Hazard Plain Automated baseline

Pueblo County, CO

Risk-assessment baseline packet

County FIPS:
08101
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 2029-11-04. Plan: Pueblo County, CO Hazard Mitigation Plan 2024 (FEMA plan 110058), approved 2024-11-05.

Since the plan was approved on 2024-11-05: 2 new hazard declarations (1 incident) and 41 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 ($20,655,103 a year), Cold Wave ($8,068,656) and Hail ($6,682,292).

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 2029-11-04
Plan:
Pueblo County, CO Hazard Mitigation Plan 2024 (FEMA plan 110058)
Approved:
2024-11-05
Days to expiry:
1,131

What changed since your last plan (approved 2024-11-05)

New federal declarations:
2 new hazard declarations (1 incident): FM-5642-CO (Aspen Acres Fire), DR-4944-CO (Wildfires, Flooding, and Mudslides)
Storm Events records since approval:
41 records (data through 2026-06-30)
Repetitive loss now:
FMA RL 0, SRL 0 (44 CFR 77.2); any definition: 3
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
Pueblo CountyCountyApproved, expires 2029-11-04Pueblo County, CO Hazard Mitigation Plan 2024 (FEMA plan 110058)2024-11-052029-11-041,131this jurisdiction approved 2024-11-04
Colorado City CDPUnincorporatedApproved, expires 2029-11-04Pueblo County, CO Hazard Mitigation Plan 2024 (FEMA plan 110058)2024-11-052029-11-041,131this jurisdiction approved 2024-11-04
Pueblo cityCityApproved, expires 2029-11-04Pueblo County, CO Hazard Mitigation Plan 2024 (FEMA plan 110058)2024-11-052029-11-041,131this jurisdiction approved 2024-11-04
Pueblo West CDPUnincorporatedApproved, expires 2029-11-04Pueblo County, CO Hazard Mitigation Plan 2024 (FEMA plan 110058)2024-11-052029-11-041,131this jurisdiction approved 2024-11-04
Beulah FPD and Ambulance DistrictFire/EMS DistrictApproved, expires 2029-11-04Pueblo County, CO Hazard Mitigation Plan 2024 (FEMA plan 110058)2024-11-052029-11-041,131this jurisdiction approved 2024-11-04
St. Charles Mesa Water DistrictWater/Sewer AuthorityApproved, expires 2029-11-04Pueblo County, CO Hazard Mitigation Plan 2024 (FEMA plan 110058)2024-11-052029-11-041,131this jurisdiction approved 2024-11-04

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

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 FloodingRelatively ModerateRelatively Moderate$19,188,218$489,028$977,857$20,655,103119
2Cold WaveRelatively HighRelatively High$17,997$87,290$7,963,369$8,068,6567
3HailRelatively HighRelatively High$4,599,771$1,705,771$376,750$6,682,292458
4LightningVery HighVery High$30,852n/a$4,266,360$4,297,21210
5TornadoRelatively ModerateRelatively Moderate$1,169,422$3,394$1,528,092$2,700,90712
6WildfireRelatively ModerateRelatively Moderate$2,021,158$178$131,227$2,152,56314
7Winter WeatherVery HighVery High$85,158$52$1,472,123$1,557,333274
8Strong WindRelatively ModerateRelatively Moderate$235,467$99$622,191$857,757253Includes 147 High Wind records (a NOAA non-thunderstorm wind type, outside NRI's Strong Wind definition).
9EarthquakeRelatively LowRelatively Low$511,831n/a$144,845$656,675Storm Events does not record earthquakes.
10Heat WaveRelatively LowRelatively Low$96$1,720$485,737$487,5540No recorded events in Storm Events since 1996 (data through 2026-06-30).
11DroughtRelatively LowRelatively Lown/a$260,606n/a$260,6061
12Ice StormRelatively LowRelatively Low$25,290n/a$11,464$36,7530No recorded events in Storm Events since 1996 (data through 2026-06-30).
13LandslideVery LowVery Low$960n/a$275$1,2350Declared 4 times; no Storm Events record of this type.
14AvalancheVery LowVery Lowunder $1n/a$8$90No recorded events in Storm Events since 1996 (data through 2026-06-30).
15Volcanic ActivityVery LowVery Lowunder $1n/aunder $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.

Local data needed: state and local landslide and volcanic activity records (Storm Events records these hazards only in part).

Not applicable to this county per NRI, with no federal declaration and no Storm Events record since 1996: coastal flooding and tsunami. 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 28.04 (Very Low, 4.1); tract 32 (Very Low, 3.6); tract 28.06 (Very Low, 3.5)
Earthquaketract 26 (Relatively Low, 66.5); tract 36 (Relatively Low, 65.1); tract 35 (Relatively Low, 60.8)
Hurricaneno tract has a National Risk Index rating for this hazard
Landslidetract 28.06 (Relatively Low, 90.4); tract 28.04 (Relatively Low, 89.9); tract 32 (Very Low, 71.8)
Tornadotract 36 (Relatively Moderate, 66.0); tract 35 (Relatively Moderate, 61.3); tract 26 (Relatively Moderate, 61.0)
Volcanic Activitytract 29.06 (Very Low, 41.3); tract 29.23 (Very Low, 41.2); tract 29.22 (Very Low, 40.9)
Wildfiretract 28.04 (Relatively High, 98.4); tract 28.06 (Relatively High, 98.1); tract 36 (Relatively High, 96.4)

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 28.04 is Census Tract 28.04). 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

HazardScaleRecordscount and yearsObserved rangeWorst recorded eventMost damaging (when different)How it applies to jurisdictionsNote
Avalanchenone (count and damage only)0
Cold/Wind Chill, Extreme Cold/Wind Chillwind chill7 records, 1996 to 2022 (7 zone-level)2 days to 4 days (median 2 days); 6 with a recorded value4 consecutive days, 1996-02-01 to 1996-02-04, zone-levelCountywide (zone-level records).
Frost/Freeze (outside NRI's Cold Wave definition)crop damage0
DroughtU.S. Drought Monitor scale (D0 to D4)1 record, 2002 (1 zone-level)31 days; 1 with a recorded value31 days (1 month), 2002-07-01 to 2002-07-31, 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)549 records, 1958 to 20250.25 in to 3 in (median 1 in); 548 with a recorded value3 in hail, 2023-07-13; same size also recorded on 1961-06-01, 2010-05-26Hail, 2009-07-29, $90,000,000 property; $20,000,000 crops (2009 dollars)Event records naming jurisdictions in the plan: Pueblo city (141 records), Pueblo West CDP (88 records), Colorado City CDP (56 records).
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)119 records, 1996 to 2025 (2 zone-level)Flood, 1997-08-11, $25,000,000 property; crops not reported (1997 dollars)Event records naming jurisdictions in the plan: Pueblo city (51 records), Pueblo West CDP (21 records), Colorado City CDP (3 records). Zone-level records (2) apply countywide.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)0
Lightningannualized frequency (the measure FEMA's Local Mitigation Planning Handbook names)10 records, 1997 to 2011Lightning, 1997-08-10, $160,000 property; crops not reported (1997 dollars)Event records naming jurisdictions in the plan: Pueblo city (6 records), Colorado City CDP (1 record), Pueblo West CDP (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)147 records, 1996 to 2026 (147 zone-level)43 kt (49 mph) to 90 kt (104 mph) (median 57 kt (66 mph)); 147 with a recorded value90 kt (104 mph), measurement type not recorded, High Wind, 1997-10-11; Storm Events area PUEBLO AND EASTERN FREMONT COUNTIES/PUEBLO AND VICINITY (legacy zone code COZ073)Countywide (zone-level records).
Thunderstorm Windwind speed (kt and mph)170 records, 1955 to 202545 kt (52 mph) to 125 kt (144 mph) (median 54 kt (62 mph)); 150 with a recorded value125 kt (144 mph), measurement type not recorded, Thunderstorm Wind, 1987-05-20Thunderstorm Wind, 2001-05-20, $2,500,000 property; crops not reported (2001 dollars)Event records naming jurisdictions in the plan: Pueblo city (33 records), Pueblo West CDP (19 records), Colorado City CDP (1 record).
TornadoEnhanced Fujita (Fujita before Feb 2007)20 records, 1974 to 2024F/EF0 to F/EF2 (median F/EF0); 19 with a recorded valueF2 tornado, 1984-08-21, 1 mi path length (whole path, pre-1996), 50 yd wide, $2,500 property; crops not recorded (1984 dollars)Tornado, 2006-07-09, $100,000 property; crops not reported (2006 dollars)Event records naming jurisdictions in the plan: Pueblo West CDP (5 records).Before 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).
Volcanic Ash, Volcanic AshfallVolcanic Explosivity Index (local data)0
Wildfireacres burned (local data)14 records, 2005 to 2018 (14 zone-level)Wildfire, 2005-07-06, $5,300,000 property; crops not reported (2005 dollars); NWS zone COZ079Countywide (zone-level records).
Winter Storm, Heavy Snow, Blizzard, Lake-Effect Snow, Winter Weather, Sleetnone in data (snowfall: local data)274 records, 1996 to 2026 (274 zone-level)Blizzard, 1997-10-24, $200,000 property; crops not reported (1997 dollars), 1 direct death (reported for the zone); Storm Events area PUEBLO AND EASTERN FREMONT COUNTIES/PUEBLO AND VICINITY (legacy zone code COZ073)Countywide (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, lightning and volcanic ash, volcanic ashfall.

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: 20 declarations covering 16 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
2026-06-292026-06-29FM-5642-COFire managementAspen Acres FireWildfireno Public Assistance recordednew since last plan; within last 5 yearssame incident as DR-4944
2020-03-282020-01-20DR-4498-COMajor disasterCOVID-19 PandemicNon-natural, not counted$364,702.89
2020-03-132020-01-20EM-3436-COEmergencyCOVID-19Non-natural, not countedno Public Assistance recordedsame incident as DR-4498
2016-10-172016-10-17FM-5157-COFire managementJunkins FireWildfireno Public Assistance recorded
2016-10-042016-10-04FM-5155-COFire managementBeulah Hill FireWildfireno Public Assistance recorded
2015-07-162015-05-04DR-4229-COMajor disasterSevere Storms, Tornadoes, Flooding, Landslides, and MudslidesInland Flooding (primary); also designated: Landslide, Tornado$474,430.50
2013-09-122013-09-11EM-3365-COEmergencySevere Storms, Flooding, Landslides, and MudslidesInland Flooding (primary); also designated: Landslideno Public Assistance recorded
2012-10-232012-10-23FM-5022-COFire managementWetmore FireWildfireno Public Assistance recorded
2007-01-072006-12-28EM-3271-COEmergencySnowWinter Weather$32,529.18
2007-01-072006-12-18EM-3270-COEmergencySnowWinter Weather$22,175.57
2005-09-052005-08-29EM-3224-COEmergencyHurricane Katrina EvacuationHurricane: evacuation support, not a local hazard event; not countedno Public Assistance recorded
2005-07-102005-07-08FM-2566-COFire managementMason FireWildfireno Public Assistance recorded
2003-04-092003-03-17EM-3185-COEmergencySnowWinter Weather$1,826.09
2002-06-192002-04-23DR-1421-COMajor disasterWildfiresWildfirePA not declared for this county
1999-05-171999-04-29DR-1276-COMajor disasterCo-Flooding 4/30/99Inland Flooding; Landslide$169,620.74
1977-01-291977-01-29EM-3025-COEmergencyDroughtDroughtno Public Assistance recorded
1976-08-021976-08-02DR-517-COMajor disasterSevere Storms & Flash FloodingInland Floodingno Public Assistance recorded
1973-05-231973-05-23DR-385-COMajor disasterHeavy Rains, Snowmelt and FloodingInland Floodingno Public Assistance recorded
1965-06-191965-06-19DR-200-COMajor disasterTornadoes, Severe Storms & FloodingTornado (primary); also designated: Inland Floodingno Public Assistance recorded

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 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
Avalanche0000001996 to 2026-06-30No recorded events, 1996 to 2026-06-30, NOAA NCEI Storm Events
Cold Wave7001001996 to 2026-06-30
Drought1000101996 to 2026-06-30
Earthquake000000Storm Events does not record earthquakes; the USGS earthquake catalog is the source.
Hail5499635001955 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 Flooding1195626711996 to 2026-06-30
Landslide0000411996 to 2026-06-30No Storm Events records of this type; 4 federal declared incidents (see declarations table)
Lightning10000001996 to 2026-06-30
Strong Wind317102171001955 to 2026-06-30Includes 147 High Wind records.
Tornado20011201950 to 2026-06-30
Volcanic Activity0000001996 to 2026-06-30No recorded events, 1996 to 2026-06-30, NOAA NCEI Storm Events
Wildfire14000611996 to 2026-06-30
Winter Weather274173058301996 to 2026-06-30

Notable Storm Events records

Sources: 1, 6, 7

DateEvent typeMagnitude or extentDamagenominal dollarsDeaths, injuriesdirect onlyLocationFlagsWhy listed
2023-07-13Hail3 in$0 property; $0 crops (2023 dollars)0, 0(PUB)PUEBLO MUNI ARPwithin last 5 yearsB1-c worst recorded: Hail
2005-07-06Wildfire$5,300,000 property; crops not reported (zone total, 2005 dollars)0, 0NWS zone COZ079 (WET MOUNTAINS BETWEEN 8500 AND 10000 FT), zone-levelB1-c worst recorded: Wildfire
2002-07-01Droughtdamage not reported0, 0Storm Events area PUEBLO AND EASTERN FREMONT COUNTIES/PUEBLO AND VICINITY (legacy zone code COZ073), zone-levelB1-c worst recorded: Drought
1997-10-24Blizzard$200,000 property; crops not reported (zone total, 1997 dollars)1, 0Storm Events area PUEBLO AND EASTERN FREMONT COUNTIES/PUEBLO AND VICINITY (legacy zone code COZ073), zone-leveldeaths or injuries recorded
1997-10-11High Wind90 kt (104 mph), measurement type not recorded$75,000 property; crops not reported (zone total, 1997 dollars)0, 0Storm Events area PUEBLO AND EASTERN FREMONT COUNTIES/PUEBLO AND VICINITY (legacy zone code COZ073), zone-levelB1-c worst recorded: High Wind and Strong Wind
1997-08-11Flood$25,000,000 property; crops not reported (1997 dollars)0, 0PUEBLOB1-c worst recorded: Flash Flood, Flood, Lakeshore Flood
1997-08-10Lightning$160,000 property; crops not reported (1997 dollars)0, 0PUEBLOB1-c worst recorded: Lightning
1996-08-30Flash Flooddamage not reported1, 0PUEBLOdeaths or injuries recorded
1996-02-01Cold/Wind Chilldamage not reported0, 0NWS zone COZ079 (WET MOUNTAINS BETWEEN 8500 AND 10000 FT), zone-levelB1-c worst recorded: Cold/Wind Chill, Extreme Cold/Wind Chill
1987-05-20Thunderstorm Wind125 kt (144 mph), measurement type not recordeddamage not recorded (pre-1996 record)0, 0location not recordedB1-c worst recorded: Thunderstorm Wind
1984-08-21TornadoF2, 1 mi path length (whole path, pre-1996), 50 yd wide$2,500 property; crops not recorded (1984 dollars)0, 0location not recordedB1-c worst recorded: Tornado
1984-08-21Hail1.75 indamage not recorded (pre-1996 record)0, 9location not recordeddeaths or injuries recorded

The full list is in the Excel file, sheet "B1-d Storm Events history" (1,311 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
Avalanche0.01events per yearabout 1 in 100 yearsPossibleFEMA annualized frequency (modeled)01994 to 2023 (30 years)see B1-f0.01 is NRI's minimum avalanche frequency for a county in an avalanche susceptibility zone; NRI records no avalanche here, so the descriptor reflects the floor, not local events.
Cold Wave1.49event-days per yearabout 1.49 days per yearLikelyStorm Events event-days in 3 of 30 years, 1996 to 2025 (10%)28.32005-11-12 to 2024-11-12 (19 years)countywide
Drought78.9event-days per yearabout 78.9 days per yearPossibleStorm Events event-days in 1 of 30 years, 1996 to 2025 (3.33%)2,7162000 to 2025 (25.25 years; D3 and D4 only)countywide
Earthquake0.000617annual probability at a locationchance a given location in the county has at least minor-damage shaking in a year: 0.0617%not shownmodeledsee B1-fNo descriptor (Storm Events does not record earthquakes).
Hail4events per yearabout 4 per yearHighly likelyFEMA annualized frequency (modeled)152.2 (modeled)1986 to 2023 (38 years)countywide
Heat Wave0.895event-days per yearabout 0.895 days per yearStorm Events event-days in 0 of 30 years, 1996 to 2025 (0%)102005-11-12 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 Flooding2.64event-days per yearabout 2.64 days per yearLikelyStorm Events event-days in 23 of 30 years, 1996 to 2025 (76.7%)741996 to 2023 (28 years)see B1-f
Landslide0.497events per year (modeled)about 1 in 2 yearsLikelyFEMA annualized frequency (modeled)not shownmodeledsee B1-f
Lightning50.7days per year with a strikeabout 50.7 days per yearHighly likelyFEMA annualized frequency (modeled)not shown1995 to 2023 (29 years; CONUS)countywide
Strong Wind0.545events per yearabout 0.55 per yearLikelyFEMA annualized frequency (modeled)211986 to 2023 (38 years)countywide
Tornado0.73events per yearabout 0.73 per yearLikelyFEMA annualized frequency (modeled)not shown1950 to 2023 (EF2+); 1986 to 2023 (EF0-1)see B1-f
Volcanic Activity0.0001annual probabilityabout 1 in 10,000 yearsUnlikelyFEMA annualized frequency (modeled)not shownmodeledsee B1-f
Wildfire0.0016annual probability at a locationchance a given location in the county burns in a year: 0.16%LikelyStorm Events records in 8 of 30 years, 1996 to 2025 (26.7%)not shownmodeledsee B1-f
Winter Weather12.2event-days per yearabout 12.2 days per yearHighly likelyStorm Events event-days in 30 of 30 years, 1996 to 2025 (100%)2322005-11-12 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 (none for earthquake). The Methods page gives each hazard's method, from FEMA's National Risk Index Technical Documentation v1.20.

Where NRI gives event-days, the descriptor comes from the share of years with a Storm Events record; NRI's source records more events, so the two differ.

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 2025287309.57
Hail2.00 in+1996 to 202526300.867
Thunderstorm Wind (counted as NRI Strong Wind)50-64 kt1996 to 202593303.1
Thunderstorm Wind (counted as NRI Strong Wind)65 kt+1996 to 202512300.4
Thunderstorm Wind (counted as NRI Strong Wind)unmeasured or below 50 kt1996 to 20251300.0333
TornadoEF0-11996 to 202511300.367
TornadoEF2-31996 to 20250300
TornadoEF4-51996 to 20250300
Tornadounrated (EFU)1996 to 20251300.0333

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

Range of census tract risk within the county

Source: 5

HazardTractsrated of allNRI risk score, 0 to 100Tracts by rating
MinMedianMax
Avalanche3 of 583.53.64.1Very Low 3, Not Applicable 55
Cold Wave58 of 5816.273.091.9Relatively High 20, Relatively Moderate 36, Relatively Low 1, Very Low 1
Drought15 of 5870.281.996.9Relatively Moderate 2, Relatively Low 8, Very Low 5, No Rating 43
Earthquake58 of 582.125.566.5Relatively Low 8, Very Low 50
Hail58 of 5859.588.199.8Very High 3, Relatively High 25, Relatively Moderate 29, Relatively Low 1
Heat Wave58 of 581.69.731.1Relatively Low 9, Very Low 49
Hurricane0 of 58Not Applicable 58
Ice Storm58 of 580.56.428.7Very Low 58
Inland Flooding58 of 580.416.890.4Relatively High 5, Relatively Moderate 5, Relatively Low 23, Very Low 25
Landslide48 of 588.712.990.4Relatively Low 2, Very Low 46, No Rating 10
Lightning58 of 580.496.099.6Very High 30, Relatively High 26, Relatively Low 1, Very Low 1
Strong Wind58 of 583.144.072.4Relatively Moderate 13, Relatively Low 44, Very Low 1
Tornado58 of 583.242.766.0Relatively Moderate 8, Relatively Low 49, Very Low 1
Volcanic Activity5 of 5840.140.941.3Very Low 5, No Rating 53
Wildfire53 of 5822.468.698.4Relatively High 3, Relatively Moderate 8, Relatively Low 15, Very Low 27, No Rating 5
Winter Weather58 of 5816.094.499.1Very High 22, Relatively High 34, Relatively Moderate 1, Very Low 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).

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
Pueblo CountyCountyApproved, expires 2029-11-04FMA RL 0, SRL 0; any 2$364,702.890 total; 0 since its planIncludes $364,702.89 for declarations not counted as hazard incidents (DR-4498-CO).
Colorado City CDPUnincorporatedApproved, expires 2029-11-04no Public Assistance recorded61 total; 1 since its planNo NFIP community ID on this jurisdiction's plan row.
Pueblo cityCityApproved, expires 2029-11-04FMA RL 0, SRL 0; any 1$673,753.77231 total; 3 since its plan
Pueblo West CDPUnincorporatedApproved, expires 2029-11-04no Public Assistance recorded134 total; 4 since its planNo NFIP community ID on this jurisdiction's plan row.

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

School districts and special districts get a plan clock row only.

County Public Assistance in B1-d also includes applicants filed under the county that are not jurisdictions in this plan (for example state agencies, special districts and nonprofits), so the jurisdiction rows add up to less.

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 2024-11-05county-coded records, property plus crops, nominal dollarsZone-level damage since planproperty plus crops, reported for the zonePublic Assistance since plannominal dollars; see noteNote
Avalanche$323,723n/aunder 1under $1n/a$8under 0.0001%
Cold Wave$28,060,009,972$67,010,844168,034$17,997$87,290$7,963,369under 0.0001%
Droughtn/a$15,610,549n/an/a$260,606n/a1.67% (agriculture)NRI has no building exposure for this hazard; agriculture shown
Earthquake$49,496,912,692n/a168,162$511,831n/a$144,8450.00103%
Hail$28,060,009,972$67,010,844168,034$4,599,771$1,705,771$376,7500.0164%$0
Heat Wave$28,060,009,972$67,010,844168,034$96$1,720$485,737under 0.0001%
HurricaneNot Applicable in NRI for this county
Ice Storm$28,060,009,972n/a168,034$25,290n/a$11,464under 0.0001%
Inland Flooding$28,058,415,610$7,348,1711,210$19,188,218$489,028$977,857n/a (see note)$0no Public Assistance recorded (1 declaration)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$203,775,373n/a802$960n/a$2750.000471%no Public Assistance recorded (1 declaration)
Lightning$28,060,009,972n/a168,034$30,852n/a$4,266,3600.00011%
Strong Wind$28,060,009,972$67,010,844168,034$235,467$99$622,1910.000839%$0
Tornado$28,060,009,972$67,010,844168,034$1,169,422$3,394$1,528,0920.00417%
Volcanic Activity$28,060,009,972n/a168,034under $1n/aunder $1under 0.0001%
Wildfire$4,411,863,335$39,365,45034,113$2,021,158$178$131,2270.0458%no Public Assistance recorded (2 declarations)
Winter Weather$28,060,009,972$67,010,844168,034$85,158$52$1,472,1230.000303%$0

Totals since 2024-11-05 (Storm Events through 2026-06-30): 17 county-coded records, 6 with a damage value recorded (including $0), $0; 24 zone-level records, 24 with a damage value recorded (including $0), $0 reported for the zone; Public Assistance: none recorded on the 2 counted declarations.

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
Population168,034
Building value (total, not at risk)$28,060,009,972
Agriculture value (total, not at risk)$67,010,844
NRI risk rating (all hazards)Relatively Moderate
Expected annual loss, buildings and agriculture, all hazards$30,434,357
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)$17,980,297
Social vulnerability ratingRelatively Moderate
Community resilience ratingRelatively High
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 definition3Severe 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 total0030300
of which: Pueblo County (unincorporated area)0020200
of which: Pueblo city0010100
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
Pueblo County0801470020200
Pueblo city0850770010100

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

Sources: 1, 4

Occupancy groupRL, FMApropertiesSRL, FMApropertiesRL, NFIPpropertiesSRL, NFIPpropertiesAny categorypropertiesMitigatedpropertiesCurrently insuredproperties
single-family residential0020200
2 to 4 unit residential0000000
other residential0000000
non-residential0010100
not reported0000000

FEMA's occupancy groups have no institutional class; institutional properties are counted in non-residential or other residential in the table by occupancy group.

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 3 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)

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). Pueblo County, CO: risk-assessment baseline packet, release 2026-10 (data as of 2026-09-30; County FIPS 08101). Automated baseline. https://hazardplain.org/co/08101/ 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: [email protected]