Natural hazards · Boulder

Boulder, CO natural hazards

Most of the natural-hazard damage FEMA expects in Boulder comes from inland flooding, and overall the risk is moderate for a U.S. community. Flood insurance has paid 911 claims here since 1980. 5 federal disasters brought FEMA money into town.

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

Expected damage

How exposed is Boulder?

Moderate

vs. U.S. communities

FEMA expects yearly storm and flood damage to homes and buildings in Boulder to be higher than in 59% of U.S. communities, mostly from inland flooding.

Inland flooding66%Tornadoes10%Hail8%Everything else16%

By hazard

What Boulder faces

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

Inland flooding

66% of expected damage

Above average · higher than 73% of U.S. places

Recorded about once a year in the area

Tornadoes

10% of expected damage

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

Hail

8% of expected damage

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

Recorded about 6 times a year in the area

Lower here

Ice stormsWinter weatherCold wavesHeat wavesWildfireEarthquakesLandslidesStrong windLightningDroughtVolcanic 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 Boulder flood?

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

911paid claims since 1980

$23.4Mpaid to owners

15homes flooded more than once

19802026

Biggest named events

Late summer storms: 852 claims, $22.6M

Homes that flooded again and again

■ FEMA “severe repetitive loss” (0) ■ flooded 2+ times

of homes in flood zones
are insured

of all homes
are insured

🏷️ 25% off flood insurance. Boulder is in FEMA’s Community Rating System (class 5) for its flood-proofing work.

Insurance rates: Boulder County.

What’s been done with FEMA grants

7flood-prone properties bought out and cleared

Disasters that hit Boulder

5 federal disasters brought FEMA money here

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

Brought FEMA money into BoulderDeclared for Boulder County only

2021

Wildfires and Straight-Line Winds

646 households applied for aid $604K aid approved $777K to the City of Boulder for repairs

2015

Severe Storms, Tornadoes, Flooding, Landslides, and Mudslides

$307K to the City of Boulder for repairs

2013

Severe Storms, Flooding, Landslides, and Mudslides

10,404 households applied for aid $20.5M aid approved $14.1M to the City of Boulder for repairs

2006

Snow

$52K to the City of Boulder for repairs

2003

Snow

$28K to the City of Boulder for repairs

Boulder County has had 15 natural disasters declared since 1953, most often fires and floods.

Around Boulder

Boulder and the towns around it

Very lowLowModerateHighVery high

Pine Brook Hillmostly wildfiresVery high

Valmontmostly inland floodingHigh

Bouldermostly inland floodingModerate

Niwotmostly inland floodingModerate

Gunbarrelmostly 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. Boulder covers 23 census tracts, combined by population.

Money that reached townFlood claims are matched to Boulder’s own flood-insurance community; household aid to the registrant’s city; repair grants to the City of Boulder. 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 Boulder total about $32.2M 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.