Arapahoe County, Colorado: hazard risk
FEMA rates Arapahoe County's overall risk Relatively Moderate (score 93.8 of 100, higher than 93% of rated U.S. counties); 6 of its 14 hazards are rated Relatively High or Very High, led by hail, lightning, tornado. Its storm record holds 1,390 events since 1950.
FEMA's rating for each hazard
These are FEMA's county-wide model ratings and this county's storm record. They are not an assessment of any property, address or building, and not insurance advice: a property's risk depends on its own elevation, construction and location.
FEMA gives each hazard its own rating, and a rating does not follow the score from one hazard to the next: a hazard with a higher score can carry a lower rating than another. The table sorts by FEMA's rating, then by score (0 to 100, the county against every other county for that hazard).
| Hazard | Risk rating | Score | Expected annual loss |
|---|---|---|---|
| Hail | Very High | 99.8 | $64M |
| Lightning | Very High | 98.4 | $4.0M |
| Tornado | Relatively High | 97.2 | $22M |
| Strong Wind | Relatively High | 95.1 | $3.7M |
| Cold Wave | Relatively High | 91.1 | $9.4M |
| Winter Weather | Relatively High | 91.1 | $519K |
| Riverine Flooding | Relatively Moderate | 92.5 | $62M |
| Earthquake | Relatively Low | 85.5 | $3.5M |
| Wildfire | Relatively Low | 84.7 | $802K |
| Heat Wave | Relatively Low | 68.6 | $1.0M |
| Drought | Relatively Low | 44.6 | $118K |
| Volcanic Activity | Very Low | 73.0 | $155 |
| Landslide | Very Low | 50.5 | $2K |
| Ice Storm | Very Low | 11.4 | $7K |
Source: FEMA National Risk Index, December 2025 release. A model of future loss, not a count of past events. FEMA's National Risk Index map.
What the record holds
| Hazard | Records | Deaths | Damage | Rank in state | Rank in U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Hail | 601 | 0 | $1.4B | 2nd of 63 | 55th of 3,080 |
| Winter storms | 299 | 7 | $30M | 32nd of 63 | 478th of 3,077 |
| Severe thunderstorm wind | 150 | 0 | $1.2M | 2nd of 63 | 2013th of 3,080 |
| High wind and dust storms | 129 | 0 | $276K | 11th of 63 | 222nd of 3,080 |
| Tornadoes | 100 | 0 | $19M | 3rd of 63 | 50th of 3,080 |
| Floods | 44 | 2 | $5.4M | 5th of 63 | 1597th of 3,080 |
| Lightning | 30 | 0 | $1.5M | 4th of 63 | 182nd of 3,080 |
| Extreme cold | 18 | 5 | $12M | 18th of 63 | 1496th of 3,076 |
| Drought | 9 | 0 | – | 26th of 63 | 2149th of 3,063 |
| Heat | 5 | 0 | – | 2nd of 63 | 1780th of 3,076 |
| Heavy rain | 2 | 0 | – | 30th of 63 | 1759th of 3,080 |
| Wildfires | 2 | 0 | $706K | 43rd of 63 | 778th of 2,972 |
| Landslides and avalanches | 1 | 0 | – | 40th of 63 | 319th of 2,278 |
Source: NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database, 1950 to 2026-06-30; damage in 2025 dollars. Search the record at NCEI.
The full Arapahoe County record: every hazard by year and month, the deadliest events and FEMA's declarations.