Mesa County, Colorado: hazard risk
FEMA rates Mesa County's overall risk Relatively Low (score 75.1 of 100, higher than 75% of rated U.S. counties); 3 of its 15 hazards are rated Relatively High or Very High, led by lightning, landslide, avalanche. Its storm record holds 3,661 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 | 97.3 | $2.7M |
| Landslide | Relatively High | 99.4 | $2.2M |
| Avalanche | Relatively High | 90.1 | $1.7M |
| Wildfire | Relatively Moderate | 89.9 | $1.4M |
| Riverine Flooding | Relatively Moderate | 81.9 | $22M |
| Drought | Relatively Moderate | 73.9 | $656K |
| Winter Weather | Relatively Moderate | 68.2 | $123K |
| Earthquake | Relatively Low | 84.7 | $2.8M |
| Heat Wave | Relatively Low | 59.3 | $568K |
| Ice Storm | Relatively Low | 33.2 | $39K |
| Cold Wave | Relatively Low | 30.9 | $445K |
| Hail | Very Low | 21.2 | $78K |
| Volcanic Activity | Very Low | 18.6 | $0 |
| Tornado | Very Low | 17.7 | $199K |
| Strong Wind | Very Low | 10.8 | $81K |
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 | 1,713 | 1 | – | 31st of 63 | 469th of 3,077 |
| Drought | 778 | 0 | – | 17th of 63 | 1104th of 3,063 |
| Extreme cold | 239 | 0 | $70M | 7th of 63 | 672nd of 3,076 |
| High wind and dust storms | 181 | 1 | $980K | 42nd of 63 | 1222nd of 3,080 |
| Severe thunderstorm wind | 160 | 0 | $436K | 23rd of 63 | 2664th of 3,080 |
| Wildfires | 113 | 0 | $170M | 12th of 63 | 86th of 2,972 |
| Floods | 107 | 1 | $1.5M | 18th of 63 | 2242nd of 3,080 |
| Heavy rain | 69 | 1 | $833K | 5th of 63 | 607th of 3,080 |
| Hail | 62 | 0 | $2.8M | 37th of 63 | 2797th of 3,080 |
| Landslides and avalanches | 49 | 7 | $543K | 19th of 63 | 64th of 2,278 |
| Lightning | 11 | 0 | $142K | 29th of 63 | 1687th of 3,080 |
| Tornadoes | 10 | 0 | $2K | 37th of 63 | 2741st of 3,080 |
| Heat | 8 | 1 | – | 5th of 63 | 2148th of 3,076 |
Source: NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database, 1950 to 2026-06-30; damage in 2025 dollars. Search the record at NCEI.
The full Mesa County record: every hazard by year and month, the deadliest events and FEMA's declarations.