Elbert County, CO Environment & Hazard Risk

• WildfireRelatively Moderate$5.1M/yr expected annual loss, about once every 592 years
• HailRelatively Moderate$2.3M/yr expected annual loss, about 8.0 events a year
• Winter weatherRelatively Moderate$252K/yr expected annual loss, about 15 events a year
• Cold waveRelatively Low$1.3M/yr expected annual loss, about 1.8 events a year
• TornadoRelatively Low$1.7M/yr expected annual loss, about 2.2 events a year
• LightningRelatively Low$254K/yr expected annual loss, about 53 events a year
• Volcanic activityVery Low$6/yr expected annual loss, about once every 10,000 years
• DroughtRelatively Low$54.5K/yr expected annual loss, about 43 events a year
• LandslideVery Low$523/yr expected annual loss, about once every 2 years
• EarthquakeVery Low$133K/yr expected annual loss, about once every 1,736 years
• Strong windRelatively Low$390K/yr expected annual loss, about 1.2 events a year
• Ice stormVery Low$22.7K/yr expected annual loss, about once every 35 years
• Heat waveVery Low$23.1K/yr expected annual loss, about once every 3 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.

Check the flood zone for an address

Homes with flood insurance

17 of 10,545 (0.2%)

Homes in high-risk flood zones

46

Insured in high-risk zones

5 (11%)

Flood claims since 1978

2

• Hail498
• Winter Weather116 · 2 deaths
• High Wind111 · 2 deaths
• Winter Storm93 · 1 death
• Tornado80
• Thunderstorm Wind78
• Blizzard49
• Heavy Snow41
• Flash Flood22
• Drought13

• Winter Weather12/19/2011

  N & NE Elbert County Below 6000 Feet / N Lincoln County

  2 deaths, 8 injured

  What happened

  A winter storm brought heavy snow to southern Lincoln County. Trained spotters in and around Karval measured 7 to 10 inches of snowfall. In northern Lincoln County the combination of light snow and freezing drizzle produced extremely hazardous road conditions and caused numerous accidents. The accidents involved 20 to 30 vehicles along Interstate 70, from around Bennett to east of Hugo. The driver and an inmate of a 15-passenger van operated by the Department of Corrections were killed when she lost control of the van and it rolled over. The accident occurred about 5 miles east of Limon. Another driver was killed when he lost control of his vehicle and rolled it several times, between Manila Road and Bennett.

• High Wind50 kt wind01/19/2009

  N & NE Elbert County Below 6000 Feet / N Lincoln County

  2 deaths, 6 injured, $250K damage

  What happened

  Strong northwest winds gusting to 58 mph occurred over northern Lincoln County. The combination of strong winds and very dry conditions caused areas of blowing dust and dirt to create brownout conditions. As a result, visibilities were restricted to near zero along sections of Interstate 70. Along the interstate near Genoa, eight passenger cars and six tractor-trailer trucks were involved in a collision. Two people were killed and at least 6 others were injured, one seriously. The multi-vehicle collison forced the closure of the interstate for several hours.

• Winter Weather11/15/2010

  Elbert / C & E Douglas Counties Above 6000 Feet

  18 injured

  What happened

  A combination of light snow, blowing snow, black ice and careless driving resulted in a 34-vehicle crash along Interstate 25 near Monument. Five tractor-trailers were involved in the pileup. Although there were no fatalities, 18 people were seriously injured and taken to nearby hospitals. The northbound lanes of the interstate were closed for several hours, snarling traffic between Denver and Colorado Springs.

• Blizzard03/18/2003

  Elbert / C & E Douglas Counties Above 6000 Feet

  $15.5M damage

  What happened

  A very moist, intense and slow moving Pacific storm system made its way across the four corners area and into southeastern Colorado from March 17th to the 19th, allowing for a deep easterly upslope flow to form along the Front Range. The storm dumped 31.8 inches of snow at the former Stapleton International Airport, good enough for second place in the Denver weather history record book. The storm also managed to vault March 2003 into first place for the snowiest March in Denver history and fifth place for the wettest March on record. In addition, the storm allowed the month of March to break a streak of 19 consecutive months of below normal precipitation in Denver. The mayor of Denver said, "This is the storm of the century, a backbreaker, a record breaker, a roof breaker." The heavy wet snow caused roofs of homes and businesses to collapse across the Urban Corridor. The snow also downed trees, branches and power lines. Up to 135,000 people lost power at some point during the storms and it took several days, in some areas, to restore power. Avalanches in the mountains and foothills closed many roadways, including Interstate 70 in both directions, stranding hundreds of...

• Dust Storm01/15/2021

  N & NE Elbert County Below 6000 Feet / N Lincoln County

  1 death

  What happened

  Strong winds produced near zero visibility along Interstate 70. Multiple accidents along|I-70 forced its closure due to strong winds and near zero visibility in blowing dust. There was one fatality, with another 15 transported to Limon Hospital. US 287/40 was also closed due to the hazardous travel conditions.

• Winter Storm10/10/2005

  N & NE Elbert County Below 6000 Feet / N Lincoln County

  1 death

  What happened

  A significant winter storm occurred across north central and northeast Colorado. This system brought heavy, wet snowfall to the Front Range mountains, foothills and portions of the Denver metro area and Palmer Divide. Accumulations ranged from 8 to 24 inches. The heaviest snow occurred in the areas between Watkins, Kiowa and Deer Trail. Since many trees had not yet shed their leaves, significant tree damage occurred. One woman in Denver was killed when tree branch, 8 to 10 inches in diameter, snapped under the weight of the snow and struck her as she was shoveling her driveway. Most major roads were closed including Interstate 70, between Denver and Limon, as well as portions of highways 24, 36, 71 and 86, east and southeast of Denver. The Red Cross opened 4 shelters for people who were stranded along I-70 in eastern Colorado. Xcel energy reported power outages to approximately 35,000 customers. Several incoming flights were delayed at Denver International Airport. Snow drifts were 3 to 4 feet deep in spots.While many areas received heavy snow, others experienced almost entirely rain. This included areas from the northwestern sections of the Denver metro area...

• Elizabeth Town ofServes 4,523 · Groundwater · Local governmentNo health violations
• Spring Valley MD No 1Serves 1,788 · Groundwater · PrivateNo health violations+1 monitoring or reporting
• Elbert County Hwy 86 WdServes 1,040 · Groundwater · Local governmentNo health violations+4 monitoring or reporting
• Kiowa Water and Wastewater AuthorityServes 910 · Groundwater · Local governmentNo health violations+3 monitoring or reporting
• Deer Creek WdServes 792 · Groundwater · Private1 health violation+3 monitoring or reporting
• Simla Town ofServes 618 · Groundwater · Local governmentNo health violations+1 monitoring or reporting
• Independence WsdServes 567 · Groundwater · PrivateNo health violations+5 monitoring or reporting
• Elkhorn Ranch MD No 1Serves 530 · Groundwater · PrivateNo health violations