 2 0 –
2006-01-01 AvalancheGrand County and 2 more · forecast zone S & E Jackson / Larimer / N & Ne Grand / Nw Boulder Counties Above 9000 Feet Two snowmobilers from Iowa were buried and killed in an avalanche in the Trap Park area of the Front Range, about 3.5 miles east-northeast of Cameron Pass. There were 12 snowmobilers in the party. Seven were caught, five partly buried and two fully buried; both buried riders were killed. The data was provided by the ... 2 0 –
The costliest records in Larimer County since 1993, damage in 2025 dollars
DateRecordCharacterKilledInjuredDamage
1997-07-28 Flash FloodFt Collins, Larimer County 5 40 $349M
2010-09-06 WildfireBoulder County and Larimer County · forecast zone Larimer & Boulder Counties Between 6000 & 9000 Feet 0 0 $294M
2013-09-12 FloodGlendevey, Larimer County 0 0 $138M
2020-10-01 WildfireBoulder County and Larimer County · forecast zone Larimer & Boulder Counties Between 6000 & 9000 Feet 0 0 $105M
2003-03-17 Winter StormBoulder County and Larimer County · forecast zone Larimer & Boulder Counties Between 6000 & 9000 Feet 0 0 $25M
1999-04-08 High WindBoulder County and Larimer County · forecast zone Northern Front Range Foothills/Upper Laramie And Cache La Poudre River Basins 0 0 $13M
1996-10-29 High WindBoulder County and Larimer County · forecast zone Larimer & Boulder Counties Between 6000 & 9000 Feet 0 0 $9.8M
2000-06-12 WildfireDrake, Larimer County 0 0 $5.1M

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: June 18, 1987 (tornado, Larimer County); June 9, 1990 (tornado, Larimer 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 Larimer 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).

Larimer County: records per decade (the 2020s to June 30, 2026)
Hazard1950s1960s1970s1980s1990s2000s2010s2020-26
Winter storms––––133149222165
Hail1713659517020366
High wind and dust storms––––861027475
Severe thunderstorm wind0374038181416
Floods––––1173629
Lightning––––1617130

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 Larimer County. The two busiest months are in violet.

The values, month by month

Jan 165 · Feb 146 · Mar 122 · Apr 181 · May 182 · Jun 311 · Jul 274 · Aug 156 · Sep 54 · Oct 85 · Nov 131 · Dec 171 (records).

Source: NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database, records by the month they began.

Federal disaster declarations for Larimer County

FEMA's register lists 30 declarations that include Larimer County: 13 major disasters, 5 emergencies and 12 fire management assistance declarations. Most were for fire (15) and flood (7).

Declarations including Larimer County, newest first
DeclaredNumberTypeTitle
2024-07-31FM-5524FireAlexander Mountain Fire
2024-07-31FM-5525FireStone Mountain Fire
2021-01-15DR-4581FireWildfires
2020-09-06FM-5349FireCameron Peak Fire
2020-03-28DR-4498BiologicalCovid-19 Pandemic
2020-03-13EM-3436BiologicalCovid-19
2013-09-14DR-4145FloodSevere Storms, Flooding, Landslides, and Mudslides
2013-09-12EM-3365FloodSevere Storms, Flooding, Landslides, and Mudslides
2012-06-28DR-4067FireHigh Park and Waldo Canyon Wildfires
2012-06-09FM-2980FireHigh Park Fire
2011-04-03FM-2877FireCrystal Fire
2010-09-12FM-2857FireReservoir Road Fire
2008-05-26DR-1762Severe StormSevere Storms and Tornadoes
2007-01-07EM-3270SnowstormSnow
2005-09-05EM-3224Coastal StormHurricane Katrina Evacuation
2004-04-01FM-2514FireCo - Picnic Rock Fire - 03/30/2004
2003-11-12FM-2511FireCo - Buckhorn Creek Fire - 11/11/2003
2003-07-25FM-2486FireCo-Cloudy Pass Fire-07/25/2003
2003-04-09EM-3185SnowstormSnow
2002-07-18FM-2447FireBig Elk Fire
2002-06-19DR-1421FireWildfires
2001-11-01FM-2383FireCo - Armageddon Fire - 11/01/01
2000-06-12FM-2308FireBobcat Gulch Fire
1999-05-17DR-1276Severe StormCo-Flooding 4/30/99
1997-08-01DR-1186FloodSevere Storms, Heavy Rain, Flash Floods, Flooding, Mudslides
1982-07-22DR-665FloodFlash Flood Due to Dam Failure
1976-08-02DR-517FloodSevere Storms & Flash Flooding
1973-05-23DR-385FloodHeavy Rains, Snowmelt and Flooding
1969-05-19DR-261FloodSevere Storms & Flooding
1965-06-19DR-200TornadoTornadoes, Severe Storms & 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 Larimer County had?

NOAA's Storm Events Database holds 83 flood or flash flood records for Larimer County from 1996 to 2024, on 59 days, with 13 deaths. By flood insurance claims since 1978 (OpenFEMA, as of September 8, 2026), Larimer County ranks 470th of 2,942 U.S. counties.

The National Flood Insurance Program has paid $15.1 million on 547 claims filed in Larimer County; the most in one year was 293 in 2013. Claims count insured losses only: uninsured flood damage is not in this file.

The values, year by year

1978: 5 · 1979: 5 · 1980: 13 · 1981: 1 · 1982: 38 · 1983: 10 · 1985: 1 · 1986: 1 · 1987: 3 · 1988: 4 · 1989: 1 · 1992: 1 · 1994: 2 · 1995: 9 · 1996: 2 · 1997: 61 · 1998: 1 · 1999: 20 · 2003: 2 · 2004: 2 · 2006: 2 · 2007: 8 · 2008: 1 · 2009: 7 · 2010: 5 · 2011: 3 · 2012: 5 · 2013: 293 · 2014: 10 · 2015: 8 · 2016: 1 · 2018: 4 · 2019: 2 · 2021: 4 · 2022: 4 · 2023: 6 · 2025: 1 · 2026: 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 Larimer County

FEMA's National Risk Index rates Larimer County Relatively Moderate overall, with an expected annual loss of $127 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.

National Risk Index ratings for Larimer County (December 2025 release), by FEMA's rating, then score
HazardRisk ratingExpected annual lossModeled frequency
LightningVery High$6.9M57 a year (modeled)
Winter WeatherVery High$1.8M22 a year (modeled)
HailRelatively High$11M4.4 a year (modeled)
WildfireRelatively High$15Monce in about 227 years (modeled)
Cold WaveRelatively High$16Monce in about 2 years (modeled)
AvalancheRelatively High$2.9Monce in about 5 years (modeled)
TornadoRelatively High$11M1.3 a year (modeled)
Strong WindRelatively High$2.7Mabout once a year (modeled)

Source: FEMA National Risk Index, county table, December 2025 release. FEMA's National Risk Index map.

Counties that share a border with Larimer County

  1. Albany County, WY 6,260
  2. Laramie County, WY 5,081
  3. Weld County 2,459
  4. Larimer County 1,978
  5. Boulder County 1,789
  6. Grand County 1,114
  7. Jackson County 570

Source: U.S. Census Bureau county adjacency file; NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database, records since 1950. The Census Bureau's adjacency file.

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