Natural hazards · Cheyenne

Cheyenne, WY natural hazards

Most of the natural-hazard damage FEMA expects in Cheyenne comes from inland flooding, and overall the risk is low for a U.S. community. Flood insurance has paid 105 claims here since 1978.

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

Expected damage

How exposed is Cheyenne?

Low

vs. U.S. communities

FEMA expects yearly storm and flood damage to homes and buildings in Cheyenne to be higher than in 28% of U.S. communities, mostly from inland flooding and cold waves.

Inland flooding33%Cold waves26%Tornadoes19%Hail6%Everything else16%

By hazard

What Cheyenne faces

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

Inland flooding

33% of expected damage

Below average · higher than 39% of U.S. places

Recorded about 2 times a year in the area

Cold waves

26% of expected damage

Well above average · higher than 90% of U.S. places

Recorded about 3 times a year in the area

Tornadoes

19% of expected damage

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

Hail

6% of expected damage

Well above average · higher than 90% of U.S. places

Recorded about 6 times a year in the area

Lower here

Ice stormsWinter weatherHeat wavesWildfireEarthquakesLandslidesStrong windLightningDrought

Not a risk here

Coastal floodingHurricanesAvalanchesTsunamisVolcanic 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 Cheyenne flood?

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

105paid claims since 1978

$721Kpaid to owners

5homes flooded more than once

19782026

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

🏷️ 15% off flood insurance. Cheyenne is in FEMA’s Community Rating System (class 7) for its flood-proofing work.

Insurance rates: Laramie County.

What’s been done with FEMA grants

21flood-prone properties bought out and cleared

4flood-prone homes bought out and moved

Disasters that hit Cheyenne

Federal disasters declared here

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

Brought FEMA money into CheyenneDeclared for Laramie County only

Laramie County has had 3 natural disasters declared since 1953, most often fires and floods.

Around Cheyenne

Cheyenne and the towns around it

Very lowLowModerateHighVery high

Warren AFBmostly cold wavesLow

Cheyennemostly inland floodingLow

Ranchettesmostly cold wavesLow

South Greeleymostly cold wavesVery low

Fox Farm-Collegemostly cold wavesVery 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. Cheyenne covers 16 census tracts, combined by population.

Money that reached townFlood claims are matched to Cheyenne’s own flood-insurance community; household aid to the registrant’s city; repair grants to the City of Cheyenne. 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 Cheyenne total about $20.6M 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.