Morgan County, CO
FEMA National Risk Index scores, disaster declarations & hazard data
Morgan County has experienced 12 federally declared disasters since 1965, most recently Covid-19 in 2020. Its overall natural hazard risk is rated Relatively Low — lower risk than most US counties.
Morgan County's highest-rated hazards are hail, strong wind, and cold wave, with its top risk rated "Relatively Moderate" by FEMA's National Risk Index. Recorded storm events have increased 62% over the past five years compared to the prior five-year period. Community vulnerability is elevated (84th percentile nationally), suggesting residents may face greater difficulty recovering from major disasters.
Past disasters & FEMA designations
A federal disaster declaration officially designates a county for FEMA disaster assistance. Morgan County has been designated in 12 declarations since 1965, covering 6 disaster types including flood (6), biological (2), coastal storm (1).
| Year | Type | Event name |
|---|---|---|
| 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 |
| 2005 | Coastal Storm | Hurricane Katrina Evacuation |
| 2003 | Snowstorm | Snow |
| 2001 | Severe Storm | Severe Winter Storms |
| 1997 | Flood | Severe Storms, Heavy Rain, Flash Floods, Flooding, Mudslides |
| 1973 | Flood | Heavy Rains, Snowmelt And Flooding |
Showing the 10 most recent of 12 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 Low | 65.2 | 0 | 0 | — |
| Inland Flooding | Relatively Low | 55.8 | 5 | 0 | $145K |
| Coastal Flooding | Not Applicable | — | 0 | 0 | — |
| Earthquake | Very Low | 40 | — | — | — |
| Heat Wave | Very Low | 18.9 | 0 | 0 | — |
| Tornado | Relatively Moderate | 66.5 | 25 | 0 | $500K |
| Hurricane | Not Applicable | — | 0 | 0 | — |
| Hail | Relatively Moderate | 93.8 | 108 | 0 | — |
| Strong Wind | Relatively Moderate | 74.9 | 0 | 0 | — |
| Winter Weather | Relatively Moderate | 62 | 0 | 0 | — |
| Ice Storm | Relatively Low | 46.8 | — | — | — |
| Cold Wave | Relatively Moderate | 74.8 | — | — | — |
| Lightning | Relatively Low | 28.3 | 1 | 0 | — |
| Drought | Very Low | 25 | 0 | 0 | — |
| Landslide | Very Low | 9.5 | 0 | 0 | — |
| Avalanche | Not Applicable | — | — | — | — |
| Tsunami | Not Applicable | — | — | — | — |
| Volcanic Activity | Not Applicable | — | — | — | — |
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
Morgan County ranks in the 84th percentile (High) 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 | 84th | High |
| Socioeconomic status | 71st | Moderate |
| Household characteristics | 81st | High |
| Racial & ethnic minority status | 81st | High |
| Housing type & transportation | 83rd | High |
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 | 61st | Relatively High |
| Risk to homes | 62nd | Relatively High |
| Buildings in direct exposure zone | 39.2% | — |
NOAA tracked 139 weather events in this county over 2016–2025: 53 in 2016–20 vs 86 in 2021–25 (+62% — frequency increasing).
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 Morgan County?
According to the FEMA National Risk Index, the highest-risk hazards in Morgan County, Colorado are hail, strong wind, and cold wave. The county's overall natural hazard risk is rated Relatively Low — lower risk than most US counties.
Has Morgan County received federal disaster declarations?
Yes. Morgan County has received 12 federal disaster declarations since 1965, including declarations in 2020. The most common disaster type on record is flood (6 declarations).
Has Morgan County had any FEMA disaster declarations in 2024, 2025, or 2026?
No federal disaster declarations have been recorded for Morgan County since the start of 2024. Its most recent declaration on record is Covid-19 in 2020.
How does Morgan County's natural hazard risk compare to nearby counties?
Among neighboring counties, Arapahoe County, CO has the highest overall natural hazard risk (Relatively Moderate) and Kimball County, NE has the lowest (Very Low). Morgan County is rated Relatively Low overall.
How is Morgan County's composite disaster risk index calculated?
Morgan 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. Morgan County's composite score of 52 means its overall natural hazard risk is higher than 52% of US counties.