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Natural hazards · Thornton

Thornton, CO natural hazards

Most of the natural-hazard damage FEMA expects in Thornton comes from hail, and overall the risk is low for a U.S. community. Flood insurance has paid 7 claims here since 1981. 4 federal disasters brought FEMA money into town.

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

How exposed is Thornton?

36
Low
vs. U.S. communities

FEMA expects yearly storm and flood damage to homes and buildings in Thornton to be higher than in 36% of U.S. communities, mostly from hail and inland flooding.

Hail31%Inland flooding30%Cold waves19%Tornadoes10%Everything else10%
By hazard

What Thornton faces

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

Hail

31% of expected damage
Well above average · among the top 1% of U.S. places
Recorded about 7 times a year in the area

Inland flooding

30% of expected damage
Well below average · higher than 17% of U.S. places
Recorded about once every 2 years in the area

Cold waves

19% 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 60% 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 Thornton flood?

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

7paid claims since 1981
$34Kpaid to owners
1homes flooded more than once
19812026

Biggest named events

  • Late summer storms: 3 claims, $23K

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. Thornton is in FEMA’s Community Rating System (class 5) for its flood-proofing work.
Insurance rates: Adams County.
Disasters that hit Thornton

4 federal disasters brought FEMA money here

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

Brought FEMA money into ThorntonDeclared for Adams County only
2015

Severe Storms, Tornadoes, Flooding, Landslides, and Mudslides

$5.2M to the City of Thornton for repairs
2013

Severe Storms, Flooding, Landslides, and Mudslides

304 households applied for aid $404K aid approved $570K to the City of Thornton for repairs
2006

Snow

$318K to the City of Thornton for repairs
2003

Snow

$193K to the City of Thornton for repairs
Adams County has had 9 natural disasters declared since 1953, most often floods and winter storms.
Around Thornton

Thornton and the towns around it

Northglenn: Low, mostly hailTodd Creek: Low, mostly inland floodingWelby: Moderate, mostly inland floodingCommerce City: Moderate, mostly hailSherrelwood: Low, mostly hailBroomfield: Very low, mostly inland floodingFederal Heights: Low, mostly hailWestminster: Low, mostly hailBrighton: Low, mostly inland floodingNorth Washington: Low, mostly hailTwin Lakes: Moderate, mostly inland floodingDerby: Low, mostly hailDenver: High, mostly inland floodingSuperior: Low, mostly inland floodingLafayette: Very low, mostly inland floodingLouisville: Low, mostly inland floodingErie: Low, mostly inland floodingDacono: Low, mostly inland floodingArvada: Moderate, mostly inland floodingBerkley: Moderate, mostly inland floodingShaw Heights: Low, mostly hailThornton: Low, mostly hail ThorntonNorthglennTodd CreekWelbyCommerce CitySherrelwoodBroomfieldFederal HeightsWestminster
Very lowLowModerateHighVery high
Welbymostly inland floodingModerate
Commerce Citymostly hailModerate
Sherrelwoodmostly hailLow
Westminstermostly hailLow
Thorntonmostly hailLow
Todd Creekmostly inland floodingLow
Federal Heightsmostly hailLow
Northglennmostly hailLow
Broomfieldmostly 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. Thornton covers 23 census tracts, combined by population.
Money that reached townFlood claims are matched to Thornton’s own flood-insurance community; household aid to the registrant’s city; repair grants to the City of Thornton. 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 Thornton total about $25.4M 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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