States › Colorado › El Paso County
El Paso County, Colorado
Recorded hazard history: storm events since 1950, federal disaster declarations since 1953, flood insurance claims since 1978, and FEMA's risk index.
NCEI notes that Storm Data is compiled from a variety of sources including the National Weather Service, other federal, state and local agencies, the media and the public; that property and crop damage figures are estimates; and that some events are recorded by NWS forecast zone rather than by county. FEMA notes that NFIP claim records are redacted and aggregated to protect the privacy of policyholders. NCEI storm records through 30 Jun 2026; OpenFEMA declarations refreshed 1 Oct 2026; NFIP claims as of 8 Sep 2026.
Between 1950 and 2026, NCEI recorded 2,710 storm events in El Paso County, Colorado, led by hail.
That is 127.4 events per 100 square miles, above the Colorado figure of 49.4, and 36.7 per 10,000 residents against 88.1 statewide.
39 events fall in the 12 months to 30 Jun 2026. NCEI attributes 12 deaths and 101 injuries to events in the county, with property damage estimated at $446M.
FEMA has designated the county in 20 federal disaster declarations since 1953; the most recent is Severe Storms, Flooding, And Tornadoes (major disaster, 25 Aug 2023).
National Flood Insurance Program policyholders in the county filed 857 claims since 1978, of which 417 were paid, totalling $6.0M (about $14K per paid claim). FEMA counts 1,208 residential flood policies in force.
FEMA's National Risk Index rates the county's overall risk as "Relatively Moderate" and its expected annual loss as "Relatively High" ($213M a year across 18 hazards).
Compared with Colorado and the United States
| Measure | El Paso County | Colorado | US |
|---|---|---|---|
| Recorded events since 1950 | 2,710 | 51,187 | 1,977,440 |
| Events per 100 square miles | 127.4 | 49.4 | 56.0 |
| Events per 10,000 residents | 36.7 | 88.1 | 59.6 |
| Events in the last 12 months | 39 | 1,519 | 62,008 |
| Deaths recorded by NCEI | 12 | 322 | 26,435 |
| Property damage (NCEI estimates) | $446M | $11B | $575B |
| NFIP claims per 1,000 residents | 1.2 | 1.0 | 8.1 |
| Average paid NFIP claim | $14K | $25K | $43K |
| Claims per 100 policies in force, last 10 years | 7.7 | 4.4 | 16.1 |
County-recorded events plus zone-recorded events whose forecast zone is named for the county. State and US rows include events recorded only by forecast zone. Rates use 2021 Census population and land area.
Events by decade
Trend: 1,796 events in the 20 years to 2025 against 718 in the 20 years before. Reporting practice changed in 1996 and again with automated reports in the 2000s, so decade totals measure the record as much as the weather.
Events by type
Hazard pages exist for hail, tornado, flood, wind and winter where the county has at least 10 recorded events. "Other" covers heavy rain, debris flow, dust, funnel clouds and similar reports.
Largest recorded events
| Date | Event type | Group | Magnitude | Property damage | Crop damage | Deaths | Injuries | Geography |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 21 Jun 2005 | Flash Flood | Flood | — | $100K | — | 2 | — | County |
| 9 Aug 2013 | Flash Flood | Flood | — | $2.0M | — | 1 | 3 | County |
| 30 May 2001 | Lightning | Lightning | — | — | — | 1 | 3 | County |
| 2 Sep 2007 | Lightning | Lightning | — | — | — | 1 | 3 | County |
| 20 Jul 1996 | Lightning | Lightning | — | — | — | 1 | — | County |
| 6 Jul 1997 | Lightning | Lightning | — | — | — | 1 | — | County |
| 4 Aug 1997 | Flood | Flood | — | — | — | 1 | — | County |
| 25 Jul 2000 | Lightning | Lightning | — | — | — | 1 | — | County |
| 5 Aug 2003 | Lightning | Lightning | — | — | — | 1 | — | County |
| 12 Sep 2013 | Flood | Flood | — | — | — | 1 | — | County |
| 15 Sep 2013 | Flash Flood | Flood | — | — | — | 1 | — | County |
| 6 Aug 2018 | Hail | Hail | 2.75 in | $173M | — | — | 8 | County |
| 13 Jun 2018 | Hail | Hail | 3.00 in | $169M | — | — | — | County |
| 31 Jul 2013 | Lightning | Lightning | — | — | — | — | 12 | County |
| 19 Aug 1999 | Lightning | Lightning | — | — | — | — | 8 | County |
| 28 May 2001 | Thunderstorm Wind | Wind | 121 mph | $400K | — | — | 7 | County |
| 28 May 2001 | Tornado | Tornado | F2 | $100K | — | — | 5 | County |
| 24 Jul 2011 | Lightning | Lightning | — | — | — | — | 5 | County |
| 24 Jun 2015 | Lightning | Lightning | — | — | — | — | 5 | County |
| 28 May 2001 | Tornado | Tornado | F2 | $8.0M | — | — | 4 | County |
Ranked by deaths, then injuries, then NCEI's damage estimate. Deaths and injuries are NCEI counts (direct plus indirect); no personal details are recorded here.
Federal disaster declarations
| Declared | Number | Type | Incident | Title | Programs |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 25 Aug 2023 | DR-4731 | Major disaster | Flood | Severe Storms, Flooding, And Tornadoes | Public assistance |
| 28 Mar 2020 | DR-4498 | Major disaster | Biological | Covid-19 Pandemic | Individual assistance, Public assistance |
| 13 Mar 2020 | EM-3436 | Emergency | Biological | Covid-19 | Public assistance |
| 16 Jul 2015 | DR-4229 | Major disaster | Flood | Severe Storms, Tornadoes, Flooding, Landslides, And Mudslides | Public assistance |
| 14 Sep 2013 | DR-4145 | Major disaster | Flood | Severe Storms, Flooding, Landslides, And Mudslides | Individual assistance, Public assistance |
| 12 Sep 2013 | EM-3365 | Emergency | Flood | Severe Storms, Flooding, Landslides, And Mudslides | Public assistance |
| 26 Jul 2013 | DR-4134 | Major disaster | Fire | Black Forest Wildfire | Individual assistance, Public assistance |
| 11 Jun 2013 | FM-5027 | Fire management assistance | Fire | Black Forest Fire | Public assistance |
| 28 Jun 2012 | DR-4067 | Major disaster | Fire | High Park And Waldo Canyon Wildfires | Individual assistance, Public assistance |
| 24 Jun 2012 | FM-2984 | Fire management assistance | Fire | Waldo Canyon Fire | Public assistance |
| 7 Jan 2007 | EM-3270 | Emergency | Snowstorm | Snow | Public assistance |
| 5 Sep 2005 | EM-3224 | Emergency | Coastal Storm | Hurricane Katrina Evacuation | Public assistance |
| 9 Apr 2003 | EM-3185 | Emergency | Snowstorm | Snow | Public assistance |
| 19 Jun 2002 | DR-1421 | Major disaster | Fire | Wildfires | Individual assistance |
| 17 May 1999 | DR-1276 | Major disaster | Severe Storm | Co-Flooding 4/30/99 | Individual assistance, Public assistance |
| 29 Jan 1977 | EM-3025 | Emergency | Drought | Drought | Public assistance |
| 2 Aug 1976 | DR-517 | Major disaster | Flood | Severe Storms & Flash Flooding | Individual assistance, Public assistance |
| 23 May 1973 | DR-385 | Major disaster | Flood | Heavy Rains, Snowmelt And Flooding | Individual assistance, Public assistance |
| 19 May 1969 | DR-261 | Major disaster | Flood | Severe Storms & Flooding | Individual assistance, Public assistance |
| 19 Jun 1965 | DR-200 | Major disaster | Tornado | Tornadoes, Severe Storms & Flooding | Individual assistance, Public assistance |
Declarations in which FEMA designated this county, from the OpenFEMA Disaster Declarations Summaries (v2). DR: major disaster; EM: emergency; FM: fire management assistance. Programs show whether individual or public assistance was made available.
Flood insurance claims
| Year of loss | Claims | Paid claims | Amount paid | Average paid |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 | 2 | 0 | $0 | — |
| 2025 | 7 | 1 | $756 | $756 |
| 2024 | 2 | 1 | $6,180 | $6,180 |
| 2023 | 24 | 10 | $92,243 | $9,224 |
| 2022 | 3 | 1 | $29,158 | $29,158 |
| 2021 | 4 | 1 | $774 | $774 |
| 2020 | 6 | 3 | $104,189 | $34,730 |
| 2019 | 13 | 5 | $36,805 | $7,361 |
| 2018 | 19 | 8 | $166,088 | $20,761 |
| 2017 | 13 | 2 | $4,063 | $2,032 |
| 2016 | 27 | 4 | $15,790 | $3,948 |
| 2015 | 139 | 80 | $894,029 | $11,175 |
| 2014 | 30 | 12 | $86,509 | $7,209 |
| 2013 | 207 | 136 | $3,715,219 | $27,318 |
| 2012 | 28 | 16 | $136,708 | $8,544 |
| 2011 | 7 | 4 | $7,798 | $1,950 |
| 2010 | 6 | 3 | $64,332 | $21,444 |
| 2009 | 4 | 2 | $24,615 | $12,308 |
| 2008 | 8 | 3 | $10,618 | $3,539 |
| 2007 | 5 | 2 | $11,000 | $5,500 |
| 2006 | 8 | 4 | $42,032 | $10,508 |
| 2005 | 3 | 3 | $39,219 | $13,073 |
| 2004 | 9 | 6 | $44,286 | $7,381 |
| 2001 | 9 | 2 | $2,956 | $1,478 |
| 2000 | 2 | 0 | $0 | — |
OpenFEMA NFIP claims (v3, as of 8 Sep 2026), aggregated by year of loss; amounts are building, contents and increased-cost-of-compliance payments as recorded. Repetitive-loss counts from the NFIP Multiple Loss Properties file (2 Aug 2026); policies in force from the NFIP Residential Penetration Rates file (3 Aug 2026).
National Risk Index
| Hazard (NRI) | Risk rating | Expected annual loss |
|---|---|---|
| Inland flooding | $105,195,847 | |
| Wildfire | $41,634,096 | |
| Tornado | $25,311,706 | |
| Hail | $17,899,632 | |
| Lightning | $5,966,305 | |
| Winter weather | $5,486,575 | |
| Cold wave | $3,784,031 | |
| Strong wind | $2,947,371 | |
| Heat wave | $1,929,201 | |
| Earthquake | $1,647,300 | |
| Avalanche | $456,669 | |
| Ice storm | $233,816 | |
| Drought | $140,171 | |
| Landslide | $1,148 | |
| Volcanic activity | $172 |
FEMA National Risk Index, December 2025 release. Ratings are FEMA's relative comparison of counties; expected annual loss is FEMA's modelled estimate of average yearly building, population and agriculture loss. See how to read the NRI.
Hurricane and tropical storm passes
No HURDAT2 track at tropical-storm strength passes within 100 miles of the county's centre point (through the 2025 season).
ZIP codes with flood claims
- 80906 173
- 80829 118
- 80904 72
- 80919 61
- 80911 47
- 80905 43
- 80909 34
- 80831 29
- 80917 28
- 80918 28
- 80809 26
- 80817 25
- 80907 20
- 80920 20
- 80921 20
- 80910 14
- 80915 14
- 80903 10
- 80908 10
- 80132 9
- 80916 9
- 80923 9
- 80922 7
ZIP codes whose NFIP claims carry this county's code, with the number of claims. Five or more claims are needed for a ZIP page to be indexed.
Questions and answers
How often does it hail in El Paso County, CO?
NCEI records 1,911 hail events in El Paso County since 1950, in 67 different years; that is about 24.8 recorded events a year. 312 reports were golf-ball size (1.75 in) or larger.
Has El Paso County had a tornado?
Yes. NCEI records 97 tornadoes in El Paso County since 1950, 9 of them rated (E)F2 or stronger. Tornado deaths recorded: 0.
When was the last federal disaster declaration for El Paso County?
25 Aug 2023: Severe Storms, Flooding, And Tornadoes, a major disaster declaration for flood. The county appears in 20 declarations since 1953.
How many flood insurance claims have been filed in El Paso County, and how much was paid?
857 NFIP claims since 1978, 417 of them paid, for $6.0M in total. FEMA publishes these figures redacted and aggregated; individual properties are not identified.
Is El Paso County in the National Risk Index's high-risk band?
FEMA's National Risk Index (December 2025) rates the county "Relatively Moderate" for overall risk, "Relatively High" for expected annual loss, "Very Low" for social vulnerability and "Relatively Moderate" for community resilience. These ratings are FEMA's relative comparison across all US counties.
How does El Paso County compare with the rest of Colorado?
127.4 recorded events per 100 square miles against 49.4 statewide, and 1.2 NFIP claims per 1,000 residents against 1.0. The comparison table on this page shows each measure beside the state and national figures.
Provenance
Storm events: NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database, yearly details files through 30 Jun 2026 (public domain). Declarations: OpenFEMA DisasterDeclarationsSummaries v2, refreshed 1 Oct 2026. Flood claims: OpenFEMA NfipClaims v3 as of 8 Sep 2026; NfipMultipleLossProperties v1 (2 Aug 2026); NfipResidentialPenetrationRates v1 (3 Aug 2026). Risk index: FEMA National Risk Index, December 2025. Hurricane tracks: NHC HURDAT2 through 2025. Population and area: US Census Bureau, 2021 vintage. Built 1 Oct 2026; see the methodology and corrections pages. Hazard hubs: Hail · Tornado · Flood · Wind · Winter.