Baca County, CO Environment & Hazard Risk
Very Low natural hazard risk, led by drought. 674 storm events since 1996.
- Expected yearly loss
- $4.71M
- Very Low nationally
- Storm events since 1996
- 674
- Most often hail
- Hurricanes nearby
- 0
- Since 1851
Natural hazard risk
FEMA National Risk Index, December 2025
Overall risk
Very Low
Score 23.2 of 100
Social vulnerability
Very High
Score 95.8 of 100
Community resilience
Very Low
Score 11.4 of 100
Community resilience runs the other way: a higher rating means a community can recover faster.
Building value exposed: $935M · Agriculture value exposed: $147M · Risk-adjusted yearly loss: $8.37M
Risk by hazard
- DroughtRelatively High$2.23M/yr expected annual loss, about 138 events a year
- WildfireRelatively Low$255K/yr expected annual loss, about once every 292 years
- HailRelatively Low$345K/yr expected annual loss, about 4.3 events a year
- Strong windRelatively Moderate$489K/yr expected annual loss, about 1.7 events a year
- LightningRelatively Moderate$185K/yr expected annual loss, about 46 events a year
- Winter weatherRelatively Low$38.42K/yr expected annual loss, about 8.5 events a year
- Cold waveRelatively Low$356K/yr expected annual loss, about 1.7 events a year
- TornadoRelatively Low$235K/yr expected annual loss, about 1.3 events a year
- Ice stormVery Low$13.6K/yr expected annual loss, about once every 12 years
- EarthquakeVery Low$15.79K/yr expected annual loss, about once every 2,283 years
- LandslideVery Low$5/yr expected annual loss, about once every 3 years
- Heat waveVery Low$2,253/yr expected annual loss, about once every 9 years
Bars show the national percentile score (0 to 100) for each hazard. Dollar figures are expected annual losses to buildings, people and crops. Not rated here: avalanche, coastal flooding, hurricane, riverine flooding, tsunami, volcanic activity.
Flood risk and insurance
National Flood Insurance Program and FEMA flood maps
Check the flood zone for an address
- Homes in high-risk flood zones
- 0
Storm history
Since 1996: 674 events, 1 death, $2.86M in damage
- Hail360
- High Wind96
- Thunderstorm Wind93 · 1 death
- Tornado47
- Funnel Cloud15
- Heavy Snow14
- Winter Storm13
- Flash Flood10
- Wildfire7
- Heavy Rain7
Events per year
84 tornadoes on record (EF0 15, EF1 4, EF2 2, F0 38, F1 16, F2 2, F4 1).
Most damaging storms
Since 1996, ranked by deaths, injuries and damage
- Thunderstorm Wind95 kt wind07/30/2014
Vilas, Baca County
1 death, $30K damage
What happened
High end EF1 damage occurred with a very compact microburst. A manufactured home was completely destroyed, along with three power poles.
- Thunderstorm Wind70 kt wind06/25/2017
Walsh, Baca County
2 injured, $2M damage
What happened
Trees and tree limbs down, causing damage to power lines, structures and vehicles. Two people sustained very minor injuries.
- Hail2.75" hail05/23/2010
Springfield, Baca County
$250K damage
What happened
Damaging large hail occurred in Springfield and north-northwest of town over a half hour time frame.
- TornadoF2, 5 mi path, 200 yd wide05/15/2003
Springfield, Baca County
$125K damage
What happened
A tornado moved northeast across a rural area, but did strike the county gravel pit and a few ranches. Approximately 1 1/2 miles of utility poles were brought down by the tornado and rear flank downdraft along U.S. Highway 160. At the gravel pit north of the highway, gravel screening machinery sustained heavy damage. Farther to the northeast a sheet metal building with a steel girder frame was a total loss.
- Hail1.75" hail09/24/2004
Springfield, Baca County
$100K damage
- TornadoEF2, 9.24 mi path, 300 yd wide06/01/2010
Campo, Baca County
$30K damage
What happened
A tornado moved southeast, crossing US Highway 287 south of Campo. Eight power poles were snapped off west of the highway and on County Road C. Two windmills were also hit, and a storage shed was tipped over and moved 20 feet. The tornado ended shortly before the Oklahoma state line.
Latest storm reports
Newest first
- Thunderstorm Wind55 kt wind07/31/2026
Springfield, Baca County
- Thunderstorm Wind55 kt wind07/11/2026
(Kspd)springfield Awos, Baca County
- Thunderstorm Wind52 kt wind07/02/2026
Springfield, Baca County
- High Wind61 kt wind03/15/2026
Springfield Vicinity / Baca County
- High Wind50 kt wind01/16/2026
Springfield Vicinity / Baca County
- Heavy Snow01/09/2026
Springfield Vicinity / Baca County
- Hail1.75" hail09/10/2025
Springfield, Baca County
- Flash Flood08/29/2025
Stonington, Baca County
Drinking water
6 community water systems serve about 2,504 people. Violations since 2021.
4 systems had health-based violations, such as a contaminant over the legal limit or a missed treatment step. 1 system had a violation of any kind still open at last report.
- Springfield Town ofServes 1,378 · Groundwater · Local government1 health violation+3 monitoring or reporting
- Walsh Town ofServes 650 · Groundwater · Local government15 health violations+4 monitoring or reporting
- Campo Town ofServes 150 · Groundwater · Local governmentNo health violations
- Vilas Town ofServes 137 · Groundwater · Local governmentNo health violations+8 monitoring or reporting
- Pritchett Town ofServes 125 · Groundwater · Local government11 health violations
- Two Buttes Town ofServes 64 · Groundwater · Local government9 health violations+25 monitoring or reporting
Largest systems by population served. Monitoring and reporting violations mean required tests or notices were late or missing, not that the water was unsafe.
Climate
1991-2020 normals at Springfield Comanche, 4.3 mi from the county center
Summer highs peak around 91°F in Jul and winter lows bottom out near 17°F in Jan. About 15.2 inches of rain falls in a typical year.
| Month | High | Low | Rain |
|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 48°F | 17°F | 0.30 in |
| Feb | 50°F | 19°F | 0.32 in |
| Mar | 59°F | 27°F | 0.91 in |
| Apr | 66°F | 34°F | 1.33 in |
| May | 76°F | 45°F | 1.75 in |
| Jun | 87°F | 55°F | 1.85 in |
| Jul | 91°F | 61°F | 2.81 in |
| Aug | 88°F | 59°F | 2.53 in |
| Sep | 81°F | 51°F | 1.38 in |
| Oct | 69°F | 37°F | 1.02 in |
| Nov | 57°F | 25°F | 0.43 in |
| Dec | 47°F | 18°F | 0.58 in |
| Year | 53°F average | 15.2 in | |
Pollution sites
0 Superfund sites and 0 toxic release facilities in Baca County
No Superfund sites or toxic release facilities in Baca County in our data.
Superfund sitesToxic release facilitiesEPA inspections and enforcementAir toxics cancer risk3 historic places
Frequently asked questions
- How risky is Baca County for natural disasters?
- FEMA rates Baca County very low for overall natural hazard risk, with expected losses of $4.71M a year. The highest-rated hazards are drought (relatively high), wildfire (relatively low), hail (relatively low).
- What storms are most common in Baca County?
- Since 1996, NOAA recorded 674 storm events affecting Baca County, most often hail (360), high wind (96), thunderstorm wind (93).
- How many tornadoes have hit Baca County?
- 84 tornadoes have been recorded in Baca County since 1950, including 1 rated F3/EF3 or stronger.
- What is the weather like in Baca County?
- At Springfield Comanche, average highs reach 91°F in Jul and lows fall to 17°F in Jan, with 15.2 inches of rain a year (1991-2020 normals).
Source: FEMA (National Risk Index, NFIP), NOAA (Storm Events, HURDAT2, Climate Normals), EPA · Last updated 08/01/2026 · Storm counts include events in forecast zones that touch the county. This product uses the FEMA OpenFEMA API, but is not endorsed by FEMA.