Ouray County, Colorado
County storm and disaster record · FIPS 08091 · population 4,859 · 541 sq mi
NOAA's Storm Events Database holds 1,584 records for Ouray County, Colorado from 1950 through June 30, 2026, on 1,055 days; the most frequent are winter storm records (1,085 records). 1,531 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 1, 2021 avalanche, filed for the forecast zone Northwestern San Juan Mountains, which covers the county: 3 deaths and 4 injuries. FEMA has issued 10 declarations naming the county since 1970, 8 of them for natural hazards; the latest for a natural hazard was “Wildfires, Flooding, and Mudslides” on September 1, 2026.
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
- 1,584on 1,055 days, 1950 to June 30, 2026
- Deaths recorded
- 1718 injuries
- Damage, 2025 dollars
- $142Mas filed (scale steps before 1993)
- FEMA declarations
- 10latest 2026
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 Ouray County most?
The most frequent records are winter storm records: 1,085 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 | 1,085 | 764 | 1996-2026 | 0 | 2 | $47K | 2 of 63 |
| Drought | 271 | 144 | 2002-2026 | 0 | 0 | – | 2 of 63 |
| Landslides and avalanches | 96 | 90 | 1998-2026 | 15 | 15 | $959K | 1 of 63 |
| Wildfires | 35 | 27 | 2006-2025 | 0 | 1 | $138M | 2 of 63 |
| Extreme cold | 29 | 9 | 2005-2025 | 0 | 0 | – | 16 of 63 |
| High wind and dust storms | 26 | 22 | 1998-2026 | 1 | 0 | $83K | 39 of 63 |
| Floods | 22 | 22 | 1998-2022 | 0 | 0 | $2.7M | 7 of 63 |
| Heavy rain | 8 | 8 | 2004-2013 | 0 | 0 | – | 6 of 63 |
| Fog, smoke and funnel clouds | 6 | 5 | 2016-2025 | 0 | 0 | – | 17 of 63 |
| Hail | 3 | 3 | 2000-2006 | 0 | 0 | – | 45 of 63 |
| Lightning | 2 | 2 | 1996-1999 | 1 | 0 | $2K | 25 of 63 |
| Severe thunderstorm wind | 1 | 1 | 2013-2013 | 0 | 0 | $76K | 55 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.
When was the last damaging storm in Ouray County?
The most recent record with damage, injuries or deaths is the February 21, 2026 avalanche (1 injury).
On the accident day, the avalanche danger in the area was rated 3/5 - Considerable at all levels, below, near, and above treeline. Avalanche danger was rated on all aspects, with large to very large avalanches likely west through north to east aspects, and small avalanches possible on southwest through southeast aspects. Avalanche discussion indicated that recent avalanches in the area had been large enough to bury, injure, or kill a person, and could be triggered remotely, from a distance or below, and could travel long distances. The accident group consisted of three backcountry tourers, 1 split board rider and 2 skiers, and the intention was to ski a southwest slope from a sub-peak south of Bonita Peak into Minnehaha Basin (37.893, -107.625). Before ascending toward their destination, they stomped on several areas of drifted snow with no reaction. …
National Weather Service event narrative, NOAA Storm Events Database (search the full record, event 1315393)
| Date | Record | Character | Killed | Injured | Damage |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026-04-01 | DroughtGunnison County and 4 more · forecast zone Northwestern San Juan Mountains | 0 | 0 | – | |
| 2026-04-01 | DroughtDelta County and 4 more · forecast zone Uncompahgre Plateau And Dallas Divide | 0 | 0 | – | |
| 2026-04-01 | Winter WeatherGunnison County and 4 more · forecast zone Northwestern San Juan Mountains | 0 | 0 | – | |
| 2026-04-01 | Heavy SnowDelta County and 4 more · forecast zone Uncompahgre Plateau And Dallas Divide | 0 | 0 | – | |
| 2026-03-31 | Winter WeatherGunnison County and 4 more · forecast zone Northwestern San Juan Mountains | 0 | 0 | – | |
| 2026-03-31 | DroughtDelta County and 4 more · forecast zone Uncompahgre Plateau And Dallas Divide | 0 | 0 | – | |
| 2026-03-24 | DroughtGunnison County and 4 more · forecast zone Northwestern San Juan Mountains | 0 | 0 | – | |
| 2026-03-05 | Winter WeatherGunnison County and 4 more · forecast zone Northwestern San Juan Mountains | 0 | 0 | – | |
| 2026-03-05 | Winter WeatherDelta County and 4 more · forecast zone Uncompahgre Plateau And Dallas Divide | 0 | 0 | – | |
| 2026-02-21 | AvalancheGunnison County and 4 more · forecast zone Northwestern San Juan Mountains | 0 | 1 | – | |
| 2026-02-20 | Winter WeatherGunnison County and 4 more · forecast zone Northwestern San Juan Mountains | 0 | 0 | – | |
| 2026-02-20 | Winter WeatherDelta County and 4 more · forecast zone Uncompahgre Plateau And Dallas Divide | 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2021-02-01 | AvalancheGunnison County and 3 more · forecast zone Northwestern San Juan Mountains A group of backcountry skiers triggered a large avalanche while on a multi-day trip in the mountains near The Nose, Middle Fork Mineral Creek southeast of Ophir. This was a soft slab avalanche that was 1000 feet wide and ran 1500 vertical feet. Four skiers were caught in the avalanche with 3 fatalities. Please visit ... | 3 | 4 | – | |
| 2010-02-11 | AvalancheGunnison County and 3 more · forecast zone Northwestern San Juan Mountains Seven back-country skiers ventured out on a hut trip near the Ridgeway Hut in the northern San Juan Mountains when two of the skiers were caught in an avalanche. Nearby observations indicated anywhere from 10 to 16 inches of fresh snow had fallen in the 6 days leading up to the event. The skiers were attempting their ... | 1 | 1 | – | |
| 2002-03-15 | AvalancheGunnison County and 3 more · forecast zone Northwestern San Juan Mountains Two out-of-bounds skiers triggered a soft-slab avalanche east of the Telluride Ski Area at an elevation of 11,800 feet. The slide traveled 2200 vertical feet, killing one person and seriously injuring another. The victim was not recovered until weeks later, as debris at the bottom of the slide was estimated to be 30 ... | 1 | 1 | – | |
| 2025-01-07 | AvalancheGunnison County and 4 more · forecast zone Northwestern San Juan Mountains The Colorado Avalanche Information Center provided all the information regarding this fatal avalanche accident. The incident occurred in the Northwest San Juan Mountains, on the slopes of Red Mountain #3. The snowpack in this location was known to be weak, and the avalanche danger on the day of the accident was rated ... | 1 | 0 | – | |
| 2024-01-22 | AvalancheGunnison County and 4 more · forecast zone Northwestern San Juan Mountains A backcountry skier, who was alone, triggered an avalanche in Waterfall Canyon, south of the town of Ophir. Avalanche danger was rated as moderate (2/5) to Considerable (3/5) on the day. The skier was caught, managed to self extricate, but succumbed to injury and exposure roughly 500-600 feet below the avalanche. The ... | 1 | 0 | – | |
| 2020-06-06 | Strong WindGunnison County and 3 more · forecast zone Northwestern San Juan Mountains A 70 year old man was struck and killed by a tree that had been snapped by an earlier derecho event that moved across the area as he was clearing debris. The snapped tree had been stuck in taller trees and was dislodged by gusty winds that continued to blow in the wake of the derecho. | 35 kt wind | 1 | 0 | – |
| 2020-01-18 | AvalancheGunnison County and 3 more · forecast zone Northwestern San Juan Mountains A mix of broken ice and snow fell over a cliff and picked up additional loose snow before stopping in Red Mountain Creek. A photographer (participant in a guided back-country tour) was struck by the falling ice and snow and buried, resulting in a fatality. | 1 | 0 | – | |
| 2019-03-03 | AvalancheGunnison County and 3 more · forecast zone Northwestern San Juan Mountains A backcountry skier was skiing up a mountain near the Matterhorn Nordic Trail system north of Trout Lake, near Lizard Head Pass, after a recent winter storm brought new snow in excess of 2 feet to the area. The new snow fell on top of an unstable snowpack from earlier winter storms. The avalanche was triggered by the ... | 1 | 0 | – |
| Date | Record | Character | Killed | Injured | Damage |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025-07-10 | WildfireDelta County and 4 more · forecast zone Uncompahgre Plateau And Dallas Divide | 0 | 0 | $40M | |
| 2025-08-01 | WildfireDelta County and 4 more · forecast zone Uncompahgre Plateau And Dallas Divide | 0 | 0 | $40M | |
| 2025-09-01 | WildfireDelta County and 4 more · forecast zone Uncompahgre Plateau And Dallas Divide | 0 | 0 | $40M | |
| 2024-08-01 | WildfireDelta County and 4 more · forecast zone Uncompahgre Plateau And Dallas Divide | 0 | 0 | $9.4M | |
| 1999-07-31 | Flash FloodRidgway, Ouray County | 0 | 0 | $2.2M | |
| 2025-07-10 | WildfireDelta County and 4 more · forecast zone Uncompahgre Plateau And Dallas Divide | 0 | 0 | $1.3M | |
| 2025-08-01 | WildfireDelta County and 4 more · forecast zone Uncompahgre Plateau And Dallas Divide | 0 | 0 | $1.3M | |
| 2024-07-28 | WildfireDelta County and 4 more · forecast zone Uncompahgre Plateau And Dallas Divide | 0 | 0 | $941K |
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 Ouray 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 | – | – | – | – | 127 | 361 | 407 | 190 |
| Drought | – | – | – | – | 0 | 130 | 89 | 52 |
| Landslides and avalanches | – | – | – | – | 3 | 53 | 20 | 20 |
| Wildfires | – | – | – | – | 0 | 1 | 15 | 19 |
| Extreme cold | – | – | – | – | 0 | 1 | 0 | 28 |
| High wind and dust storms | – | – | – | – | 4 | 13 | 5 | 4 |
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 Ouray County. The two busiest months are in violet.
The values, month by month
Jan 233 · Feb 229 · Mar 205 · Apr 152 · May 72 · Jun 36 · Jul 68 · Aug 62 · Sep 48 · Oct 93 · Nov 170 · Dec 216 (records).
Source: NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database, records by the month they began.
Federal disaster declarations for Ouray County
FEMA's register lists 10 declarations that include Ouray County: 6 major disasters, 3 emergencies and one fire management assistance declaration. Most were for fire (3) and flood (3).
| Declared | Number | Type | Title |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2026-09-01 | DR-4944 | Fire | Wildfires, Flooding, and Mudslides |
| 2026-06-30 | FM-5643 | Fire | Gold Mountain Fire |
| 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 |
| 1984-07-27 | DR-719 | Flood | Severe Storms, Mudslides, Landslides & Flooding |
| 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 Ouray County had?
NOAA's Storm Events Database holds 22 flood or flash flood records for Ouray County from 1998 to 2022, on 22 days, with 0 deaths. By flood insurance claims since 1978 (OpenFEMA, as of September 8, 2026), Ouray County ranks 2523rd of 2,942 U.S. counties.
The National Flood Insurance Program has paid $34,000 on 6 claims filed in Ouray County; the most in one year was 5 in 1982. Claims count insured losses only: uninsured flood damage is not in this file.
The values, year by year
1979: 1 · 1982: 5; 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 Ouray County
FEMA's National Risk Index rates Ouray County Very Low overall, with an expected annual loss of $9.3 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Landslide | Relatively High | $1.0M | once in about 4 years (modeled) |
| Avalanche | Relatively High | $3.4M | once in about 2 years (modeled) |
| Lightning | Relatively Moderate | $486K | 54 a year (modeled) |
| Wildfire | Relatively Low | $277K | once in about 831 years (modeled) |
| Earthquake | Very Low | $85K | once in about 723 years (modeled) |
| Riverine Flooding | Very Low | $4.0M | about once a year (modeled) |
| Drought | Very Low | $9K | 67 modeled event-days a year |
| Winter Weather | Very Low | $20K | 40 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 Ouray County
Source: U.S. Census Bureau county adjacency file; NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database, records since 1950. The Census Bureau's adjacency file.
Next
- 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 Ouray CountyThe hazard risk calculator: 18 hazards beside the county's record
- Download Ouray County's FEMA declarations (CSV)10 rows: every declaration that named the county, for your own analysis