Natural hazards · Black Hawk

Black Hawk, CO natural hazards

Most of the natural-hazard damage FEMA expects in Black Hawk comes from inland flooding, and overall the risk is very high for a U.S. community. Flood insurance has paid 1 claim here since 1998. 3 federal disasters brought FEMA money into town.

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

Expected damage

How exposed is Black Hawk?

Very high

vs. U.S. communities

FEMA expects yearly storm and flood damage to homes and buildings in Black Hawk to be higher than in 81% of U.S. communities, mostly from inland flooding and wildfires.

Inland flooding43%Wildfire26%Hail13%Everything else17%

By hazard

What Black Hawk faces

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

Inland flooding

43% of expected damage

Above average · higher than 74% of U.S. places

Recorded about once every 14 years in the area

Wildfire

26% of expected damage

Well above average · higher than 98% of U.S. places

Hail

13% of expected damage

Well above average · higher than 98% of U.S. places

Recorded about 6 times a year in the area

Lower here

TornadoesIce stormsWinter weatherCold wavesEarthquakesLandslidesStrong windLightningAvalanchesVolcanic activity

Not a risk here

Coastal floodingHurricanesHeat wavesDroughtTsunamis

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 Black Hawk flood?

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

1paid claims since 1998

$8Kpaid to owners

0homes flooded more than once

19982026

of all homes
are insured

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

Insurance rates: Gilpin County.

Disasters that hit Black Hawk

3 federal disasters brought FEMA money here

Disasters the President declared that paid out in Black Hawk itself: aid to households, or repair grants to the City of Black Hawk.

Brought FEMA money into Black HawkDeclared for Gilpin County only

2013

Severe Storms, Flooding, Landslides, and Mudslides

2 households applied for aid

2006

Snow

$6K to the City of Black Hawk for repairs

2003

Snow

$12K to the City of Black Hawk for repairs

Gilpin County has had 6 natural disasters declared since 1953, most often floods and winter storms.

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. Black Hawk is smaller than a census tract, so it shares the figures of the tract around its center.

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

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.

Black Hawk, CO natural hazards

How exposed is Black Hawk?

What Black Hawk faces

Inland flooding

Wildfire

Hail

Lower here

Not a risk here

Does Black Hawk flood?

3 federal disasters brought FEMA money here

Severe Storms, Flooding, Landslides, and Mudslides

Snow

Snow

How to read this page

Where to, neighbor?

Matches

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