Weld County, CO
FEMA National Risk Index scores, disaster declarations & hazard data
Weld County has experienced 16 federally declared disasters since 1965, most recently Covid-19 in 2020. Its overall natural hazard risk is rated Relatively Moderate — near the middle compared to other US counties.
Weld County's highest-rated hazards are hail, cold wave, and tornado, with its top risk rated "Relatively High" by FEMA's National Risk Index. Recorded storm events have decreased 29% over the past five years compared to the prior five-year period.
Past disasters & FEMA designations
A federal disaster declaration officially designates a county for FEMA disaster assistance. Weld County has been designated in 16 declarations since 1965, covering 8 disaster types including flood (6), severe storm (3), biological (2).
| Year | Type | Event name |
|---|---|---|
| 2020 | Biological | Covid-19 Pandemic |
| 2020 | Biological | Covid-19 |
| 2013 | Flood | Severe Storms, Flooding, Landslides, And Mudslides |
| 2013 | Flood | Severe Storms, Flooding, Landslides, And Mudslides |
| 2008 | Severe Storm | Severe Storms And Tornadoes |
| 2005 | Coastal Storm | Hurricane Katrina Evacuation |
| 2003 | Snowstorm | Snow |
| 2002 | Fire | Wildfires |
| 2001 | Severe Storm | Severe Winter Storms |
| 1999 | Severe Storm | Co-Flooding 4/30/99 |
Showing the 10 most recent of 16 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 | 87.7 | 0 | 0 | — |
| Inland Flooding | Relatively Moderate | 88.5 | 19 | 2 | $5.0M |
| Coastal Flooding | Not Applicable | — | 0 | 0 | — |
| Earthquake | Relatively Low | 77.8 | 2 | — | — |
| Heat Wave | Relatively Low | 60.1 | 0 | 0 | — |
| Tornado | Relatively High | 95.1 | 34 | 0 | $531K |
| Hurricane | Not Applicable | — | 0 | 0 | — |
| Hail | Relatively High | 99 | 431 | 0 | $15K |
| Strong Wind | Relatively High | 95 | 0 | 0 | — |
| Winter Weather | Relatively High | 93.6 | 0 | 0 | — |
| Ice Storm | Relatively Moderate | 78.4 | — | — | — |
| Cold Wave | Relatively High | 96.3 | — | — | — |
| Lightning | Relatively High | 91.6 | 1 | 0 | $5K |
| Drought | Relatively Low | 38.1 | 0 | 0 | — |
| Landslide | Very Low | 41.2 | 0 | 0 | — |
| Avalanche | Not Applicable | — | — | — | — |
| Tsunami | Not Applicable | — | — | — | — |
| Volcanic Activity | Very Low | 61.2 | — | — | — |
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
Weld County ranks in the 59th percentile (Moderate) 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 | 59th | Moderate |
| Socioeconomic status | 53rd | Moderate |
| Household characteristics | 54th | Moderate |
| Racial & ethnic minority status | 74th | Moderate |
| Housing type & transportation | 55th | 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 | 75th | Relatively High |
| Risk to homes | 75th | Relatively High |
| Buildings in direct exposure zone | 33.1% | — |
NOAA tracked 485 weather events in this county over 2016–2025: 283 in 2016–20 vs 202 in 2021–25 (-29% — 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 Weld County?
According to the FEMA National Risk Index, the highest-risk hazards in Weld County, Colorado are hail, cold wave, and tornado. The county's overall natural hazard risk is rated Relatively Moderate — near the middle compared to other US counties.
Has Weld County received federal disaster declarations?
Yes. Weld County has received 16 federal disaster declarations since 1965, including declarations in 2020. The most common disaster type on record is flood (6 declarations).
Has Weld County had any FEMA disaster declarations in 2024, 2025, or 2026?
No federal disaster declarations have been recorded for Weld County since the start of 2024. Its most recent declaration on record is Covid-19 in 2020.
How does Weld County's natural hazard risk compare to nearby counties?
Among neighboring counties, Adams County, CO has the highest overall natural hazard risk (Relatively Moderate) and Kimball County, NE has the lowest (Very Low). Weld County is rated Relatively Moderate overall.
How is Weld County's composite disaster risk index calculated?
Weld 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. Weld County's composite score of 89 means its overall natural hazard risk is higher than 89% of US counties.