Boulder County, CO
FEMA National Risk Index scores, disaster declarations & hazard data
Boulder County has experienced 19 federally declared disasters since 1969, most recently Stone Mountain Fire in 2024. Its overall natural hazard risk is rated Relatively Moderate — near the middle compared to other US counties.
Boulder County's highest-rated hazards are lightning, hail, and wildfire, with its top risk rated "Very High" by FEMA's National Risk Index. Recorded storm events have decreased 55% over the past five years compared to the prior five-year period. Community vulnerability is relatively low (21st percentile nationally), indicating stronger recovery capacity than most US counties.
Past disasters & FEMA designations
A federal disaster declaration officially designates a county for FEMA disaster assistance. Boulder County has been designated in 19 declarations since 1969, covering 5 disaster types including fire (9), flood (5), biological (2).
| Year | Type | Event name |
|---|---|---|
| 2024 | Fire | Stone Mountain Fire |
| 2022 | Fire | Wildfires And Straight-Line Winds |
| 2022 | Fire | Marshall Fire |
| 2021 | Fire | Calwood Fire |
| 2020 | Biological | Covid-19 Pandemic |
| 2020 | Biological | Covid-19 |
| 2015 | Flood | Severe Storms, Tornadoes, Flooding, Landslides, And Mudslides |
| 2013 | Flood | Severe Storms, Flooding, Landslides, And Mudslides |
| 2013 | Flood | Severe Storms, Flooding, Landslides, And Mudslides |
| 2010 | Fire | Four Mile Canyon Fire |
Showing the 10 most recent of 19 total declarations since 1969.
Source: FEMA OpenFEMA Disaster Declarations Summaries. A single disaster can produce more than one record per county. Data current through September 2026.
Risk by hazard type
| Hazard | Risk rating | Risk score | Recorded events | Deaths | Prop. damage |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Wildfire | Relatively High | 97.9 | 0 | 0 | — |
| Inland Flooding | Relatively Moderate | 92.2 | 3 | 0 | $40K |
| Coastal Flooding | Not Applicable | — | 0 | 0 | — |
| Earthquake | Relatively Low | 80.5 | — | — | — |
| Heat Wave | Relatively Low | 60.4 | 0 | 0 | — |
| Tornado | Relatively High | 92.6 | 0 | 0 | — |
| Hurricane | Not Applicable | — | 0 | 0 | — |
| Hail | Relatively High | 98.4 | 131 | 0 | — |
| Strong Wind | Relatively High | 86 | 0 | 0 | — |
| Winter Weather | Relatively High | 96.1 | 0 | 0 | — |
| Ice Storm | Relatively Moderate | 72.9 | — | — | — |
| Cold Wave | Relatively Moderate | 70.6 | — | — | — |
| Lightning | Very High | 99 | 1 | 1 | — |
| Drought | Relatively Low | 38.4 | 0 | 0 | — |
| Landslide | Relatively Moderate | 89.9 | 0 | 0 | — |
| Avalanche | Relatively High | 87.3 | — | — | — |
| Tsunami | Not Applicable | — | — | — | — |
| Volcanic Activity | Very Low | 64.8 | — | — | — |
Scores are 0–100 percentiles relative to all US counties — higher means more exposed, not that a disaster is likely this year. Event counts: NOAA Storm Events 2016–2026; earthquake counts from USGS ComCat (M3.0+, 1996–2026). See the methodology page for details.
Community vulnerability
Boulder County ranks in the 21st percentile (Very low) for community vulnerability — a measure of how hard disaster impacts tend to hit residents. Higher vulnerability means more displacement, worse health outcomes, and slower recovery after a disaster.
| SVI theme | Percentile | Vulnerability level |
|---|---|---|
| Overall | 21st | Very low |
| Socioeconomic status | 22nd | Very low |
| Household characteristics | 2nd | Very low |
| Racial & ethnic minority status | 59th | Moderate |
| Housing type & transportation | 60th | Moderate |
Source: CDC/ATSDR Social Vulnerability Index 2022. Percentiles compare counties nationally — higher means more vulnerable relative to other counties. See CDC SVI for full methodology.
Future risk outlook
| Wildfire metric | National percentile | Level |
|---|---|---|
| Burn probability | 96th | Very High |
| Risk to homes | 97th | Very High |
| Buildings in direct exposure zone | 26.7% | — |
NOAA tracked 135 weather events in this county over 2016–2025: 93 in 2016–20 vs 42 in 2021–25 (-55% — frequency decreasing).
Wildfire: USDA Forest Service Wildfire Risk to Communities (RDS-2020-0016-2) — modeled values, not annual forecasts. See wildfirerisk.org. Inland flood and heat projections pending data availability; coastal sea-level projections are available for select coastal counties below — see the data page.
Nearby counties
Frequently asked questions
What natural hazards pose the greatest risk in Boulder County?
According to the FEMA National Risk Index, the highest-risk hazards in Boulder County, Colorado are lightning, hail, and wildfire. The county's overall natural hazard risk is rated Relatively Moderate — near the middle compared to other US counties.
Has Boulder County received federal disaster declarations?
Yes. Boulder County has received 19 federal disaster declarations since 1969, including declarations in 2024. The most common disaster type on record is fire (9 declarations).
Has Boulder County had any FEMA disaster declarations in 2024, 2025, or 2026?
Yes. Recent federal disaster declarations for Boulder County include Stone Mountain Fire (2024). See the declarations table above for the full history since 1969.
How does Boulder County's natural hazard risk compare to nearby counties?
Among neighboring counties, Denver County, CO has the highest overall natural hazard risk (Relatively High) and Gilpin County, CO has the lowest (Very Low). Boulder County is rated Relatively Moderate overall.
How is Boulder County's composite disaster risk index calculated?
Boulder County's composite disaster risk index — officially FEMA's National Risk Index (NRI) — scores every US county on a 0–100 percentile scale across 18 natural hazard types, factoring in expected annual loss, social vulnerability, and community resilience. Boulder County's composite score of 91 means its overall natural hazard risk is higher than 91% of US counties.