Boulder County, Colorado: hazard risk
FEMA rates Boulder County's overall risk Relatively Moderate (score 90.7 of 100, higher than 90% of rated U.S. counties); 7 of its 15 hazards are rated Relatively High or Very High, led by lightning, hail, wildfire. Its storm record holds 1,789 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Lightning | Very High | 99.0 | $5.9M |
| Hail | Relatively High | 98.4 | $10M |
| Wildfire | Relatively High | 97.9 | $16M |
| Winter Weather | Relatively High | 96.1 | $1.1M |
| Tornado | Relatively High | 92.6 | $12M |
| Avalanche | Relatively High | 87.3 | $1.8M |
| Strong Wind | Relatively High | 86.0 | $2.3M |
| Riverine Flooding | Relatively Moderate | 92.2 | $69M |
| Landslide | Relatively Moderate | 89.9 | $78K |
| Ice Storm | Relatively Moderate | 72.9 | $354K |
| Cold Wave | Relatively Moderate | 70.6 | $3.0M |
| Earthquake | Relatively Low | 80.5 | $2.4M |
| Heat Wave | Relatively Low | 60.4 | $815K |
| Drought | Relatively Low | 38.4 | $79K |
| Volcanic Activity | Very Low | 64.8 | $79 |
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. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Winter storms | 800 | 1 | $50M | 8th of 63 | 51st of 3,077 |
| High wind and dust storms | 405 | 3 | $37M | 3rd of 63 | 50th of 3,080 |
| Hail | 356 | 0 | $1.9M | 6th of 63 | 459th of 3,080 |
| Severe thunderstorm wind | 72 | 0 | $39K | 12th of 63 | 2434th of 3,080 |
| Floods | 37 | 4 | $378M | 12th of 63 | 2055th of 3,080 |
| Landslides and avalanches | 35 | 21 | – | 9th of 63 | 16th of 2,278 |
| Lightning | 35 | 2 | $178K | 3rd of 63 | 160th of 3,080 |
| Wildfires | 15 | 4 | $2.6B | 18th of 63 | 160th of 2,972 |
| Tornadoes | 11 | 0 | $780K | 25th of 63 | 2223rd of 3,080 |
| Drought | 10 | 0 | – | 24th of 63 | 2124th of 3,063 |
| Extreme cold | 10 | 0 | – | 22nd of 63 | 1806th of 3,076 |
| Heavy rain | 3 | 0 | – | 21st of 63 | 1461st of 3,080 |
Source: NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database, 1950 to 2026-06-30; damage in 2025 dollars. Search the record at NCEI.
The full Boulder County record: every hazard by year and month, the deadliest events and FEMA's declarations.