Natural hazards · Westminster

Westminster, CO natural hazards

Most of the natural-hazard damage FEMA expects in Westminster comes from hail, and overall the risk is low for a U.S. community. Flood insurance has paid 24 claims here since 1980. 2 federal disasters brought FEMA money into town.

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

Expected damage

How exposed is Westminster?

Low

vs. U.S. communities

FEMA expects yearly storm and flood damage to homes and buildings in Westminster to be higher than in 37% of U.S. communities, mostly from hail and inland flooding.

Hail35%Inland flooding28%Tornadoes12%Cold waves10%Everything else15%

By hazard

What Westminster faces

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

Hail

35% 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

28% of expected damage

Well below average · higher than 9% of U.S. places

Recorded about once a year in the area

Tornadoes

12% of expected damage

Above average · higher than 71% of U.S. places

Cold waves

10% of expected damage

Above average · higher than 69% of U.S. places

Recorded about once a year in the area

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 Westminster flood?

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

24paid claims since 1980

$266Kpaid to owners

2homes flooded more than once

19802026

Biggest named events

Late summer storms: 1 claim, $607

Homes that flooded again and again

■ FEMA “severe repetitive loss” (1) ■ flooded 2+ times

of homes in flood zones
are insured

of all homes
are insured

🏷️ 20% off flood insurance. Westminster is in FEMA’s Community Rating System (class 6) for its flood-proofing work.

Insurance rates: Adams County.

Disasters that hit Westminster

2 federal disasters brought FEMA money here

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

Brought FEMA money into WestminsterDeclared for Adams County only

2013

Severe Storms, Flooding, Landslides, and Mudslides

58 households applied for aid $42K aid approved

2003

Snow

$83K to the City of Westminster for repairs

Adams County has had 9 natural disasters declared since 1953, most often floods and winter storms.

Around Westminster

Westminster and the towns around it

Very lowLowModerateHighVery high

Arvadamostly inland floodingModerate

Berkleymostly inland floodingModerate

Twin Lakesmostly inland floodingModerate

Sherrelwoodmostly hailLow

Westminstermostly hailLow

Thorntonmostly hailLow

Federal Heightsmostly hailLow

Shaw 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. Westminster covers 26 census tracts, combined by population.

Money that reached townFlood claims are matched to Westminster’s own flood-insurance community; household aid to the registrant’s city; repair grants to the City of Westminster. 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 Westminster total about $31.3M 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.