Denver County, Colorado: hazard risk
FEMA rates Denver County's overall risk Relatively High (score 95.2 of 100, higher than 95% of rated U.S. counties); 7 of its 14 hazards are rated Relatively High or Very High, led by hail, lightning, tornado. Its storm record holds 852 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 | 99.9 | $72M |
| Lightning | Very High | 98.6 | $4.4M |
| Tornado | Relatively High | 97.9 | $28M |
| Strong Wind | Relatively High | 96.1 | $4.1M |
| Riverine Flooding | Relatively High | 95.3 | $94M |
| Cold Wave | Relatively High | 92.1 | $10M |
| Winter Weather | Relatively High | 91.9 | $562K |
| Earthquake | Relatively Moderate | 91.0 | $7.4M |
| Landslide | Relatively Moderate | 87.3 | $49K |
| Heat Wave | Relatively Low | 71.5 | $1.2M |
| Volcanic Activity | Very Low | 73.6 | $170 |
| Wildfire | Very Low | 60.6 | $105K |
| Drought | Very Low | 21.4 | $7K |
| Ice Storm | Very Low | 12.1 | $8K |
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 | 350 | 0 | $246M | 1st of 63 | 1st of 3,080 |
| Winter storms | 184 | 4 | $30M | 4th of 63 | 10th of 3,077 |
| Severe thunderstorm wind | 125 | 1 | $58K | 1st of 63 | 67th of 3,080 |
| High wind and dust storms | 99 | 0 | $276K | 1st of 63 | 11th of 3,080 |
| Floods | 31 | 0 | $4.1M | 1st of 63 | 313th of 3,080 |
| Lightning | 19 | 2 | $2.2M | 1st of 63 | 14th of 3,080 |
| Tornadoes | 19 | 0 | $84M | 1st of 63 | 16th of 3,080 |
| Extreme cold | 8 | 5 | $12M | 4th of 63 | 459th of 3,076 |
| Drought | 5 | 0 | – | 19th of 63 | 1288th of 3,063 |
| Heat | 5 | 0 | – | 1st of 63 | 729th of 3,076 |
| Heavy rain | 5 | 1 | $6K | 1st of 63 | 274th of 3,080 |
| Landslides and avalanches | 1 | 0 | – | 29th of 63 | 121st of 2,278 |
| Wildfires | 1 | 0 | – | 32nd of 63 | 409th of 2,972 |
Source: NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database, 1950 to 2026-06-30; damage in 2025 dollars. Search the record at NCEI.
The full Denver County record: every hazard by year and month, the deadliest events and FEMA's declarations.