Natural hazards · Durango

Durango, CO natural hazards

Most of the natural-hazard damage FEMA expects in Durango comes from inland flooding, and overall the risk is very high for a U.S. community. Flood insurance has paid 5 claims here since 1996.

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

Expected damage

How exposed is Durango?

Very high

vs. U.S. communities

FEMA expects yearly storm and flood damage to homes and buildings in Durango to be higher than in 87% of U.S. communities, mostly from inland flooding and avalanches.

Inland flooding53%Avalanches40%Everything else7%

By hazard

What Durango faces

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

Inland flooding

53% of expected damage

Well above average · higher than 97% of U.S. places

Recorded about 2 times a year in the area

Avalanches

40% of expected damage

Well above average · among the top 1% of U.S. places

Recorded about once every 2 years in the area

Lower here

TornadoesHailIce stormsWinter weatherHeat wavesWildfireEarthquakesLandslidesStrong windLightningDrought

Not a risk here

Coastal floodingHurricanesCold wavesTsunamisVolcanic activity

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 Durango flood?

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

5paid claims since 1996

$143Kpaid to owners

1homes flooded more than once

19962026

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

🏷️ 05% off flood insurance. Durango is in FEMA’s Community Rating System (class 9) for its flood-proofing work.

Insurance rates: La Plata County.

Disasters that hit Durango

Federal disasters declared here

None of the disasters declared for La Plata County shows FEMA aid or repair money reaching Durango itself in FEMA’s records.

Brought FEMA money into DurangoDeclared for La Plata County only

La Plata County has had 8 natural disasters declared since 1953, most often fires and floods.

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. Durango covers 2 census tracts, combined by population.

Money that reached townFlood claims are matched to Durango’s own flood-insurance community; household aid to the registrant’s city; repair grants to the City of Durango. 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 Durango total about $9.0M 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.