Chaffee County, Colorado: hazard risk
FEMA rates Chaffee County's overall risk Relatively Low (score 51.1 of 100, higher than 51% of rated U.S. counties); 2 of its 15 hazards are rated Relatively High or Very High, led by avalanche, lightning. Its storm record holds 682 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Avalanche | Very High | 95.3 | $4.6M |
| Lightning | Relatively High | 86.4 | $1.2M |
| Landslide | Relatively Moderate | 97.5 | $489K |
| Wildfire | Relatively Low | 71.7 | $236K |
| Riverine Flooding | Relatively Low | 64.7 | $13M |
| Hail | Relatively Low | 39.8 | $211K |
| Winter Weather | Relatively Low | 38.4 | $51K |
| Earthquake | Very Low | 39.8 | $183K |
| Volcanic Activity | Very Low | 35.5 | $5 |
| Drought | Very Low | 30.5 | $32K |
| Tornado | Very Low | 12.7 | $125K |
| Ice Storm | Very Low | 10.2 | $6K |
| Heat Wave | Very Low | 7.8 | $14K |
| Cold Wave | Very Low | 5.5 | $27K |
| Strong Wind | Very Low | 4.7 | $38K |
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 | 546 | 0 | – | 24th of 63 | 308th of 3,077 |
| High wind and dust storms | 74 | 0 | – | 33rd of 63 | 899th of 3,080 |
| Floods | 20 | 0 | $4.5M | 27th of 63 | 2490th of 3,080 |
| Hail | 10 | 0 | $1K | 42nd of 63 | 2866th of 3,080 |
| Landslides and avalanches | 9 | 7 | – | 23rd of 63 | 98th of 2,278 |
| Lightning | 7 | 2 | $159K | 16th of 63 | 980th of 3,080 |
| Severe thunderstorm wind | 7 | 0 | – | 44th of 63 | 2903rd of 3,080 |
| Drought | 5 | 0 | – | 46th of 63 | 2442nd of 3,063 |
| Extreme cold | 2 | 0 | – | 56th of 63 | 2779th of 3,076 |
| Tornadoes | 1 | 0 | $54K | 50th of 63 | 2913th 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 Chaffee County record: every hazard by year and month, the deadliest events and FEMA's declarations.