Dolores County, Colorado: hazard risk
FEMA rates Dolores County's overall risk Very Low (score 11.3 of 100, higher than 11% of rated U.S. counties); 2 of its 14 hazards are rated Relatively High or Very High, led by landslide, avalanche. Its storm record holds 1,461 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Landslide | Relatively High | 97.9 | $489K |
| Avalanche | Relatively High | 92.3 | $1.8M |
| Lightning | Relatively Moderate | 76.3 | $540K |
| Wildfire | Relatively Low | 79.8 | $348K |
| Drought | Relatively Low | 45.5 | $89K |
| Earthquake | Very Low | 32.9 | $84K |
| Winter Weather | Very Low | 13.1 | $9K |
| Riverine Flooding | Very Low | 8.8 | $1.0M |
| Heat Wave | Very Low | 6.0 | $6K |
| Cold Wave | Very Low | 5.6 | $21K |
| Ice Storm | Very Low | 3.9 | $1K |
| Tornado | Very Low | 2.8 | $5K |
| Hail | Very Low | 2.0 | $2K |
| Strong Wind | Very Low | 1.7 | $6K |
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 | 820 | 0 | $14K | 9th of 63 | 59th of 3,077 |
| Drought | 317 | 0 | – | 3rd of 63 | 78th of 3,063 |
| Extreme cold | 105 | 0 | $467K | 2nd of 63 | 309th of 3,076 |
| Wildfires | 74 | 0 | $12M | 3rd of 63 | 23rd of 2,972 |
| Landslides and avalanches | 52 | 12 | $160K | 8th of 63 | 15th of 2,278 |
| High wind and dust storms | 39 | 0 | $468K | 43rd of 63 | 1243rd of 3,080 |
| Floods | 8 | 0 | $28K | 45th of 63 | 2811th of 3,080 |
| Severe thunderstorm wind | 7 | 0 | $57K | 49th of 63 | 2944th of 3,080 |
| Heavy rain | 6 | 0 | – | 17th of 63 | 1271st of 3,080 |
| Hail | 5 | 0 | $126K | 53rd of 63 | 2945th of 3,080 |
| Heat | 2 | 0 | – | 7th of 63 | 2208th of 3,076 |
| Lightning | 2 | 1 | $2K | 35th of 63 | 1948th 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 Dolores County record: every hazard by year and month, the deadliest events and FEMA's declarations.