Ouray County, Colorado: hazard risk
FEMA rates Ouray County's overall risk Very Low (score 17.7 of 100, higher than 17% 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 1,584 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 | 98.3 | $1.0M |
| Avalanche | Relatively High | 93.3 | $3.4M |
| Lightning | Relatively Moderate | 61.1 | $486K |
| Wildfire | Relatively Low | 71.9 | $277K |
| Earthquake | Very Low | 27.9 | $85K |
| Riverine Flooding | Very Low | 24.7 | $4.0M |
| Drought | Very Low | 22.0 | $9K |
| Winter Weather | Very Low | 17.0 | $20K |
| Ice Storm | Very Low | 3.1 | $2K |
| Tornado | Very Low | 2.6 | $7K |
| Cold Wave | Very Low | 2.4 | $0 |
| Heat Wave | Very Low | 1.7 | $0 |
| Hail | Very Low | 1.7 | $3K |
| Strong Wind | Very Low | 1.4 | $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 | 1,085 | 0 | $47K | 2nd of 63 | 6th of 3,077 |
| Drought | 271 | 0 | – | 2nd of 63 | 16th of 3,063 |
| Landslides and avalanches | 96 | 15 | $959K | 1st of 63 | 4th of 2,278 |
| Wildfires | 35 | 0 | $138M | 2nd of 63 | 21st of 2,972 |
| Extreme cold | 29 | 0 | – | 16th of 63 | 1299th of 3,076 |
| High wind and dust storms | 26 | 1 | $83K | 39th of 63 | 1062nd of 3,080 |
| Floods | 22 | 0 | $2.7M | 7th of 63 | 1745th of 3,080 |
| Heavy rain | 8 | 0 | – | 6th of 63 | 631st of 3,080 |
| Hail | 3 | 0 | – | 45th of 63 | 2888th of 3,080 |
| Lightning | 2 | 1 | $2K | 25th of 63 | 1466th of 3,080 |
| Severe thunderstorm wind | 1 | 0 | $76K | 55th of 63 | 3007th 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 Ouray County record: every hazard by year and month, the deadliest events and FEMA's declarations.