Natural hazards · Denver

Denver, PA natural hazards

Most of the natural-hazard damage FEMA expects in Denver comes from inland flooding, and overall the risk is moderate for a U.S. community. Flood insurance has paid 9 claims here since 2006. 2 federal disasters brought FEMA money into town.

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

Expected damage

How exposed is Denver?

Moderate

vs. U.S. communities

FEMA expects yearly storm and flood damage to homes and buildings in Denver to be higher than in 53% of U.S. communities, mostly from inland flooding.

Inland flooding71%Hurricanes9%Earthquakes8%Everything else12%

By hazard

What Denver faces

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

Inland flooding

71% of expected damage

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

Recorded about 3 times a year in the area

Hurricanes

9% of expected damage

Well above average · higher than 82% of U.S. places

Recorded about once every 12 years in the area

Earthquakes

8% of expected damage

Above average · higher than 74% of U.S. places

Lower here

TornadoesHailIce stormsWinter weatherCold wavesHeat wavesWildfireLandslidesStrong windLightningDrought

Not a risk here

Coastal floodingAvalanchesTsunamisVolcanic 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 Denver flood?

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

9paid claims since 2006

$246Kpaid to owners

0homes flooded more than once

20062026

Biggest named events

Tropical Storm Lee: 7 claims, $168K

of homes in flood zones
are insured

of all homes
are insured

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

Insurance rates: Lancaster County.

Disasters that hit Denver

2 federal disasters brought FEMA money here

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

Brought FEMA money into DenverDeclared for Lancaster County only

2011

Tropical Storm Lee

97 households applied for aid $165K aid approved

2006

Severe Storms, Flooding, and Mudslides

1 household applied for aid $801 aid approved

Lancaster County has had 19 natural disasters declared since 1953, most often floods and winter storms.

Around Denver

Denver and the towns around it

Very lowLowModerateHighVery high

Denvermostly inland floodingModerate

East Cocalicomostly inland floodingLow

West Cocalicomostly 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. Denver covers 1 census tract, combined by population.

Money that reached townFlood claims are matched to Denver’s own flood-insurance community; household aid to the registrant’s city; repair grants to the Borough of Denver. 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 Denver total about $1.4M 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.