Douglas County, Colorado: hazard risk
FEMA rates Douglas County's overall risk Relatively Moderate (score 88.7 of 100, higher than 88% of rated U.S. counties); 6 of its 15 hazards are rated Relatively High or Very High, led by lightning, winter weather, hail. Its storm record holds 1,563 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 | 99.3 | $7.5M |
| Winter Weather | Very High | 96.6 | $1.3M |
| Hail | Relatively High | 98.6 | $13M |
| Wildfire | Relatively High | 98.4 | $26M |
| Tornado | Relatively High | 93.4 | $14M |
| Strong Wind | Relatively High | 93.0 | $3.7M |
| Riverine Flooding | Relatively Moderate | 86.9 | $44M |
| Landslide | Relatively Low | 78.2 | $20K |
| Cold Wave | Relatively Low | 63.8 | $2.5M |
| Earthquake | Relatively Low | 62.4 | $779K |
| Heat Wave | Relatively Low | 54.8 | $702K |
| Ice Storm | Relatively Low | 42.6 | $90K |
| Drought | Relatively Low | 34.5 | $57K |
| Volcanic Activity | Very Low | 64.2 | $85 |
| Avalanche | Very Low | 9.6 | $11 |
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 | 630 | 5 | $55M | 22nd of 63 | 211th of 3,077 |
| Hail | 435 | 0 | $5.3M | 5th of 63 | 218th of 3,080 |
| High wind and dust storms | 260 | 0 | $30M | 5th of 63 | 107th of 3,080 |
| Tornadoes | 64 | 0 | $3.8M | 4th of 63 | 227th of 3,080 |
| Severe thunderstorm wind | 56 | 1 | $24K | 18th of 63 | 2586th of 3,080 |
| Floods | 46 | 0 | $20M | 4th of 63 | 1596th of 3,080 |
| Lightning | 26 | 1 | $4.5M | 5th of 63 | 229th of 3,080 |
| Drought | 15 | 0 | – | 27th of 63 | 2164th of 3,063 |
| Extreme cold | 13 | 5 | $12M | 23rd of 63 | 1819th of 3,076 |
| Wildfires | 6 | 3 | $28M | 31st of 63 | 381st of 2,972 |
| Heat | 5 | 0 | – | 3rd of 63 | 1797th of 3,076 |
| Heavy rain | 4 | 0 | $7K | 19th of 63 | 1372nd of 3,080 |
| Landslides and avalanches | 1 | 0 | – | 41st of 63 | 325th 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 Douglas County record: every hazard by year and month, the deadliest events and FEMA's declarations.