Montezuma County, Colorado: hazard risk
FEMA rates Montezuma County's overall risk Relatively Low (score 47.6 of 100, higher than 47% of rated U.S. counties); 2 of its 14 hazards are rated Relatively High or Very High, led by avalanche, lightning. Its storm record holds 1,537 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 | Relatively High | 88.2 | $1.2M |
| Lightning | Relatively High | 86.6 | $817K |
| Wildfire | Relatively Moderate | 93.6 | $2.1M |
| Landslide | Relatively Moderate | 93.3 | $74K |
| Drought | Relatively Moderate | 72.6 | $495K |
| Earthquake | Relatively Low | 61.9 | $415K |
| Winter Weather | Relatively Low | 59.4 | $72K |
| Riverine Flooding | Relatively Low | 56.1 | $6.5M |
| Cold Wave | Relatively Low | 32.8 | $394K |
| Heat Wave | Very Low | 25.6 | $84K |
| Hail | Very Low | 18.5 | $54K |
| Ice Storm | Very Low | 15.0 | $8K |
| Tornado | Very Low | 10.1 | $53K |
| Strong Wind | Very Low | 7.4 | $44K |
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 | 819 | 0 | $14K | 23rd of 63 | 258th of 3,077 |
| Drought | 308 | 0 | – | 10th of 63 | 432nd of 3,063 |
| Extreme cold | 90 | 0 | $467K | 10th of 63 | 747th of 3,076 |
| Wildfires | 88 | 0 | $12M | 9th of 63 | 60th of 2,972 |
| Landslides and avalanches | 56 | 12 | $170K | 15th of 63 | 31st of 2,278 |
| High wind and dust storms | 38 | 0 | $467K | 60th of 63 | 1907th of 3,080 |
| Severe thunderstorm wind | 30 | 0 | $507K | 33rd of 63 | 2809th of 3,080 |
| Hail | 24 | 0 | $1.9M | 40th of 63 | 2845th of 3,080 |
| Floods | 22 | 0 | $608K | 44th of 63 | 2786th of 3,080 |
| Heavy rain | 22 | 0 | $311K | 9th of 63 | 911th of 3,080 |
| Lightning | 13 | 0 | $445K | 18th of 63 | 1037th of 3,080 |
| Tornadoes | 3 | 0 | $259K | 43rd of 63 | 2866th of 3,080 |
| Heat | 1 | 0 | – | 11th of 63 | 2453rd 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 Montezuma County record: every hazard by year and month, the deadliest events and FEMA's declarations.