Rio Blanco County, Colorado
County storm and disaster record · FIPS 08103 · population 6,520 · 3,221 sq mi
NOAA's Storm Events Database holds 2,556 records for Rio Blanco County, Colorado from 1950 through June 30, 2026, on 1,394 days; the most frequent are winter storm records (1,413 records). 2,382 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 15, 2020 avalanche, filed for the forecast zone Flattop Mountains, which covers the county: 2 deaths and 1 injury. FEMA has issued 7 declarations naming the county since 1984, 5 of them for natural hazards; the latest for a natural hazard was “Lee Fire” on August 6, 2025.
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
- 2,556on 1,394 days, 1950 to June 30, 2026
- Deaths recorded
- 613 injuries
- Damage, 2025 dollars
- $6.0Mas filed (scale steps before 1993)
- Tornadoes
- 3strongest F1
- FEMA declarations
- 7latest 2025
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 Rio Blanco County most?
The most frequent records are winter storm records: 1,413 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 | 1,413 | 881 | 1996-2026 | 1 | 0 | $48K | 29 of 63 |
| Drought | 517 | 148 | 2002-2026 | 0 | 0 | – | 15 of 63 |
| Wildfires | 135 | 110 | 1998-2025 | 0 | 2 | $2.5M | 8 of 63 |
| High wind and dust storms | 124 | 77 | 1997-2026 | 0 | 0 | $367K | 56 of 63 |
| Extreme cold | 117 | 79 | 2003-2025 | 0 | 0 | $5K | 13 of 63 |
| Fog, smoke and funnel clouds | 98 | 83 | 1996-2026 | 0 | 0 | – | 7 of 63 |
| Severe thunderstorm wind | 43 | 34 | 1994-2025 | 0 | 0 | $415K | 37 of 63 |
| Floods | 41 | 32 | 1996-2025 | 0 | 5 | $641K | 40 of 63 |
| Landslides and avalanches | 38 | 32 | 2002-2025 | 4 | 1 | $96K | 22 of 63 |
| Heavy rain | 14 | 11 | 1997-2017 | 0 | 0 | – | 24 of 63 |
| Hail | 11 | 10 | 1984-2024 | 0 | 0 | $1.9M | 55 of 63 |
| Tornadoes | 3 | 3 | 1957-2013 | 0 | 0 | $78K | 51 of 63 |
| Lightning | 2 | 2 | 1998-2009 | 1 | 5 | $344 | 47 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 Rio Blanco County had?
NOAA records 3 tornadoes in Rio Blanco County from 1957 to 2013, the strongest rated F1, 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 3 tornadoes whose track touched Rio Blanco County since 1950 (NOAA's county records number 3, the same count); along their whole tracks they killed 0 people.
Map of the strongest tornado tracks in Colorado.
Every tornado record filed for Rio Blanco County (3)
| Date | Place | Character | Killed | Injured | Damage |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2013-05-29 | Rangely Airport, Rio Blanco County | EF0 1 mi x 40 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2006-06-21 | Meeker, Rio Blanco County | F1 1 mi x 50 yd | 0 | 0 | $51K |
| 1957-07-03 | Rio Blanco 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 Rio Blanco County?
The most recent record with damage, injuries or deaths is the September 22, 2025 debris flow ($30,000 in damage in 2025 dollars).
| Date | Record | Character | Killed | Injured | Damage |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026-05-31 | Dense FogMoffat County and 2 more · forecast zone Central Yampa River Basin | 0 | 0 | – | |
| 2026-04-01 | DroughtEagle County and 4 more · forecast zone Flattop Mountains | 0 | 0 | – | |
| 2026-04-01 | DroughtGarfield County and 2 more · forecast zone Roan And Tavaputs Plateaus | 0 | 0 | – | |
| 2026-04-01 | DroughtMoffat County and 2 more · forecast zone Central Yampa River Basin | 0 | 0 | – | |
| 2026-04-01 | DroughtGarfield County and 2 more · forecast zone Lower Yampa River Basin | 0 | 0 | – | |
| 2026-04-01 | Winter WeatherEagle County and 4 more · forecast zone Flattop Mountains | 0 | 0 | – | |
| 2026-03-31 | Winter WeatherEagle County and 4 more · forecast zone Flattop Mountains | 0 | 0 | – | |
| 2026-03-24 | DroughtGarfield County and 2 more · forecast zone Roan And Tavaputs Plateaus | 0 | 0 | – | |
| 2026-03-15 | High WindMoffat County and 2 more · forecast zone Central Yampa River Basin | 50 kt wind | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2026-03-14 | High WindMoffat County and 2 more · forecast zone Central Yampa River Basin | 55 kt wind | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2026-03-05 | Winter WeatherEagle County and 4 more · forecast zone Flattop Mountains | 0 | 0 | – | |
| 2026-03-04 | Dense FogMoffat County and 2 more · forecast zone Central Yampa River Basin | 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2020-02-15 | AvalancheGarfield County and 3 more · forecast zone Flattop Mountains A hard slab avalanche was unintentionally triggered by 3 motorized snow-bikers following a week of heavy, wind blown snow in the South Fork of Dickson Creek, east of Red and White Mountain. The avalanche was 3 to 4 feet in depth, 600 feet wide and debris ran for about 300 vertical feet. The avalanche was described a ... | 2 | 1 | – | |
| 1998-08-14 | LightningMeeker, Rio Blanco County Two pipeline workers took cover under a tree during a thunderstorm. Lightning struck the tree, killing one man and seriously injuring the other. | 1 | 1 | – | |
| 2008-02-01 | AvalancheGarfield County and 3 more · forecast zone Flattop Mountains Three snowmobilers were coming down Little Box Canyon on a groomed trail in the southwestern Flat Tops north of the town of Rifle. The first two riders noticed that the third was no longer behind them. The pair turned around and headed up the canyon and found a fresh avalanche that had buried the third snowmobiler. ... | 1 | 0 | $1K | |
| 2006-10-25 | Winter StormGarfield County and 3 more · forecast zone Flattop Mountains This early season storm produced 6 to 12 inches of snow, and winds gusting 30 to 50 mph. Local snowfall amounts up to 18 inches occurred in the higher terrain near Buford. A hunter died from exposure after getting disoriented in the storm within the same general area where 18 inches of snow fell. | 1 | 0 | – | |
| 2002-03-17 | AvalancheGarfield County and 3 more · forecast zone Flattop Mountains Snowmobilers triggered a medium-sized soft-slab avalanche on Pagoda Peak, 36 miles southwest of Steamboat Springs in northeast Rio Blanco County. The slide buried and killed one man under 3 feet of snow while still on his snowmobile and partly buried another person. The slide was 300 to 400 feet wide and traveled 400 ... | 1 | 0 | – | |
| 2005-07-25 | Flash FloodRio Blanco County A wall of water about 6 feet deep came down from Box D Gulch and struck 12 teenagers working for the Colorado State Division of Wildlife (DOW) repairing fences at the Little Hills State Wildlife Area, just over 3 miles east of the intersection of County Road 22 and County Road 5. The teenagers were scrambling to get ... | 0 | 5 | $121K | |
| 2009-06-01 | LightningRangely Airport, Rio Blanco County Four men were golfing on the seventh green at the Cedar Ridges Golf Course in Rangely when a tree 15 to 20 yards away was struck by lightning. The charge from the lightning bolt traveled from the tree through the ground and struck the four golfers, blowing the golf clubs out of their hands and leaving them stunned for ... | 0 | 4 | $344 | |
| 2017-06-10 | WildfireMoffat County and 2 more · forecast zone Central Yampa River Basin The Temple wildfire, which was started by a lightning strike, was located 25 miles west of Craig and burned more than 60 acres. A firefighter was injured while fighting the wildfire and sustained second degree burns to his legs. | 0 | 1 | – |
| Date | Record | Character | Killed | Injured | Damage |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1997-09-20 | HailRangely, Rio Blanco County | 4.00 in hail | 0 | 0 | $1.8M |
| 2021-07-01 | WildfireMoffat County and Rio Blanco County · forecast zone Lower Yampa River Basin | 0 | 0 | $545K | |
| 2005-04-08 | Strong WindMoffat County and 2 more · forecast zone Central Yampa River Basin | 60 kt wind | 0 | 0 | $302K |
| 2023-07-16 | WildfireMoffat County and 2 more · forecast zone Central Yampa River Basin | 0 | 0 | $291K | |
| 1997-09-20 | Thunderstorm WindRangely, Rio Blanco County | 0 | 0 | $276K | |
| 2025-06-26 | WildfireGarfield County and 2 more · forecast zone Lower Yampa River Basin | 0 | 0 | $216K | |
| 2011-06-28 | Thunderstorm WindRangely, Rio Blanco County | 74 kt wind | 0 | 0 | $131K |
| 2005-07-25 | Flash FloodRio Blanco County | 0 | 5 | $121K |
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 $3K, in the dollars of the day) holds: July 3, 1957 (tornado, Rio Blanco 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 Rio Blanco 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 | – | – | – | – | 60 | 519 | 576 | 258 |
| Drought | – | – | – | – | 0 | 265 | 144 | 108 |
| Wildfires | – | – | – | – | 4 | 38 | 38 | 55 |
| High wind and dust storms | – | – | – | – | 6 | 18 | 28 | 72 |
| Extreme cold | – | – | – | – | 0 | 22 | 38 | 57 |
| Fog, smoke and funnel clouds | – | – | – | – | 5 | 16 | 41 | 36 |
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 Rio Blanco County. The two busiest months are in violet.
The values, month by month
Jan 339 · Feb 321 · Mar 271 · Apr 231 · May 130 · Jun 107 · Jul 119 · Aug 123 · Sep 160 · Oct 192 · Nov 227 · Dec 336 (records).
Source: NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database, records by the month they began.
Federal disaster declarations for Rio Blanco County
FEMA's register lists 7 declarations that include Rio Blanco County: 3 major disasters, 2 emergencies and 2 fire management assistance declarations. Most were for fire (3) and biological (2).
| Declared | Number | Type | Title |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2025-08-06 | FM-5603 | Fire | Lee Fire |
| 2025-08-06 | FM-5604 | Fire | Elk 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 |
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 Rio Blanco County had?
NOAA's Storm Events Database holds 41 flood or flash flood records for Rio Blanco County from 1996 to 2025, on 32 days, with 0 deaths. By flood insurance claims since 1978 (OpenFEMA, as of September 8, 2026), Rio Blanco County ranks 2400th of 2,942 U.S. counties.
The National Flood Insurance Program has paid $31,000 on 9 claims filed in Rio Blanco County; the most in one year was 2 in 1983. Claims count insured losses only: uninsured flood damage is not in this file.
The values, year by year
1979: 1 · 1983: 2 · 1996: 1 · 1997: 1 · 2000: 1 · 2001: 1 · 2008: 1 · 2011: 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 Rio Blanco County
FEMA's National Risk Index rates Rio Blanco County Very Low overall, with an expected annual loss of $10.9 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 | $1.8M | once in about 8 years (modeled) |
| Landslide | Relatively Moderate | $94K | 4 a year (modeled) |
| Wildfire | Relatively Moderate | $1.6M | once in about 267 years (modeled) |
| Lightning | Relatively Moderate | $737K | 51 a year (modeled) |
| Riverine Flooding | Relatively Low | $6.3M | 1.1 a year (modeled) |
| Drought | Relatively Low | $36K | 83 modeled event-days a year |
| Earthquake | Very Low | $148K | once in about 826 years (modeled) |
| Volcanic Activity | Very Low | $1 | once in about 10,000 years (modeled) |
Source: FEMA National Risk Index, county table, December 2025 release. FEMA's National Risk Index map.
Counties that share a border with Rio Blanco 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 Rio Blanco CountyThe hazard risk calculator: 18 hazards beside the county's record
- Download Rio Blanco County's FEMA declarations (CSV)7 rows: every declaration that named the county, for your own analysis