Otero County, Colorado: hazard risk
FEMA rates Otero County's overall risk Relatively Low (score 50.7 of 100, higher than 50% of rated U.S. counties); 1 of its 13 hazards are rated Relatively High or Very High, led by lightning. Its storm record holds 556 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 | Relatively High | 92.0 | $981K |
| Drought | Relatively Moderate | 89.4 | $1.2M |
| Hail | Relatively Moderate | 77.8 | $559K |
| Winter Weather | Relatively Moderate | 75.9 | $125K |
| Strong Wind | Relatively Moderate | 62.5 | $563K |
| Wildfire | Relatively Low | 75.9 | $205K |
| Cold Wave | Relatively Low | 63.7 | $1.2M |
| Riverine Flooding | Relatively Low | 60.1 | $6.5M |
| Tornado | Relatively Low | 33.3 | $446K |
| Earthquake | Very Low | 35.4 | $82K |
| Heat Wave | Very Low | 27.3 | $82K |
| Landslide | Very Low | 9.2 | $16 |
| Ice Storm | Very Low | 9.1 | $3K |
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 | 219 | 0 | $127K | 23rd of 63 | 1627th of 3,080 |
| Severe thunderstorm wind | 137 | 1 | $390K | 7th of 63 | 2362nd of 3,080 |
| High wind and dust storms | 69 | 1 | $146K | 31st of 63 | 880th of 3,080 |
| Floods | 39 | 1 | $71K | 17th of 63 | 2166th of 3,080 |
| Winter storms | 34 | 0 | – | 58th of 63 | 2646th of 3,077 |
| Tornadoes | 30 | 0 | $594K | 23rd of 63 | 1968th of 3,080 |
| Heavy rain | 11 | 0 | – | 22nd of 63 | 1479th of 3,080 |
| Wildfires | 7 | 0 | $41K | 34th of 63 | 464th of 2,972 |
| Lightning | 5 | 2 | $25K | 23rd of 63 | 1422nd of 3,080 |
| Extreme cold | 1 | 0 | – | 57th of 63 | 2812th 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 Otero County record: every hazard by year and month, the deadliest events and FEMA's declarations.