States › Colorado › Larimer County
Larimer 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 29 Sep 2026; NFIP claims as of 8 Sep 2026.
Between 1950 and 2026, NCEI recorded 919 storm events in Larimer County, Colorado, led by hail.
That is 35.4 events per 100 square miles, below the Colorado figure of 49.4, and 25.3 per 10,000 residents against 88.1 statewide.
5 events fall in the 12 months to 30 Jun 2026. NCEI attributes 24 deaths and 115 injuries to events in the county, with property damage estimated at $307M and crop damage at $2.8M.
FEMA has designated the county in 30 federal disaster declarations since 1953; the most recent is Stone Mountain Fire (fire management assistance, 31 Jul 2024).
National Flood Insurance Program policyholders in the county filed 547 claims since 1978, of which 386 were paid, totalling $15M (about $39K per paid claim). FEMA counts 794 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 Moderate" ($127M a year across 18 hazards).
Compared with Colorado and the United States
| Measure | Larimer County | Colorado | US |
|---|---|---|---|
| Recorded events since 1950 | 919 | 51,187 | 1,977,440 |
| Events per 100 square miles | 35.4 | 49.4 | 56.0 |
| Events per 10,000 residents | 25.3 | 88.1 | 59.6 |
| Events in the last 12 months | 5 | 1,519 | 62,008 |
| Deaths recorded by NCEI | 24 | 322 | 26,435 |
| Property damage (NCEI estimates) | $307M | $11B | $575B |
| NFIP claims per 1,000 residents | 1.5 | 1.0 | 8.1 |
| Average paid NFIP claim | $39K | $25K | $43K |
| Claims per 100 policies in force, last 10 years | 2.8 | 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: 473 events in the 20 years to 2025 against 337 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 28 Jul 1997 | Flash Flood | Flood | — | $190M | — | 5 | 40 | County |
| 20 Jul 2021 | Flash Flood | Flood | — | $500K | — | 4 | — | County |
| 2 Jul 2005 | Thunderstorm Wind | Wind | 58 mph | — | — | 2 | 4 | County |
| 15 Jul 2022 | Flash Flood | Flood | — | $250K | $100K | 2 | — | County |
| 24 Jul 2008 | Lightning | Lightning | — | — | — | 2 | — | County |
| 12 Sep 2013 | Flash Flood | Flood | — | — | — | 2 | — | County |
| 11 Jul 2014 | Lightning | Lightning | — | — | — | 1 | 7 | County |
| 12 Jul 2014 | Lightning | Lightning | — | — | — | 1 | 4 | County |
| 21 Jul 1999 | Lightning | Lightning | — | — | — | 1 | 2 | County |
| 7 Aug 1999 | Lightning | Lightning | — | — | — | 1 | 2 | County |
| 31 May 2003 | Lightning | Lightning | — | — | — | 1 | 1 | County |
| 15 Aug 2001 | Lightning | Lightning | — | — | — | 1 | — | County |
| 19 Aug 2016 | Lightning | Lightning | — | — | — | 1 | — | County |
| 12 Sep 2013 | Flood | Flood | — | $109M | — | — | — | County |
| 3 Jul 2005 | Lightning | Lightning | — | — | — | — | 9 | County |
| 18 Jul 2013 | Lightning | Lightning | — | — | — | — | 9 | County |
| 28 May 1994 | Thunderstorm Wind | Wind | 60 mph | $500 | — | — | 8 | County |
| 9 Aug 1998 | Lightning | Lightning | — | — | — | — | 6 | County |
| 16 Oct 1996 | Lightning | Lightning | — | — | — | — | 3 | County |
| 8 Jul 2008 | Lightning | Lightning | — | — | — | — | 3 | 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 31 Jul 2024 | FM-5525 | Fire management assistance | Fire | Stone Mountain Fire | Public assistance |
| 31 Jul 2024 | FM-5524 | Fire management assistance | Fire | Alexander Mountain Fire | Public assistance |
| 15 Jan 2021 | DR-4581 | Major disaster | Fire | Wildfires | Public assistance |
| 6 Sep 2020 | FM-5349 | Fire management assistance | Fire | Cameron Peak Fire | 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 |
| 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 |
| 28 Jun 2012 | DR-4067 | Major disaster | Fire | High Park And Waldo Canyon Wildfires | Individual assistance, Public assistance |
| 9 Jun 2012 | FM-2980 | Fire management assistance | Fire | High Park Fire | Public assistance |
| 3 Apr 2011 | FM-2877 | Fire management assistance | Fire | Crystal Fire | Public assistance |
| 12 Sep 2010 | FM-2857 | Fire management assistance | Fire | Reservoir Road Fire | Public assistance |
| 26 May 2008 | DR-1762 | Major disaster | Severe Storm | Severe Storms And Tornadoes | Individual assistance |
| 7 Jan 2007 | EM-3270 | Emergency | Snowstorm | Snow | Public assistance |
| 5 Sep 2005 | EM-3224 | Emergency | Coastal Storm | Hurricane Katrina Evacuation | Public assistance |
| 1 Apr 2004 | FM-2514 | Fire management assistance | Fire | Co - Picnic Rock Fire - 03/30/2004 | Public assistance |
| 12 Nov 2003 | FM-2511 | Fire management assistance | Fire | Co - Buckhorn Creek Fire - 11/11/2003 | Public assistance |
| 25 Jul 2003 | FM-2486 | Fire management assistance | Fire | Co-Cloudy Pass Fire-07/25/2003 | Public assistance |
| 9 Apr 2003 | EM-3185 | Emergency | Snowstorm | Snow | Public assistance |
| 18 Jul 2002 | FM-2447 | Fire management assistance | Fire | Big Elk Fire | Public assistance |
| 19 Jun 2002 | DR-1421 | Major disaster | Fire | Wildfires | Individual assistance |
| 1 Nov 2001 | FM-2383 | Fire management assistance | Fire | Co - Armageddon Fire - 11/01/01 | Public assistance |
| 12 Jun 2000 | FM-2308 | Fire management assistance | Fire | Bobcat Gulch Fire | Public assistance |
| 17 May 1999 | DR-1276 | Major disaster | Severe Storm | Co-Flooding 4/30/99 | Individual assistance, Public assistance |
| 1 Aug 1997 | DR-1186 | Major disaster | Flood | Severe Storms, Heavy Rain, Flash Floods, Flooding, Mudslides | Individual assistance, Public assistance |
| 22 Jul 1982 | DR-665 | Major disaster | Flood | Flash Flood Due To Dam Failure | Individual assistance, 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 | 1 | 0 | $0 | — |
| 2025 | 1 | 0 | $0 | — |
| 2023 | 6 | 2 | $14,833 | $7,417 |
| 2022 | 4 | 4 | $273,630 | $68,408 |
| 2021 | 4 | 2 | $79,552 | $39,776 |
| 2019 | 2 | 0 | $0 | — |
| 2018 | 4 | 2 | $2,024 | $1,012 |
| 2016 | 1 | 0 | $0 | — |
| 2015 | 8 | 6 | $52,834 | $8,806 |
| 2014 | 10 | 7 | $73,594 | $10,513 |
| 2013 | 293 | 231 | $12,327,421 | $53,365 |
| 2012 | 5 | 3 | $65,875 | $21,958 |
| 2011 | 3 | 1 | $850 | $850 |
| 2010 | 5 | 2 | $11,963 | $5,981 |
| 2009 | 7 | 4 | $231,795 | $57,949 |
| 2008 | 1 | 1 | $1,965 | $1,965 |
| 2007 | 8 | 5 | $648,885 | $129,777 |
| 2006 | 2 | 1 | $4,924 | $4,924 |
| 2004 | 2 | 1 | $965 | $965 |
| 2003 | 2 | 1 | $1,018 | $1,018 |
| 1999 | 20 | 15 | $39,862 | $2,657 |
| 1998 | 1 | 0 | $0 | — |
| 1997 | 61 | 42 | $434,514 | $10,346 |
| 1996 | 2 | 0 | $0 | — |
| 1995 | 9 | 3 | $31,359 | $10,453 |
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 | $54,325,600 | |
| Cold wave | $16,465,999 | |
| Wildfire | $15,199,159 | |
| Tornado | $11,134,478 | |
| Hail | $10,820,367 | |
| Lightning | $6,875,840 | |
| Avalanche | $2,863,318 | |
| Strong wind | $2,719,259 | |
| Earthquake | $2,665,295 | |
| Winter weather | $1,822,192 | |
| Heat wave | $817,175 | |
| Landslide | $491,433 | |
| Drought | $182,424 | |
| Ice storm | $131,809 | |
| Volcanic activity | $69 |
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
- 80517 145
- 80535 84
- 80537 72
- 80524 39
- 80538 32
- 80515 31
- 80526 28
- 80525 26
- 80512 24
- 80532 21
- 80521 12
- 80549 12
- 80513 10
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 Larimer County, CO?
NCEI records 620 hail events in Larimer County since 1950, in 60 different years; that is about 8.1 recorded events a year. 96 reports were golf-ball size (1.75 in) or larger.
Has Larimer County had a tornado?
Yes. NCEI records 33 tornadoes in Larimer County since 1950, 4 of them rated (E)F2 or stronger. Tornado deaths recorded: 0.
When was the last federal disaster declaration for Larimer County?
31 Jul 2024: Stone Mountain Fire, a fire management assistance declaration for fire. The county appears in 30 declarations since 1953.
How many flood insurance claims have been filed in Larimer County, and how much was paid?
547 NFIP claims since 1978, 386 of them paid, for $15M in total. FEMA publishes these figures redacted and aggregated; individual properties are not identified.
Is Larimer 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 Moderate" for expected annual loss, "Very Low" for social vulnerability and "Relatively High" for community resilience. These ratings are FEMA's relative comparison across all US counties.
How does Larimer County compare with the rest of Colorado?
35.4 recorded events per 100 square miles against 49.4 statewide, and 1.5 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 29 Sep 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 30 Sep 2026; see the methodology and corrections pages. Hazard hubs: Hail · Tornado · Flood · Wind · Winter.