How risky is Lake County for natural disasters?

FEMA rates Lake County very low for overall natural hazard risk, with expected losses of $4.39M a year. The highest-rated hazards are landslide (relatively moderate), avalanche (relatively high), lightning (relatively low).

What storms are most common in Lake County?

Since 1996, NOAA recorded 491 storm events affecting Lake County, most often winter storm (244), heavy snow (145), winter weather (42).

How many homes in Lake County have flood insurance?

8 residential flood insurance policies are in force in Lake County, covering about 0.2% of homes. The program has paid $2,582 on 1 claim here since 1978.

What is the weather like in Lake County?

At Leadville Lake CO AP, average highs reach 71°F in Jul and lows fall to 5°F in Jan, with 13.5 inches of rain a year (1991-2020 normals).

Risk: Very Low

Lake County, CO Environment & Hazard Risk

Very Low natural hazard risk, led by landslide. 491 storm events since 1996.

Expected yearly loss: $4.39M; Very Low nationally
Storm events since 1996: 491; Most often winter storm
Flood insurance policies: 8; 0.2% of homes
Hurricanes nearby: 0; Since 1851

Natural hazard risk

FEMA National Risk Index, December 2025

Overall risk

Very Low

Score 5.7 of 100

Social vulnerability

Very Low

Score 10.6 of 100

Community resilience

Very Low

Score 18.1 of 100

Community resilience runs the other way: a higher rating means a community can recover faster.

Building value exposed: $1.5B · Risk-adjusted yearly loss: $3.4M

Risk by hazard

LandslideRelatively Moderate$162K/yr expected annual loss, about once every 4 years
AvalancheRelatively High$2.13M/yr expected annual loss, about once every 8 years
LightningRelatively Low$204K/yr expected annual loss, about 55 events a year
EarthquakeVery Low$93.91K/yr expected annual loss, about once every 995 years
Volcanic activityVery Low$2/yr expected annual loss, about once every 10,000 years
WildfireVery Low$13.01K/yr expected annual loss, about once every 6,328 years
Winter weatherVery Low$21.85K/yr expected annual loss, about 32 events a year
HailVery Low$83.87K/yr expected annual loss, about 1.1 events a year
TornadoVery Low$65.38K/yr expected annual loss, about once every 47 years
Cold waveVery Low$5,925/yr expected annual loss, about once every 1 year
Ice stormVery Low$1,855/yr expected annual loss, about once every 67 years
Strong windVery Low$22.89K/yr expected annual loss, about once every 4 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: coastal flooding, drought, heat wave, hurricane, riverine flooding, tsunami.

Flood risk and insurance

National Flood Insurance Program and FEMA flood maps

Check the flood zone for an address

Homes with flood insurance: 8 of 4,001 (0.2%)
Homes in high-risk flood zones: 0
Flood claims since 1978: 1
Claims paid since 1978: $2,582

Storm history

Since 1996: 491 events, 6 deaths, $15K in damage

Winter Storm244
Heavy Snow145
Winter Weather42
High Wind38
Avalanche5 · 5 deaths
Lightning5
Blizzard5
Drought3
Hail1
Wildfire1

Events per year

Most damaging storms

Since 1996, ranked by deaths, injuries and damage

Avalanche02/16/2014
Eastern Sawatch Mountains Above 11000 Ft
2 deaths, 3 injured
What happened
Two skiers were killed and three other skiers were injured in an avalanche which occurred around one mile west of the La Plata parking area and eight miles west of Twin Lakes. The bodies were recovered the day after the avalanche occurred.
Avalanche03/20/2004
Eastern Sawatch Mountains Above 11000 Ft
1 death, 1 injured
What happened
Three snowshoers were involved in an avalanche, initiated by them, on La Plata Peak, about 11 miles west of Granite in northwest Chaffee county. A 22-year old Colorado Springs man died in the avalanche, which was a couple hundred feet wide and around 1600 feet long. He was buried in about 6 feet of snow, and his body was recovered the following day around 11:45 a.m. A companion was treated for injuries at a local hospital.
Debris Flow06/30/2011
Eastern Sawatch Mountains Above 11000 Ft
1 death
What happened
A thunderstorm and accompanying heavy rain causes a small landslide that killed a hiker near the summit of Mt. Princeton.
Avalanche02/05/2016
Eastern Sawatch Mountains Above 11000 Ft
1 death
What happened
A snow biker died in an avalanche near the summit of Cottonwood Pass.
Avalanche04/09/2004
Eastern Sawatch Mountains Above 11000 Ft
1 death
What happened
An avalanche took the life of a 24-year old man from California, on Mt. Huron in Chaffee county, which is 19 miles west-northwest of Buena Vista. Three men triggered the avalanche while snowshoeing and skiing. The avalanche was approximately 1500 feet long and 1500 feet wide. The man was buried under about six feet of snow, while his companions were able to get out of the way of the quickly advancing snow.
Lightning07/04/1998
Leadville, Lake County
2 injured, $1,000 damage
What happened
Lightning struck a telephone junction box and traveled through the phone lines into two residences, destroying the phones and scorching the interior walls near the phones. One person in each residence was knocked down by the lightning strike, each receiving only very minor injuries.

Latest storm reports

Newest first

Heavy Snow03/06/2026
Leadville Vicinity / Lake County Below 11000 Ft
Heavy Snow01/23/2026
Eastern Sawatch Mountains Above 11000 Ft
Heavy Snow01/02/2026
Eastern Sawatch Mountains Above 11000 Ft
Heavy Snow12/06/2025
Leadville Vicinity / Lake County Below 11000 Ft
Heavy Snow12/03/2025
Eastern Sawatch Mountains Above 11000 Ft
Heavy Snow04/18/2025
Leadville Vicinity / Lake County Below 11000 Ft
Heavy Snow04/01/2025
Leadville Vicinity / Lake County Below 11000 Ft
Heavy Snow03/22/2025
Leadville Vicinity / Lake County Below 11000 Ft

Drinking water

7 community water systems serve about 9,071 people. Violations since 2021.

1 system had health-based violations, such as a contaminant over the legal limit or a missed treatment step.

Parkville WdServes 7,500 · Surface water · Local governmentNo health violations+103 monitoring or reporting
Lake Fork MhpServes 487 · Groundwater · PrivateNo health violations+2 monitoring or reporting
Mountain View Village WestServes 440 · Groundwater · PrivateNo health violations+5 monitoring or reporting
Mountain View Village EastServes 226 · Groundwater · PrivateNo health violations+4 monitoring or reporting
Mountain Valley EstatesServes 200 · Groundwater · PrivateNo health violations+1 monitoring or reporting
Mt Elbert WaServes 170 · Groundwater · PrivateNo health violations+17 monitoring or reporting
Moose Haven CondosServes 48 · Groundwater · Private1 health violation+4 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 Leadville Lake CO AP, 1.2 mi from the county center

Summer highs peak around 71°F in Jul and winter lows bottom out near 5°F in Jan. About 13.5 inches of rain falls in a typical year, with 156.9 inches of snow.

Month	High	Low	Rain	Snow
Jan	30°F	5°F	0.99 in	18.8 in
Feb	31°F	6°F	0.91 in	20.1 in
Mar	37°F	12°F	1.02 in	21.1 in
Apr	43°F	19°F	1.36 in	26.6 in
May	54°F	27°F	1.06 in	11.8 in
Jun	66°F	34°F	0.82 in	0.8 in
Jul	71°F	39°F	1.72 in	0.2 in
Aug	68°F	38°F	1.87 in	-
Sep	62°F	32°F	1.13 in	1.0 in
Oct	50°F	24°F	0.90 in	13.8 in
Nov	37°F	13°F	0.86 in	25.1 in
Dec	29°F	5°F	0.88 in	17.6 in
Year	35°F average		13.5 in	156.9 in

Pollution sites

1 Superfund site and 1 toxic release facility in Lake County

Superfund sites

California GulchFinalLeadville

Toxic release facilities

Climax Molybdenum Co-Climax Mine3.1 million lbs released, Climax

Total: 3.1 million lbs in 2024, 855 lbs to air.

Superfund sites Toxic release facilities EPA inspections and enforcement Air toxics cancer risk 6 historic places

Frequently asked questions

How risky is Lake County for natural disasters?: FEMA rates Lake County very low for overall natural hazard risk, with expected losses of $4.39M a year. The highest-rated hazards are landslide (relatively moderate), avalanche (relatively high), lightning (relatively low).
What storms are most common in Lake County?: Since 1996, NOAA recorded 491 storm events affecting Lake County, most often winter storm (244), heavy snow (145), winter weather (42).
How many homes in Lake County have flood insurance?: 8 residential flood insurance policies are in force in Lake County, covering about 0.2% of homes. The program has paid $2,582 on 1 claim here since 1978.
What is the weather like in Lake County?: At Leadville Lake CO AP, average highs reach 71°F in Jul and lows fall to 5°F in Jan, with 13.5 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.

More about Lake County

Data sources

National Risk IndexFederal Emergency Management Agency
OpenFEMA NFIP Policies and ClaimsFederal Emergency Management Agency
Storm Events DatabaseNOAA National Centers for Environmental Information
HURDAT2NOAA National Hurricane Center
U.S. Climate Normals 1991-2020NOAA National Centers for Environmental Information
Superfund Enterprise Management System (SEMS)U.S. Environmental Protection Agency
Toxics Release InventoryU.S. Environmental Protection Agency
Safe Drinking Water Information System (SDWIS)U.S. Environmental Protection Agency

Data as of 08/01/2026

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About this data

Environmental hazards and flood zones: Flood zones, hazard scores and pollution data come from federal and state agencies and are for general information only. They are not an official flood zone determination, environmental assessment or insurance rating. For a property decision, request an official determination from your community floodplain administrator, insurer or a licensed professional. Maps may not show recent changes.

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