Natural hazards · Lafayette

Lafayette, CO natural hazards

Most of the natural-hazard damage FEMA expects in Lafayette comes from inland flooding, and overall the risk is very low for a U.S. community. Flood insurance has paid 2 claims here since 2011. 4 federal disasters brought FEMA money into town.

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

Expected damage

How exposed is Lafayette?

Very low

vs. U.S. communities

FEMA expects yearly storm and flood damage to homes and buildings in Lafayette to be higher than in 15% of U.S. communities, mostly from inland flooding and tornadoes.

Inland flooding43%Tornadoes19%Hail15%Lightning9%Cold waves5%Everything else9%

By hazard

What Lafayette 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

Well below average · higher than 13% of U.S. places

Recorded about once a year in the area

Tornadoes

19% of expected damage

Well above average · higher than 81% of U.S. places

Hail

15% of expected damage

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

Recorded about 6 times a year in the area

Lightning

9% of expected damage

Below average · higher than 41% of U.S. places

Cold waves

5% of expected damage

Below average · higher than 45% of U.S. places

Recorded about once a year in the area

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 Lafayette flood?

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

2paid claims since 2011

$5Kpaid to owners

0homes flooded more than once

20112026

Biggest named events

Late summer storms: 1 claim, $2K

of homes in flood zones
are insured

of all homes
are insured

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

Insurance rates: Boulder County.

Disasters that hit Lafayette

4 federal disasters brought FEMA money here

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

Brought FEMA money into LafayetteDeclared for Boulder County only

2021

Wildfires and Straight-Line Winds

34 households applied for aid $2K aid approved $82K to the City of Lafayette for repairs

2013

Severe Storms, Flooding, Landslides, and Mudslides

158 households applied for aid $253K aid approved $951K to the City of Lafayette for repairs

2006

Snow

$29K to the City of Lafayette for repairs

2003

Snow

$16K to the City of Lafayette for repairs

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

Around Lafayette

Lafayette and the towns around it

Very lowLowModerateHighVery high

Louisvillemostly inland floodingLow

Eriemostly inland floodingLow

Leynermostly inland floodingLow

Broomfieldmostly inland floodingVery low

Lafayettemostly inland floodingVery low

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. Lafayette covers 3 census tracts, combined by population.

Money that reached townFlood claims are matched to Lafayette’s own flood-insurance community; household aid to the registrant’s city; repair grants to the City of Lafayette. 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 Lafayette 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.