Mineral County, Colorado
County storm and disaster record · FIPS 08079 · population 863 · 876 sq mi
NOAA's Storm Events Database holds 661 records for Mineral County, Colorado from 1950 through June 30, 2026, on 430 days; the most frequent are winter storm records (566 records). 654 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 March 19, 2010 avalanche, filed for the forecast zone Upper Rio Grande Valley / Eastern San Juan Mountains Below 10000 Ft, which covers the county: 2 deaths. FEMA has issued 8 declarations naming the county since 1970, 6 of them for natural hazards; the latest for a natural hazard was “West Fork Fire Complex” on June 21, 2013.
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
- 661on 430 days, 1950 to June 30, 2026
- Deaths recorded
- 81 injuries
- Damage, 2025 dollars
- $354Kas filed (scale steps before 1993)
- Tornadoes
- 1strongest F2
- FEMA declarations
- 8latest 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 Mineral County most?
The most frequent records are winter storm records: 566 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 | 566 | 365 | 1996-2026 | 2 | 0 | $301K | 18 of 63 |
| High wind and dust storms | 74 | 54 | 1996-2025 | 0 | 0 | $35K | 24 of 63 |
| Landslides and avalanches | 6 | 6 | 2006-2022 | 5 | 1 | – | 27 of 63 |
| Wildfires | 4 | 2 | 2013-2013 | 0 | 0 | – | 44 of 63 |
| Drought | 3 | 1 | 2002-2002 | 0 | 0 | – | 43 of 63 |
| Floods | 2 | 2 | 1999-2019 | 0 | 0 | – | 58 of 63 |
| Extreme cold | 1 | 1 | 1996-1996 | 0 | 0 | – | 54 of 63 |
| Heavy rain | 1 | 1 | 2024-2024 | 0 | 0 | – | 40 of 63 |
| Lightning | 1 | 1 | 2008-2008 | 1 | 0 | – | 42 of 63 |
| Fog, smoke and funnel clouds | 1 | 1 | 1999-1999 | 0 | 0 | – | 43 of 63 |
| Severe thunderstorm wind | 1 | 1 | 2020-2020 | 0 | 0 | – | 59 of 63 |
| Tornadoes | 1 | 1 | 1997-1997 | 0 | 0 | $18K | 48 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 Mineral County had?
NOAA records 1 tornado in Mineral County from 1997 to 1997, 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 1 tornado whose track touched Mineral 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 Mineral County (1)
| Date | Place | Character | Killed | Injured | Damage |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1997-10-10 | Creede, Mineral County | F2 3 mi x 400 yd | 0 | 0 | $18K |
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 Mineral 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 | – | |
| 2026-01-02 | 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 | – | |
| 2025-04-01 | 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 | – | |
| 2025-03-05 | Heavy SnowConejos County and 2 more · forecast zone Eastern San Juan Mountains Above 10000 Ft | 0 | 0 | – | |
| 2025-03-05 | Heavy SnowConejos County and 2 more · forecast zone Upper Rio Grande Valley / Eastern San Juan Mountains Below 10000 Ft | 0 | 0 | – | |
| 2025-02-14 | Heavy SnowConejos County and 2 more · forecast zone Eastern San Juan Mountains Above 10000 Ft | 0 | 0 | – | |
| 2016-02-02 | AvalancheConejos County and 2 more · forecast zone Upper Rio Grande Valley / Eastern San Juan Mountains Below 10000 Ft | 1 | 0 | – | |
| 2012-02-16 | AvalancheConejos County and 2 more · forecast zone Eastern San Juan Mountains Above 10000 Ft | 1 | 1 | – |
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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 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 | – | |
| 2008-07-28 | LightningCreede, Mineral County A shepherd and a mule were killed by lightning at the headwaters of Oso Creek near the Continental Divide. | 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 | – | |
| 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1997-10-10 | TornadoCreede, Mineral County | F2 3 mi x 400 yd | 0 | 0 | $18K |
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 Mineral 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 | – | – | – | – | 139 | 193 | 156 | 78 |
| High wind and dust storms | – | – | – | – | 33 | 20 | 3 | 18 |
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 Mineral County. The two busiest months are in violet.
The values, month by month
Jan 101 · Feb 111 · Mar 90 · Apr 80 · May 19 · Jun 8 · Jul 7 · Aug 3 · Sep 6 · Oct 45 · Nov 82 · Dec 109 (records).
Source: NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database, records by the month they began.
Federal disaster declarations for Mineral County
FEMA's register lists 8 declarations that include Mineral County: 4 major disasters, 3 emergencies and one fire management assistance declaration. Most were for biological (2) and fire (2).
| Declared | Number | Type | Title |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2020-03-28 | DR-4498 | Biological | Covid-19 Pandemic |
| 2020-03-13 | EM-3436 | Biological | Covid-19 |
| 2013-06-21 | FM-5031 | Fire | West Fork Fire Complex |
| 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.
FEMA's modeled risk for Mineral County
FEMA's National Risk Index rates Mineral County Very Low overall, with an expected annual loss of $4.6 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 | $2.4M | once in about 8 years (modeled) |
| Lightning | Relatively Moderate | $490K | 62 a year (modeled) |
| Landslide | Relatively Low | $19K | once in about 2 years (modeled) |
| Wildfire | Very Low | $52K | once in about 913 years (modeled) |
| Earthquake | Very Low | $22K | once in about 1,088 years (modeled) |
| Riverine Flooding | Very Low | $1.5M | once in about 14 years (modeled) |
| Cold Wave | Very Low | $31K | about once a year (modeled) |
| Winter Weather | Very Low | $3K | 32 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 Mineral 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 Mineral CountyThe hazard risk calculator: 18 hazards beside the county's record
- Download Mineral County's FEMA declarations (CSV)8 rows: every declaration that named the county, for your own analysis