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Natural hazards · Brighton

Brighton, CO natural hazards

Most of the natural-hazard damage FEMA expects in Brighton comes from inland flooding, and overall the risk is low for a U.S. community. Flood insurance has paid 2 claims here since 1979. 4 federal disasters brought FEMA money into town.

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

How exposed is Brighton?

32
Low
vs. U.S. communities

FEMA expects yearly storm and flood damage to homes and buildings in Brighton to be higher than in 32% of U.S. communities, mostly from inland flooding and hail.

Inland flooding32%Hail30%Cold waves18%Tornadoes10%Everything else10%
By hazard

What Brighton faces

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

Inland flooding

32% of expected damage
Well below average · higher than 16% of U.S. places
Recorded about once every 2 years in the area

Hail

30% of expected damage
Well above average · among the top 1% of U.S. places
Recorded about 6 times a year in the area

Cold waves

18% of expected damage
Well above average · higher than 76% of U.S. places
Recorded about once a year in the area

Tornadoes

10% of expected damage
Above average · higher than 59% of U.S. places

Lower here

Ice stormsWinter weatherHeat 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 Brighton flood?

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

2paid claims since 1979
$3Kpaid to owners
0homes flooded more than once
19792026
of homes in flood zones
are insured
of all homes
are insured
No community discount. Brighton isn’t in FEMA’s Community Rating System, which cuts flood insurance up to 45% in towns that do extra flood-proofing.
Insurance rates: Adams County.
Disasters that hit Brighton

4 federal disasters brought FEMA money here

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

Brought FEMA money into BrightonDeclared for Adams County only
2015

Severe Storms, Tornadoes, Flooding, Landslides, and Mudslides

$445K to the City of Brighton for repairs
2013

Severe Storms, Flooding, Landslides, and Mudslides

76 households applied for aid $164K aid approved $3K to the City of Brighton for repairs
2006

Snow

$207K to the City of Brighton for repairs
2003

Snow

$10K to the City of Brighton for repairs
Adams County has had 9 natural disasters declared since 1953, most often floods and winter storms.
Around Brighton

Brighton and the towns around it

Todd Creek: Low, mostly inland floodingCommerce City: Moderate, mostly hailLochbuie: Low, mostly inland floodingFort Lupton: Moderate, mostly inland floodingThornton: Low, mostly hailDerby: Low, mostly hailDenver: High, mostly inland floodingNorth Washington: Low, mostly hailHudson: Moderate, mostly hailDacono: Low, mostly inland floodingFirestone: Low, mostly inland floodingBrighton: Low, mostly inland flooding BrightonTodd CreekCommerce CityLochbuieFort Lupton
Very lowLowModerateHighVery high
Fort Luptonmostly inland floodingModerate
Commerce Citymostly hailModerate
Todd Creekmostly inland floodingLow
Brightonmostly inland floodingLow
Lochbuiemostly 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. Brighton covers 10 census tracts, combined by population.
Money that reached townFlood claims are matched to Brighton’s own flood-insurance community; household aid to the registrant’s city; repair grants to the City of Brighton. 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 Brighton total about $9.3M 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.

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Boundary source: https://tigerweb.geo.census.gov/arcgis/rest/services/TIGERweb/Places_CouSub_ConCity_SubMCD/MapServer/18 · 2025-01-01
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