Hazard Plain Automated baseline

Ouray County, CO

Risk-assessment baseline packet

County FIPS:
08091
Release:
2026-10
Data as of:
2026-09-30
Storm Events data through:
2026-06-30

Hazard Plain is an independent product built from public federal data. It is not a FEMA document and is not reviewed or endorsed by FEMA or any state agency.

Hazard Plain release 2026-10, as of 2026-09-30.

Summary

Plan status as of 2026-09-30: Approved, expires 2030-09-29. Plan: Ouray County, CO Hazard Mitigation Plan 2025 (FEMA plan 110958), approved 2025-09-30.

Since the plan was approved on 2025-09-30: 2 new hazard declarations (1 incident) and 28 NOAA Storm Events records; details under "What changed since your last plan".

Highest expected annual loss (FEMA National Risk Index, modeled total; see B1-a): Inland Flooding ($4,045,829 a year), Avalanche ($3,377,899) and Landslide ($1,003,030).

The tables that follow are organized by the items of FEMA's Local Mitigation Plan Review Tool, Element B (B1-a to B2-c); each heading says which item its tables support.

Plan clock

Status:
Approved, expires 2030-09-29
Plan:
Ouray County, CO Hazard Mitigation Plan 2025 (FEMA plan 110958)
Approved:
2025-09-30
Days to expiry:
1,460

What changed since your last plan (approved 2025-09-30)

New federal declarations:
2 new hazard declarations (1 incident): FM-5643-CO (Gold Mountain Fire), DR-4944-CO (Wildfires, Flooding, and Mudslides)
Storm Events records since approval:
28 records (data through 2026-06-30)
Repetitive loss now:
FMA RL 0, SRL 0 (44 CFR 77.2); any definition: 0
Repeat-flood change:
this release sets the baseline count.

Sources: 1, 2, 4, 6 (numbered list at the end)

Plan status for every jurisdiction listed in this county

Source: 1

JurisdictionTypeStatusPlanApprovedExpiresDays to expirynegative = days since expiryNotes
Ouray CountyCountyApproved, expires 2030-09-29Ouray County, CO Hazard Mitigation Plan 2025 (FEMA plan 110958)2025-09-302030-09-291,460This jurisdiction approved 2025-08-26.
Ouray cityCityApproved, expires 2030-09-29Ouray County, CO Hazard Mitigation Plan 2025 (FEMA plan 110958)2025-09-302030-09-291,460This jurisdiction approved 2025-08-18.
Ridgway townTownApproved, expires 2030-09-29Ouray County, CO Hazard Mitigation Plan 2025 (FEMA plan 110958)2025-09-302030-09-291,460This jurisdiction approved 2025-09-10.

State plan status and tribal plans in this state: see the state page.

Supports FEMA checklist item B1-a: hazard identification

Hazards NRI does not cover (local data needed)

  • dam failure (incl. upstream dams)
  • levee failure
  • flash flood as its own subtype
  • ice jams
  • debris flows
  • erosion (riverine and coastal)
  • land subsidence and sinkholes
  • expansive soils

The 18 National Risk Index hazards, ranked by expected annual loss (EAL)

Sources: 5, 6, 10

Rank by EALHazardNRI risk ratingEAL ratingEAL buildingsmodeled dollars per yearEAL agriculturemodeled dollars per yearCost of expected deaths and injuriesFEMA's dollar value per year, not property damageEAL total (see note)modeled dollars per yearStorm Events records, 1996 to 2026-06-30countWhy this hazard can be left outNRI Not Applicable, no declaration and no Storm Events record since 1996Storm Events coverage note
1Inland FloodingVery LowVery Low$4,040,242$963$4,624$4,045,82922
2AvalancheRelatively HighRelatively High$2,219n/a$3,375,680$3,377,89964
3LandslideRelatively HighRelatively Moderate$24,459n/a$978,571$1,003,03032
4LightningRelatively ModerateRelatively Moderate$1,297n/a$484,451$485,7482
5WildfireRelatively LowRelatively Low$266,549$8$10,437$276,99433
6EarthquakeVery LowVery Low$75,870n/a$9,282$85,152Storm Events does not record earthquakes.
7Winter WeatherVery LowRelatively Low$1,723$12$18,364$20,099851
8DroughtVery LowVery Lown/a$8,979n/a$8,979144
9TornadoVery LowVery Low$3,378$4$3,475$6,8570No recorded events in Storm Events since 1996 (data through 2026-06-30).
10Strong WindVery LowVery Low$2,585$5$3,854$6,44423Includes 15 High Wind and 7 Strong Wind records (NOAA non-thunderstorm wind types, outside NRI's Strong Wind definition).
11HailVery LowVery Low$2,790$56$443$3,2893
12Ice StormVery LowVery Low$1,510n/a$331$1,8410No recorded events in Storm Events since 1996 (data through 2026-06-30).
13Cold WaveVery LowVery Lowunder $1under $1under $1under $110
14Heat WaveVery LowVery Lowunder $1under $1under $1under $10No recorded events in Storm Events since 1996 (data through 2026-06-30).
HurricaneNot ApplicableNot Applicable0NRI rates hurricane Not Applicable for this county, and no counted federal declaration for this county names it (EM-3224-CO names it but is not counted as a local occurrence; see B1-d).No recorded events in Storm Events since 1996 (data through 2026-06-30).

Total = buildings + agriculture + population equivalence; FEMA values each expected death (or 10 injuries) at $13.7 million (2024 dollars).

NRI risk rating combines expected annual loss with social vulnerability and community resilience; EAL rating rates expected annual loss alone. Both compare this county with all U.S. counties.

Not applicable to this county per NRI, with no federal declaration and no Storm Events record since 1996: coastal flooding, tsunami and volcanic activity. That is the evidence for leaving them out of the plan.

The state hazard mitigation plan also lists hazards for this county; FEMA asks the plan to explain any hazard it leaves out.

Supports FEMA checklist item B1-b: hazard location

Affects the whole county (national data give no location within it): Cold Wave, Drought, Hail, Heat Wave, Ice Storm, Lightning, Strong Wind and Winter Weather.

Inland Flooding: The FEMA Flood Insurance Rate Map (FIRM) is the required location source for flooding. See the FEMA Flood Map Service Center (https://msc.fema.gov) for this county.

Hazards that vary within the county: highest-rated census tracts

Source: 5

HazardHighest-rated census tractsNRI risk rating, score 0 to 100
Avalanchetract 9676.01 (Relatively High, 93.1); tract 9676.02 (Relatively Moderate, 90.2)
Earthquaketract 9676.02 (Relatively Low, 57.0); tract 9676.01 (Relatively Low, 53.5)
Hurricaneno tract has a National Risk Index rating for this hazard
Landslidetract 9676.02 (Very High, 99.9); tract 9676.01 (Relatively Moderate, 98.3)
Tornadotract 9676.02 (Very Low, 8.6); tract 9676.01 (Very Low, 5.2)
Wildfiretract 9676.01 (Relatively Moderate, 95.6); tract 9676.02 (Relatively Moderate, 95.0)

Up to 3 census tracts per hazard, highest National Risk Index rating first, then highest score; a tract number is the Census tract number (for example 9676.01 is Census Tract 9676.01). FEMA's Resilience Analysis and Planning Tool maps the National Risk Index for every tract: https://www.fema.gov/emergency-managers/practitioners/resilience-analysis-and-planning-tool

Supports FEMA checklist item B1-c: hazard extent

Extent: scale, observed range and worst recorded event per hazard

Sources: 6, 7, 11

HazardScaleRecordscount and yearsObserved rangeWorst recorded eventMost damaging (when different)How it applies to jurisdictionsNote
Avalanchenone (count and damage only)64 records, 1998 to 2026 (64 zone-level)Avalanche, 2005-01-06, $200,000 property; crops not reported (2005 dollars); NWS zone COZ018 (covers 5 county areas)Countywide (zone-level records).
Cold/Wind Chill, Extreme Cold/Wind Chillwind chill10 records, 2005 to 2025 (10 zone-level)8 days to 16 days (median 12 days); 2 with a recorded value16 consecutive days, 2005-12-04 to 2005-12-19, zone-levelCountywide (zone-level records).
Frost/Freeze (outside NRI's Cold Wave definition)crop damage0
DroughtU.S. Drought Monitor scale (D0 to D4)144 records, 2002 to 2026 (144 zone-level)30 days to 1,096 days (median 243.5 days); 12 with a recorded value1096 days (36 months), 2003-10-01 to 2006-09-30, a run of 36 consecutive Storm Events drought records, zone-levelCountywide (zone-level records).Storm Events enters a drought at D2 or worse east of the Rockies and D3 or worse from the Rockies west (NWS Instruction 10-1605); NRI drought counts D3 and D4 only.
EarthquakeModified Mercalli (local data)0Storm Events does not record earthquakes; the USGS earthquake catalog is the source.
Hailhail size (inches)3 records, 2000 to 20060.75 in to 0.88 in (median 0.88 in); 3 with a recorded value0.88 in hail, 2006-07-21; same size also recorded on 2001-07-09Event records naming jurisdictions in the plan: Ridgway town (2 records), Ouray city (1 record).
Excessive Heat, Heatheat index (in event narratives)0
Hurricane, Tropical Storm, Tropical DepressionSaffir-Simpson0Storm Events files every zone of a storm's episode under the storm's type; flooding from the storm is filed as Flood or Flash Flood records.
Ice StormSperry-Piltz ice scale (local data)0
Flash Flood, Flood, Lakeshore Flooddamage and flood days (flood depth: FIRM)22 records, 1998 to 2022Flash Flood, 1999-07-31, $1,250,000 property; crops not reported (1999 dollars)Event records naming jurisdictions in the plan: Ouray city (14 records), Ridgway town (5 records).Flood depth: see the FEMA Flood Insurance Rate Map. Storm Events damage is often $0 or blank for floods, major ones included; FEMA Public Assistance by declaration (B1-d) shows which floods cost the most.
Debris Flownone (count and damage only)32 records, 2003 to 2024 (15 zone-level)Debris Flow, 2018-07-08, $500,000 property; $0 crops (2018 dollars)Event records naming jurisdictions in the plan: Ouray city (3 records), Ridgway town (1 record). Zone-level records (15) apply countywide.
Lightningannualized frequency (the measure FEMA's Local Mitigation Planning Handbook names)2 records, 1996 to 1999Lightning, 1996-06-13, damage not reported, 1 direct deathLightning, 1999-08-17, $1,000 property; crops not reported (1999 dollars)Event records naming jurisdictions in the plan: Ouray city (1 record).Storm Events lists lightning with damage or casualties.
High Wind and Strong Wind (outside NRI's Strong Wind definition)wind speed (kt and mph)22 records, 1998 to 2026 (22 zone-level)35 kt (40 mph) to 106 kt (122 mph) (median 72 kt (83 mph)); 22 with a recorded value106 kt (122 mph), measurement type not recorded, High Wind, 1999-01-25; NWS zone COZ018 (covers 5 county areas)High Wind, 2019-09-29, $30,000 property; $0 crops (zone total, 2019 dollars; the zone covers 5 county areas)Countywide (zone-level records).
Thunderstorm Windwind speed (kt and mph)1 record, 201361 kt (70 mph); 1 with a recorded value61 kt (70 mph) estimated gust, Thunderstorm Wind, 2013-05-28No event record names a jurisdiction in the plan.
TornadoEnhanced Fujita (Fujita before Feb 2007)0Before 1996 a tornado is listed once, under the county where it began, with its whole path's rating and length; from 1996 on, each county lists its own segment. Length is not used to rank tornadoes (see Methods).
Wildfireacres burned (local data)33 records, 2006 to 2025 (33 zone-level)Wildfire, 2025-09-01, $0 property; $40,400,000 crops (2025 dollars) (as recorded; larger than this county's annual agriculture value in the National Risk Index (the county or state extension service keeps crop loss records)); NWS zone COZ017 (covers 5 county areas)Countywide (zone-level records).
Winter Storm, Heavy Snow, Blizzard, Lake-Effect Snow, Winter Weather, Sleetnone in data (snowfall: local data)851 records, 1996 to 2026 (851 zone-level)Winter Weather, 2008-11-29, $15,000 property; $0 crops (2008 dollars); NWS zone COZ018 (covers 5 county areas)Winter Weather, 2008-12-01, $15,000 property; $0 crops (zone total, 2008 dollars; the zone covers 5 county areas); same damage also recorded on 2008-11-29Countywide (zone-level records).

In event narratives only (local data needed): wind chill, temperature, heat index, ice thickness, acres burned and snow depth; any physical measure of avalanche, debris flow and lightning.

Storm Events records are more complete after 1996; before 1996 only Tornado (from 1950), Hail and Thunderstorm Wind (from 1955) exist. Zone-level records from zones that no NWS zone-county file places in this county (mostly before 2020) are not counted here (the Methods page explains the zone matching).

Dollars are nominal (as reported), labeled with the year; not adjusted for inflation.

Supports FEMA checklist item B1-d: previous occurrences

Federal declarations for this county: 10 declarations covering 6 separate hazard incidents counted in this packet (declarations for the same incident count once; non-natural and evacuation-only declarations are not counted).

Federal disaster declarations for this county

Sources: 1, 2, 3

DeclaredIncident beganFEMA numberTypeTitleMapped hazardCounty Public Assistancefederal share obligated, nominal dollarsFlagsNotes
2026-09-012026-06-27DR-4944-COMajor disasterWildfires, Flooding, and MudslidesWildfire (primary); also designated: Inland Flooding, Landslidenot yet in FEMA's PA summaries (they cover declarations through 2026-06-30)new since last plan; within last 5 years
2026-06-302026-06-30FM-5643-COFire managementGold Mountain FireWildfirenot in FEMA's PA summaries, which do not include Fire Management Assistance declarationsnew since last plan; within last 5 yearssame incident as DR-4944
2020-03-282020-01-20DR-4498-COMajor disasterCOVID-19 PandemicNon-natural, not countedno Public Assistance recorded
2020-03-132020-01-20EM-3436-COEmergencyCOVID-19Non-natural, not countedno Public Assistance recordedsame incident as DR-4498
2005-09-052005-08-29EM-3224-COEmergencyHurricane Katrina EvacuationHurricane: evacuation support, not a local hazard event; not countedno Public Assistance recorded
2002-06-192002-04-23DR-1421-COMajor disasterWildfiresWildfirePA not declared for this county
1984-07-271984-07-27DR-719-COMajor disasterSevere Storms, Mudslides, Landslides & FloodingInland Flooding (primary); also designated: Landslidenot available: FEMA's Public Assistance data start in 1998 (declarations from 1998-08-26 on)
1977-01-291977-01-29EM-3025-COEmergencyDroughtDroughtnot available: FEMA's Public Assistance data start in 1998 (declarations from 1998-08-26 on)
1973-07-061973-07-06DR-396-COMajor disasterFlooding & LandslidesInland Flooding (primary); also designated: Landslidenot available: FEMA's Public Assistance data start in 1998 (declarations from 1998-08-26 on)
1970-09-221970-09-22DR-293-COMajor disasterHeavy Rains & FloodingInland Floodingnot available: FEMA's Public Assistance data start in 1998 (declarations from 1998-08-26 on)

County Public Assistance: applicants the FEMA record places in this county, including any state agencies FEMA files there; statewide rows are listed on the state page; federal share obligated, nominal dollars.

Statewide declarations

Source: 2

DeclaredIncident beganFEMA numberTypeTitleMapped hazard
1956-06-121956-06-12DR-59-COMajor disasterFloodInland Flooding
1955-05-251955-05-25DR-33-COMajor disasterFloodInland Flooding

FEMA recorded these with designated area Statewide and no county, so they are listed on every county page in the state (where FEMA also gives the declaration a row for the county, it is shown once, in the county table) and not counted with county rows. Local data needed: whether each one affected this county.

10 Fire Management declarations (1978-09-12 to 2016-07-10) FEMA filed as Statewide with no county; each names one local fire. Listed on the state page.

Previous occurrences by hazard, with explicit no-event rows

Sources: 2, 6, 7

HazardStorm Events records, all years on file(years in the Period column)Since plan approvalrecordsIn the 12 months before plan approvalrecordsLast 5 yearsrecordsDeclared incidents, all yearsseparate disastersDeclared since approvalseparate disastersPeriodStatement
Avalanche64124001996 to 2026-06-30
Cold Wave10099001996 to 2026-06-30
Drought1445613101996 to 2026-06-30
Earthquake000000Storm Events does not record earthquakes; the USGS earthquake catalog is the source.
Hail3000001955 to 2026-06-30
Heat Wave0000001996 to 2026-06-30No recorded events, 1996 to 2026-06-30, NOAA NCEI Storm Events
Hurricane0000001996 to 2026-06-30No recorded events, 1996 to 2026-06-30, NOAA NCEI Storm Events
Ice Storm0000001996 to 2026-06-30No recorded events, 1996 to 2026-06-30, NOAA NCEI Storm Events
Inland Flooding22002411996 to 2026-06-30
Landslide320010311996 to 2026-06-30
Lightning2000001996 to 2026-06-30
Strong Wind23103001955 to 2026-06-30Includes 15 High Wind and 7 Strong Wind records.
Tornado0000001950 to 2026-06-30No recorded events, 1950 to 2026-06-30, NOAA NCEI Storm Events
Wildfire330718211996 to 2026-06-30
Winter Weather8512129140001996 to 2026-06-30

Notable Storm Events records

Sources: 1, 6, 7

DateEvent typeMagnitude or extentDamagenominal dollarsDeaths, injuriesdirect onlyLocationFlagsWhy listed
2025-09-01Wildfire$0 property; $40,400,000 crops (zone total, 2025 dollars) (as recorded; larger than this county's annual agriculture value in the National Risk Index (the county or state extension service keeps crop loss records))0, 0NWS zone COZ017 (UNCOMPAHGRE PLATEAU AND DALLAS DIVIDE), zone-levelin the 12 months before plan approval; within last 5 yearsB1-c worst recorded: Wildfire
2021-02-01Avalanche$0 property; $0 crops (zone total, 2021 dollars)3, 4NWS zone COZ018 (NORTHWESTERN SAN JUAN MOUNTAINS), zone-leveldeaths or injuries recorded
2019-09-29High Wind52 kt (60 mph) estimated gust$30,000 property; $0 crops (zone total, 2019 dollars)0, 0NWS zone COZ018 (NORTHWESTERN SAN JUAN MOUNTAINS), zone-levelB1-c most damaging: High Wind and Strong Wind
2018-07-08Debris Flow$500,000 property; $0 crops (2018 dollars)0, 02.43 miles SSE of OURAY to 2.88 miles SSE of OURAYB1-c worst recorded: Debris Flow
2013-05-28Thunderstorm Wind61 kt (70 mph) estimated gust$60,000 property; $0 crops (2013 dollars)0, 03.62 miles NNW of COLONAB1-c worst recorded: Thunderstorm Wind
2010-02-11Avalanche$0 property; $0 crops (zone total, 2010 dollars)1, 1NWS zone COZ018 (NORTHWESTERN SAN JUAN MOUNTAINS), zone-leveldeaths or injuries recorded
2008-12-01Winter Weather$15,000 property; $0 crops (zone total, 2008 dollars)0, 0NWS zone COZ018 (NORTHWESTERN SAN JUAN MOUNTAINS), zone-levelB1-c most damaging: Winter Storm, Heavy Snow, Blizzard, Lake-Effect Snow, Winter Weather, Sleet
2008-11-29Winter Weather$15,000 property; $0 crops (zone total, 2008 dollars)0, 0NWS zone COZ018 (NORTHWESTERN SAN JUAN MOUNTAINS), zone-levelB1-c worst recorded: Winter Storm, Heavy Snow, Blizzard, Lake-Effect Snow, Winter Weather, Sleet
2005-01-06Avalanche$200,000 property; crops not reported (zone total, 2005 dollars)0, 0NWS zone COZ018 (NORTHWESTERN SAN JUAN MOUNTAINS), zone-levelB1-c worst recorded: Avalanche
2003-10-01Droughtdamage not reported0, 0NWS zone COZ018 (NORTHWESTERN SAN JUAN MOUNTAINS), zone-levelB1-c worst recorded: Drought
2002-03-15Avalanchedamage not reported1, 1NWS zone COZ018 (NORTHWESTERN SAN JUAN MOUNTAINS), zone-leveldeaths or injuries recorded
1999-08-17Lightning$1,000 property; crops not reported (1999 dollars)0, 0OURAYB1-c most damaging: Lightning
1999-07-31Flash Flood$1,250,000 property; crops not reported (1999 dollars)0, 08 miles W of RIDGWAYB1-c worst recorded: Flash Flood, Flood, Lakeshore Flood
1999-01-25High Wind106 kt (122 mph), measurement type not recordeddamage not reported0, 0NWS zone COZ018 (NORTHWESTERN SAN JUAN MOUNTAINS), zone-levelB1-c worst recorded: High Wind and Strong Wind
1996-06-13Lightningdamage not reported1, 05 miles NNE of TELLURIDEB1-c worst recorded: Lightning

The full list is in the Excel file, sheet "B1-d Storm Events history" (1,184 rows).

Location is the place NOAA recorded, as written in its data; it need not be a jurisdiction in this plan.

Local data needed: state-declared emergencies, from your state emergency management agency (federal data do not include them).

Tribal and special-area declarations in this state are listed on the state page.

Supports FEMA checklist item B1-e: probability of future events

Probability: FEMA annualized frequency and descriptor per hazard

Sources: 5, 6

HazardFEMA annualized frequency (modeled)unit per rowUnitIn plain termsDescriptorDescriptor basisNRI events or days in its record period (hail, wind and tornado are area-weighted, so can be fractional)NRI periodLocationNote
Avalanche0.533events per yearabout 0.53 per yearLikelyFEMA annualized frequency (modeled)161994 to 2023 (30 years)see B1-f
Cold Wave0.00000397event-days per yearabout 0.00000397 days per yearPossibleStorm Events event-days in 2 of 30 years, 1996 to 2025 (6.67%)0.00007532005-11-12 to 2024-11-12 (19 years)countywide
Drought66.8event-days per yearabout 66.8 days per yearLikelyStorm Events event-days in 17 of 30 years, 1996 to 2025 (56.7%)1,7922000 to 2025 (25.25 years; D3 and D4 only)countywide
Earthquake0.00138annual probability at a locationchance a given location in the county has at least minor-damage shaking in a year: 0.138%UnlikelyFEMA annualized frequency (modeled), at a location in the countynot shownmodeledsee B1-fStorm Events does not record earthquakes.
Hail0.0995events per yearabout 1 in 10 yearsPossibleFEMA annualized frequency (modeled)3.8 (modeled)1986 to 2023 (38 years)countywide
Heat Wave0.000000281event-days per yearabout 0.000000281 days per yearStorm Events event-days in 0 of 30 years, 1996 to 2025 (0%)0.000005332005-11-12 to 2024-11-12 (19 years)countywideNo Storm Events heat wave record, 1996 to 2025
Hurricaneevents per year1851 to 2024 (Atlantic)see B1-fNot Applicable in NRI for this county; no descriptor.
Ice Storm0.0149event-days per yearabout 0.0149 days per yearStorm Events event-days in 0 of 30 years, 1996 to 2025 (0%)01946-12-31 to 2014-02-12 (67 years)countywideNo Storm Events ice storm record, 1996 to 2025
Inland Flooding0.786event-days per yearabout 0.786 days per yearLikelyStorm Events event-days in 13 of 30 years, 1996 to 2025 (43.3%)221996 to 2023 (28 years)see B1-f
Landslide0.258events per year (modeled)about 1 in 4 yearsLikelyFEMA annualized frequency (modeled)not shownmodeledsee B1-f
Lightning54.3days per year with a strikeabout 54.3 days per yearHighly likelyFEMA annualized frequency (modeled)not shown1995 to 2023 (29 years; CONUS)countywide
Strong Wind0.0879events per yearabout 1 in 11 yearsPossibleFEMA annualized frequency (modeled)41986 to 2023 (38 years)countywide
Tornado0.00855events per yearabout 1 in 117 yearsUnlikelyFEMA annualized frequency (modeled)not shown1950 to 2023 (EF2+); 1986 to 2023 (EF0-1)see B1-f
Wildfire0.0012annual probability at a locationchance a given location in the county burns in a year: 0.12%LikelyStorm Events records in 9 of 30 years, 1996 to 2025 (30%)not shownmodeledsee B1-f
Winter Weather39.5event-days per yearabout 39.5 days per yearHighly likelyStorm Events event-days in 30 of 30 years, 1996 to 2025 (100%)7502005-11-12 to 2024-11-12 (19 years)countywide

FEMA annualized frequency (modeled) is the National Risk Index v1.20 (December 2025) estimate of how often a hazard affects this county in a year; it is not recorded events divided by years, and its unit differs by hazard (events, event-days, or days with a lightning strike per year). For earthquake, wildfire, coastal flooding and tsunami the value is the chance (or number of events) at a location in the county, not across the county, so no "1 in N years" is given and the descriptor comes from Storm Events where it has a record; otherwise (always for earthquake) the scale is applied to the chance at a location, and the county as a whole is at least as likely. The Methods page gives each hazard's method, from FEMA's National Risk Index Technical Documentation v1.20.

Descriptor scale used in this packet (defined per unit)

Sources: 5, 6

UnitDescriptorDefinition
events per yearHighly likely1 or more per year
events per yearLikelyabout once in 1 to 10 years
events per yearPossibleabout once in 10 to 100 years
events per yearUnlikelyless than once in 100 years
annual probabilityLikely10% to under 100% chance in a given year
annual probabilityPossible1% to under 10% chance in a given year
annual probabilityUnlikelyunder 1% chance in a given year
event-days (share of years)Highly likelyevent-days recorded in 90% or more of years
event-days (share of years)Likelyevent-days recorded in 10% to under 90% of years
event-days (share of years)Possibleevent-days recorded in some years but under 10% of years
lightning strike-daysHighly likelycloud-to-ground strikes on 1 or more days per year

Intensity bands: historical frequency (Storm Events)

Source: 6

HazardBandYearsEventscounty-coded recordsYears in periodEvents per yearevents / years
Hail1.00-1.99 in1996 to 20250300
Hail2.00 in+1996 to 20250300
Thunderstorm Wind (counted as NRI Strong Wind)50-64 kt1996 to 20251300.0333
Thunderstorm Wind (counted as NRI Strong Wind)65 kt+1996 to 20250300
Thunderstorm Wind (counted as NRI Strong Wind)unmeasured or below 50 kt1996 to 20250300
TornadoEF0-11996 to 20250300
TornadoEF2-31996 to 20250300
TornadoEF4-51996 to 20250300
Tornadounrated (EFU)1996 to 20250300

The bands show how often events of each severity were recorded in this county, to profile how severe events have been (FEMA's probability item asks for the range of intensities).

Hail smaller than 1 inch is not counted: on 2010-01-05 the National Weather Service raised its severe-hail threshold from 3/4 inch to 1 inch, so smaller reports became less common after 2009 (NWS Service Change Notice 09-52). NRI hail frequency uses a 0.75 inch threshold.

Optional: future conditions. Not a required item in the 2025 FEMA Local Mitigation Planning Policy Guide; some states ask for it. The federal Climate Mapping for Resilience and Adaptation (CMRA) site gives county exposure to future climate conditions (https://resilience.climate.gov/).

Supports FEMA checklist item B1-f: hazards that vary across jurisdictions

Natural hazards by jurisdiction: federal-data draft

Sources: 1, 3, 4, 5, 6, 9

Draft from federal data for the planning team to confirm and trim: FEMA National Risk Index census tract ratings (NRI v1.20, December 2025) and Census 2020 blocks. A row covers every 2020 census tract that holds part of the jurisdiction's area in this county. X: at least one of those tracts has an NRI rating (Very Low to Very High) for the hazard. o: NRI "No Rating" (no expected loss modeled; not "cannot occur"). Blank: NRI Not Applicable or Insufficient Data in those tracts (not rated; also not "cannot occur"). Census tracts are coarse, so rows that share the same tracts are identical.

JurisdictionNRI hazard (X rated, o No Rating, blank Not Applicable or Insufficient Data)Evidence from federal records
AvalancheCold WaveDroughtEarthquakeHailHeat WaveIce StormInland FloodingLandslideLightningStrong WindTornadoWildfireWinter WeatherEvent records naming the placeall yearsPublic Assistancematched by name; nominal dollarsRepetitive-loss propertiesany definition
Ouray County (unincorporated area)XXXXXXXXXXXXXX00
Ouray cityXXXXXXXXXXXXXX190
Ridgway townXXXXXXXXXXXXXX80

Not shown: hazards NRI rates Not Applicable or Insufficient Data in every census tract of the county (Coastal Flooding, Hurricane, Tsunami, Volcanic Activity).

Inland Flooding is X on every row because NRI rates inland flooding in every tract these rows touch; plans often mark only the jurisdictions with recurring flood problems or mapped flood zones.

Evidence columns repeat figures from the jurisdiction table of this section (event records naming the place, all years; Public Assistance matched by applicant name; repetitive-loss properties, any definition).

Range of census tract risk within the county

Source: 5

HazardTractsrated of allNRI risk score, 0 to 100Tracts by rating
MinMedianMax
Avalanche2 of 290.291.693.1Relatively High 1, Relatively Moderate 1
Cold Wave2 of 215.415.415.5Very Low 2
Drought2 of 284.284.484.7Relatively Low 2
Earthquake2 of 253.555.357.0Relatively Low 2
Hail2 of 222.125.328.5Very Low 2
Heat Wave2 of 21.31.31.3Very Low 2
Hurricane0 of 2Not Applicable 2
Ice Storm2 of 26.69.712.8Very Low 2
Inland Flooding2 of 229.163.397.5Very High 1, Relatively Low 1
Landslide2 of 298.399.199.9Very High 1, Relatively Moderate 1
Lightning2 of 299.499.699.8Very High 2
Strong Wind2 of 214.316.318.3Very Low 2
Tornado2 of 25.26.98.6Very Low 2
Wildfire2 of 295.095.395.6Relatively Moderate 2
Winter Weather2 of 268.276.284.2Relatively High 1, Relatively Moderate 1

Drought: Agriculture is all of NRI's expected annual loss for this hazard in the county, so the tract range mostly reflects where crop and livestock value is.

Rated tracts only: No Rating (score 0.0), Not Applicable and Insufficient Data tracts are counted but not used for the minimum, median and maximum.

The score ranks a tract against all U.S. tracts (100 = highest). The rating is FEMA's category for the tract's risk value, computed differently, so the two can disagree.

Frequency data for cold wave, drought, hail, heat wave, ice storm, lightning, strong wind and winter weather are county-wide or coarse (49 km grid or NWS zone), the same for every jurisdiction; the tract range mostly reflects where buildings and people are (crop and livestock value where a line above names agriculture).

This county has 2 census tracts; the minimum, median and maximum come from the rated tracts among those 2.

Each jurisdiction (starting figures from federal data)

Sources: 1, 3, 4, 6

JurisdictionTypePlan statusRepetitive lossFMA RL and SRL (44 CFR 77.2); repeat-flood, any definitionPublic Assistance to this jurisdictionFEMA records matched by applicant name; federal share obligated, nominal dollarsEvent records naming this placeall years; since its planNotes
Ouray CountyCountyApproved, expires 2030-09-29FMA RL 0, SRL 0; any 0no Public Assistance recorded0 total; 0 since its plan
Ouray cityCityApproved, expires 2030-09-29FMA RL 0, SRL 0; any 0no Public Assistance recorded19 total; 0 since its plan15 of the 19 event records naming this place use it as NOAA's reference point for a location 0.31 to 8 miles away (NOAA's distance).
Ridgway townTownApproved, expires 2030-09-29FMA RL 0, SRL 0; any 0no Public Assistance recorded8 total; 0 since its plan7 of the 8 event records naming this place use it as NOAA's reference point for a location 1 to 8 miles away (NOAA's distance).

Repetitive-loss counts are for whole NFIP communities, which can extend beyond this county (see the note in B2-c).

FEMA files applicants under varying names, so these rows may not include every payment to a jurisdiction. The county totals in B1-d count every applicant FEMA files under this county, whatever the name.

Supports FEMA checklist items B2-a and B2-b: vulnerability and potential impacts

Local data needed

The table below gives county-level starting figures; the plan describes impacts for each jurisdiction and its own assets.

  • Critical facilities and lifelines per hazard
  • A problem statement per jurisdiction per hazard
  • Changes in development in hazard-prone areas since the last approval, or a statement of none (E1-a)
  • Future assets

County-level starter: exposure, expected annual loss and damage since the plan

Sources: 1, 2, 3, 5, 6, 7

HazardBuilding exposuremodeled dollarsAgriculture exposuremodeled dollarsPopulation exposedpeopleEAL buildingsmodeled dollars per yearEAL agriculturemodeled dollars per yearCost of expected deaths and injuriesFEMA's dollar value per year, not property damageEAL as % of exposurebuildings; agriculture where notedStorm Events damage since 2025-09-30county-coded records, property plus crops, nominal dollarsZone-level damage since planproperty plus crops, reported for the zonePublic Assistance since plannominal dollars; see noteNote
Avalanche$13,129,188n/a10$2,219n/a$3,375,6800.0169%$0
Cold Wave$11,047,236$13,10722under $1under $1under $1under 0.0001%
Droughtn/a$694,876n/an/a$8,979n/a1.29% (agriculture)$0NRI has no building exposure for this hazard; agriculture shown
Earthquake$2,826,963,076n/a4,874$75,870n/a$9,2820.00268%
Hail$1,675,041,807$5,412,6174,859$2,790$56$4430.000167%
Heat Wave$723,809$1,0022under $1under $1under $1under 0.0001%
HurricaneNot Applicable in NRI for this county
Ice Storm$1,675,041,807n/a4,859$1,510n/a$331under 0.0001%
Inland Flooding$1,670,045,840$145,14888$4,040,242$963$4,624n/a (see note)1 declaration not yet in FEMA's PA summaries (they cover declarations through 2026-06-30)NRI counts the full building value of any census block with some flood loss; this is not the value of buildings in the floodplain. Use local FIRM overlays for B2-a/B2-b.
Landslide$149,161,004n/a414$24,459n/a$978,5710.0164%1 declaration not yet in FEMA's PA summaries (they cover declarations through 2026-06-30)
Lightning$1,675,041,807n/a4,859$1,297n/a$484,451under 0.0001%
Strong Wind$1,675,041,807$5,412,6174,859$2,585$5$3,8540.000154%$0
Tornado$1,675,041,807$5,412,6174,859$3,378$4$3,4750.000202%
Wildfire$726,157,008$2,510,1303,045$266,549$8$10,4370.0367%1 declaration not yet in FEMA's PA summaries (they cover declarations through 2026-06-30); 1 declaration not in FEMA's PA summaries, which do not include Fire Management Assistance declarations
Winter Weather$1,675,041,807$5,412,6174,859$1,723$12$18,3640.000103%$0

Totals since 2025-09-30 (Storm Events through 2026-06-30): 0 county-coded records, 0 with a damage value recorded (including $0), $0; 28 zone-level records, 28 with a damage value recorded (including $0), $0 reported for the zone; Public Assistance: the 2 counted declarations are not in FEMA's PA summaries for the reasons given in B1-d.

FEMA does not split Public Assistance by hazard. A declaration mapped to several hazards is listed under each of them with its full amount, so the per-hazard column does not add up to the total; the unit total counts each declaration once.

NRI computes earthquake exposure on its own basis, so it exceeds the county building value in B2-a.

Supports FEMA checklist item B2-a: vulnerability (county context)

County context

Source: 5

MeasureValue
Population4,859
Building value (total, not at risk)$1,675,041,807
Agriculture value (total, not at risk)$5,412,617
NRI risk rating (all hazards)Very Low
Expected annual loss, buildings and agriculture, all hazards$4,432,649
Expected annual loss, population equivalence, all hazards (NRI values each statistical life at $13.7M; a modeled value of expected deaths and injuries, not property damage)$4,889,513
Social vulnerability ratingVery Low
Community resilience ratingRelatively Moderate
NRI versionDecember 2025

FEMA's all-hazard expected annual loss adds buildings, agriculture and population equivalence; this table gives the property part and the population-equivalence part as separate rows.

Social vulnerability: higher means people are more likely to be harmed and slower to recover. Community resilience: lower means the community is less able to recover. High social vulnerability and low resilience both raise the NRI risk rating.

Supports FEMA checklist item B2-c: repetitive loss properties

Repetitive loss in this county, both definitions

Sources: 1, 4

DefinitionPropertiesSevere repetitive lossProperties
Repetitive loss, FMA definition (44 CFR 77.2)0Severe repetitive loss, FMA definition (44 CFR 77.2)0
Repetitive loss, NFIP insurance definition0Severe repetitive loss, NFIP insurance definition0

The state NFIP coordinator's list, the source FEMA's Handbook names, often uses the NFIP insurance definition (second row).

Repeat-flood properties: county and state-level rows

Sources: 1, 4

ScopeRL, FMApropertiesSRL, FMApropertiesRL, NFIPpropertiesSRL, NFIPpropertiesAny categorypropertiesMitigatedpropertiesCurrently insuredproperties
County total0000000
Statewide, no county in FEMA's file0080800

The statewide row counts properties FEMA's file gives with no county in this state; they are listed for reference and are not in this county's counts.

Repeat-flood properties by jurisdiction in the plan (NFIP community)

Sources: 1, 4

JurisdictionNFIP community IDRL, FMApropertiesSRL, FMApropertiesRL, NFIPpropertiesSRL, NFIPpropertiesAny categorypropertiesMitigatedpropertiesCurrently insuredproperties
Ouray County0801360000000
Ouray city0801370000000
Ridgway town0801380000000

Counts by occupancy group for each jurisdiction are in the Excel file, sheet "B2-c Jurisdictions".

Jurisdiction rows are whole NFIP communities and need not add up to the county total: a community that extends into another county is counted in full on each jurisdiction row, while the county table counts only its part in this county.

County repeat-flood properties by occupancy group: 0 in every occupancy group.

Sources: 1, 4

FMA RL and FMA SRL are the Flood Mitigation Assistance definitions (44 CFR 77.2), the ones the FEMA Local Mitigation Planning Policy Guide cites. NFIP repetitive loss (the FEMA insurance definition) is 2 or more claims over $1,000 in 10 years, and a property can leave that group once it is mitigated. Also shown: NFIP severe repetitive loss, any category, mitigated and currently insured. The Methods page gives the OpenFEMA field details.

Counts are aggregates of FEMA's public NFIP Multiple Loss Properties file (FEMA's data date 2026-08-02; file version 2026-08-04). No property is identified. County assignment is FEMA's geocode.

In this county 0 properties are FMA repetitive loss but not NFIP repetitive loss, and 0 properties are NFIP repetitive loss but not FMA repetitive loss.

Exact counts; no count suppression.

Sources

Tables cite these sources by number. The full list, for the plan's bibliography (FEMA review item A4-a):

  1. FEMA, OpenFEMA HazardMitigationPlanStatuses v1, version 2026-09-29T134039Z, pulled 2026-09-30, https://www.fema.gov/api/open/v1/HazardMitigationPlanStatuses (API)
  2. FEMA, OpenFEMA DisasterDeclarationsSummaries v2, version 2026-09-29T162832Z, pulled 2026-09-30, https://www.fema.gov/api/open/v2/DisasterDeclarationsSummaries (API)
  3. FEMA, OpenFEMA PublicAssistanceFundedProjectsSummaries v1, version 2026-09-29T150754Z, pulled 2026-09-30, https://www.fema.gov/api/open/v1/PublicAssistanceFundedProjectsSummaries (API)
  4. FEMA, OpenFEMA NfipMultipleLossProperties v1, version 2026-08-04T164045Z, pulled 2026-09-30, https://www.fema.gov/api/open/v1/NfipMultipleLossProperties (API)
  5. FEMA, FEMA National Risk Index 1.20.0 (December 2025), county and census tract tables, version 1.20.0, pulled 2026-09-30, https://www.fema.gov/about/reports-and-data/openfema/nri/v120/NRI_Table_Counties.zip (download, 25 MB), https://www.fema.gov/about/reports-and-data/openfema/nri/v120/NRI_Table_CensusTracts.zip (download, 635 MB)
  6. NOAA NCEI, NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database, details files (csvfiles v1.0), version c20260918, pulled 2026-09-30, https://www.ncei.noaa.gov/pub/data/swdi/stormevents/csvfiles/
  7. NOAA National Weather Service, NWS county-public forecast zones correlation file, version bp03mr20 to bp16ap26 (11 files; newest bp16ap26), pulled 2026-09-30, https://www.weather.gov/gis/ZoneCounty
  8. U.S. Census Bureau, Census 2024 Gazetteer, 2020 place by county, CT county-to-cousub crosswalk, version 2024-gazetteer, pulled 2026-09-30, https://www2.census.gov/geo/docs/maps-data/data/gazetteer/2024_Gazetteer/2024_Gaz_counties_national.zip, https://www2.census.gov/geo/docs/maps-data/data/gazetteer/2024_Gazetteer/2024_Gaz_cousubs_national.zip, https://www2.census.gov/geo/docs/maps-data/data/gazetteer/2024_Gazetteer/2024_Gaz_place_national.zip, https://www2.census.gov/geo/docs/maps-data/data/gazetteer/2024_Gazetteer/2024_Gaz_unsd_national.zip, https://www2.census.gov/geo/docs/maps-data/data/gazetteer/2024_Gazetteer/2024_Gaz_elsd_national.zip, https://www2.census.gov/geo/docs/maps-data/data/gazetteer/2024_Gazetteer/2024_Gaz_scsd_national.zip, https://www2.census.gov/geo/docs/reference/codes2020/national_place_by_county2020.txt, https://www2.census.gov/geo/docs/reference/ct_change/ct_cou_to_cousub_crosswalk.xlsx (used to match place names and codes; no table prints its values)
  9. U.S. Census Bureau, Census 2020 Block Assignment Files (county subdivision and place), version baf2020, pulled 2026-10-02, https://www2.census.gov/geo/docs/maps-data/data/baf2020/, https://www2.census.gov/programs-surveys/decennial/2020/data/01-Redistricting_File--PL_94-171/
  10. U.S. Census Bureau, Census county adjacency file, 2024 vintage, version 2024, pulled 2026-10-03, https://www2.census.gov/geo/docs/reference/county_adjacency/county_adjacency2024.txt
  11. NOAA National Hurricane Center, NHC HURDAT2 best-track data (Atlantic 1851 to 2025; Northeast and North Central Pacific 1949 to 2025), version 2025-092326, pulled 2026-10-03, https://www.nhc.noaa.gov/data/hurdat/hurdat2-1851-2025-092326.txt, https://www.nhc.noaa.gov/data/hurdat/hurdat2-nepac-1949-2025-092926.txt

What this packet is and what the plan adds

This packet is the federal data for the plan's risk assessment (the summary on page 1 says how it is organized); the plan and FEMA's review decide whether each item is met.

The plan adds what only the community has: local data on assets, critical facilities, development and each jurisdiction's impacts; local hazard history, including state-declared emergencies; the mitigation strategy; and adoption.

How the federal data are built: National Risk Index values are FEMA's model, not counts of events. Storm Events is more complete from 1996; zone-level records are placed by forecast zone, not by location in the county. Public Assistance for a jurisdiction is matched by applicant name. The Methods page gives every rule and the known edge cases.

OpenFEMA disclaimer

This product uses the Federal Emergency Management Agency's OpenFEMA API, but is not endorsed by FEMA. The Federal Government or FEMA cannot vouch for the data or analyses derived from these data after the data have been retrieved from the Agency's website(s).

Reuse, citation and corrections

Reuse and citation: Hazard Plain text and tables are licensed under Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International (CC BY 4.0, https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/); credit Hazard Plain and the release. The underlying federal data are public domain; OpenFEMA data are also subject to the OpenFEMA terms and conditions.

Cite this: Hazard Plain (2026). Ouray County, CO: risk-assessment baseline packet, release 2026-10 (data as of 2026-09-30; County FIPS 08091). Automated baseline. https://hazardplain.org/co/08091/ Built from FEMA OpenFEMA, the FEMA National Risk Index and NOAA NCEI Storm Events; source versions in the packet's Sources list.

Corrections: to report an error, name the packet, the table and what your records show. Contact: contact@hazardplain.org