Douglas County, CO
FEMA National Risk Index scores, disaster declarations & hazard data
Douglas County has experienced 13 federally declared disasters since 1965, most recently Severe Storms, Flooding, And Tornadoes in 2023. Its overall natural hazard risk is rated Relatively Moderate — near the middle compared to other US counties.
Douglas County's highest-rated hazards are lightning, hail, and wildfire, with its top risk rated "Very High" by FEMA's National Risk Index. NOAA records 150 storm events in the county over the past decade. Community vulnerability is relatively low (2nd 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. Douglas County has been designated in 13 declarations since 1965, covering 7 disaster types including flood (3), fire (3), biological (2).
| Year | Type | Event name |
|---|---|---|
| 2023 | Flood | Severe Storms, Flooding, And Tornadoes |
| 2020 | Biological | Covid-19 Pandemic |
| 2020 | Biological | Covid-19 |
| 2007 | Snowstorm | Snow |
| 2005 | Coastal Storm | Hurricane Katrina Evacuation |
| 2004 | Fire | Co - Cherokee Ranch Wildfire - 10/29/2003 |
| 2003 | Snowstorm | Snow |
| 2002 | Fire | Wildfires |
| 2002 | Fire | Co - Schoonover Fire - 05/23/02 |
| 1977 | Drought | Drought |
Showing the 10 most recent of 13 total declarations since 1965.
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 | 98.4 | 0 | 0 | — |
| Inland Flooding | Relatively Moderate | 86.9 | 2 | 0 | $45K |
| Coastal Flooding | Not Applicable | — | 0 | 0 | — |
| Earthquake | Relatively Low | 62.4 | 1 | — | — |
| Heat Wave | Relatively Low | 54.8 | 0 | 0 | — |
| Tornado | Relatively High | 93.4 | 3 | 0 | — |
| Hurricane | Not Applicable | — | 0 | 0 | — |
| Hail | Relatively High | 98.6 | 142 | 0 | — |
| Strong Wind | Relatively High | 93 | 0 | 0 | — |
| Winter Weather | Very High | 96.6 | 0 | 0 | — |
| Ice Storm | Relatively Low | 42.6 | — | — | — |
| Cold Wave | Relatively Low | 63.8 | — | — | — |
| Lightning | Very High | 99.3 | 3 | 1 | $6K |
| Drought | Relatively Low | 34.5 | 0 | 0 | — |
| Landslide | Relatively Low | 78.2 | 0 | 0 | — |
| Avalanche | Very Low | 9.6 | — | — | — |
| Tsunami | Not Applicable | — | — | — | — |
| Volcanic Activity | Very Low | 64.2 | — | — | — |
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
Douglas County ranks in the 2nd 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 | 2nd | Very low |
| Socioeconomic status | 1st | Very low |
| Household characteristics | 8th | Very low |
| Racial & ethnic minority status | 54th | Moderate |
| Housing type & transportation | 6th | Very low |
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 | 98th | Very High |
| Buildings in direct exposure zone | 31.4% | — |
NOAA tracked 150 weather events in this county over 2016–2025: 76 in 2016–20 vs 74 in 2021–25 (-3% — relatively stable).
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 Douglas County?
According to the FEMA National Risk Index, the highest-risk hazards in Douglas 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 Douglas County received federal disaster declarations?
Yes. Douglas County has received 13 federal disaster declarations since 1965, including declarations in 2023. The most common disaster type on record is flood (3 declarations).
Has Douglas County had any FEMA disaster declarations in 2024, 2025, or 2026?
No federal disaster declarations have been recorded for Douglas County since the start of 2024. Its most recent declaration on record is Severe Storms, Flooding, And Tornadoes in 2023.
How does Douglas 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 Elbert County, CO has the lowest (Very Low). Douglas County is rated Relatively Moderate overall.
How is Douglas County's composite disaster risk index calculated?
Douglas 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. Douglas County's composite score of 89 means its overall natural hazard risk is higher than 89% of US counties.