Natural hazards · Berthoud

Berthoud, CO natural hazards

Most of the natural-hazard damage FEMA expects in Berthoud comes from inland flooding, and overall the risk is low for a U.S. community. Flood insurance has paid 1 claim here since 2013. 3 federal disasters brought FEMA money into town.

FEMA National Risk Index, December 2025 · OpenFEMA claims, aid & declarations

Expected damage

How exposed is Berthoud?

Low

vs. U.S. communities

FEMA expects yearly storm and flood damage to homes and buildings in Berthoud to be higher than in 24% of U.S. communities, mostly from inland flooding and cold waves.

Inland flooding41%Cold waves18%Tornadoes13%Hail11%Lightning7%Everything else10%

By hazard

What Berthoud faces

Each hazard’s share of the damage FEMA expects here, and how that compares with the rest of the country.

Inland flooding

41% of expected damage

Below average · higher than 26% of U.S. places

Recorded about 2 times a year in the area

Cold waves

18% of expected damage

Well above average · higher than 80% of U.S. places

Recorded about once a year in the area

Tornadoes

13% of expected damage

Well above average · higher than 75% of U.S. places

Hail

11% of expected damage

Well above average · higher than 93% of U.S. places

Recorded about 6 times a year in the area

Lightning

7% of expected damage

Well below average · higher than 22% of U.S. places

Lower here

Ice stormsWinter weatherHeat wavesWildfireEarthquakesLandslidesStrong windDroughtVolcanic activity

Not a risk here

Coastal floodingHurricanesAvalanchesTsunamis

Flood risk changes street by street. Check a specific address on FEMA’s flood map, and ask about flood insurance before you buy.

Flood insurance claims

Does Berthoud flood?

Every paid claim on a federal flood insurance policy in Berthoud, from FEMA’s records.

1paid claims since 2013

$139Kpaid to owners

0homes flooded more than once

20132026

Biggest named events

Late summer storms: 1 claim, $139K

of homes in flood zones
are insured

of all homes
are insured

No community discount. Berthoud isn’t in FEMA’s Community Rating System, which cuts flood insurance up to 45% in towns that do extra flood-proofing.

Insurance rates: Larimer County.

Disasters that hit Berthoud

3 federal disasters brought FEMA money here

Disasters the President declared that paid out in Berthoud itself: aid to households, or repair grants to the Town of Berthoud.

Brought FEMA money into BerthoudDeclared for Larimer County only

2013

Severe Storms, Flooding, Landslides, and Mudslides

76 households applied for aid $168K aid approved $34K to the Town of Berthoud for repairs

2006

Snow

$28K to the Town of Berthoud for repairs

2003

Snow

$4K to the Town of Berthoud for repairs

Larimer County has had 25 natural disasters declared since 1953, most often fires and floods.

Around Berthoud

Berthoud and the towns around it

Very lowLowModerateHighVery high

Johnstownmostly inland floodingLow

Berthoudmostly inland floodingLow

About these numbers

How to read this page

An average, not a forecastFEMA’s National Risk Index estimates the damage 18 kinds of natural hazards cause in a typical year, from decades of records and models. A quiet decade can follow a bad year.

Compared by rate“Higher than N%” compares yearly damage as a share of what’s here, so a big city isn’t rated riskier just for having more buildings. Berthoud covers 1 census tract, combined by population.

Money that reached townFlood claims are matched to Berthoud’s own flood-insurance community; household aid to the registrant’s city; repair grants to the Town of Berthoud. FEMA’s model follows property values, so a place that recently lost many homes can rate lower than it feels.

FEMA’s expected losses across Berthoud total about $2.0M a year, counting buildings, people and crops.

Sources: FEMA National Risk Index (December 2025); OpenFEMA: NFIP redacted claims, multiple-loss properties, community status book and residential penetration rates, housing assistance (owners and renters), public assistance funded projects, hazard mitigation properties and disaster declarations. Census tracts: U.S. Census Bureau.