1,548
Recorded events
59
Counties affected
29
Direct deaths
$433.4M
Property damage
Colorado flash flood history: 1,548 recorded events across 59 counties between 1996 and 2025.
Decade by decade
Colorado flash flood history by decade
The 2010s are the busiest decade on record with 603 reported flash flood events across Colorado. Earlier decades are thinner because systematic reporting for this hazard expanded over time, not because the weather was calmer.
County ranking
Counties with the most flash flood events in Colorado
| Rank | County | Events | Deaths | Damage | Span |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| #1 | El Paso County | 182 | 4 | $50.0M | 1996–2025 |
| #2 | Pueblo County | 103 | 1 | $2.6M | 1996–2025 |
| #3 | Larimer County | 74 | 13 | $192.1M | 1997–2024 |
| #4 | Mesa County | 70 | 0 | $805K | 1997–2025 |
| #5 | La Plata County | 64 | 0 | $6.9M | 1996–2022 |
| #6 | Huerfano County | 61 | 0 | $8K | 2000–2024 |
| #7 | Fremont County | 56 | 0 | $3.0M | 1996–2025 |
| #8 | Garfield County | 42 | 1 | $748K | 1997–2023 |
| #9 | Weld County | 42 | 0 | $1.5M | 1996–2025 |
| #10 | Douglas County | 41 | 0 | $13.5M | 1998–2024 |
| #11 | Kit Carson County | 36 | 0 | $114K | 1998–2024 |
| #12 | Arapahoe County | 36 | 2 | $855K | 1997–2023 |
| #13 | Jefferson County | 35 | 3 | $128.9M | 1996–2023 |
| #14 | Yuma County | 33 | 0 | $170K | 1996–2024 |
| #15 | Morgan County | 32 | 0 | $2.6M | 1997–2024 |
| #16 | Rio Blanco County | 31 | 0 | $333K | 1996–2025 |
| #17 | Boulder County | 31 | 4 | $835K | 1997–2021 |
| #18 | San Miguel County | 28 | 0 | $584K | 1996–2021 |
| #19 | Prowers County | 28 | 0 | $70K | 1996–2023 |
| #20 | Otero County | 27 | 0 | $50K | 1997–2024 |
| #21 | Cheyenne County | 27 | 0 | $231K | 1998–2025 |
| #22 | Teller County | 25 | 0 | $510K | 1997–2022 |
| #23 | Pitkin County | 25 | 0 | $232K | 1997–2022 |
| #24 | Washington County | 24 | 0 | $370K | 1996–2023 |
| #25 | Denver County | 24 | 0 | $1.9M | 1997–2024 |
Significant events
Deadliest flash flood events in Colorado
| Date | County | Scale | Deaths | Injuries |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jul 29, 1997 | Larimer County | — | 5 | 40 |
| Jul 20, 2021 | Larimer County | — | 4 | 0 |
| Sep 12, 2013 | Boulder County | — | 3 | 2 |
| Sep 12, 2013 | Larimer County | — | 2 | 0 |
| Jun 21, 2005 | El Paso County | — | 2 | 0 |
| Jul 15, 2022 | Larimer County | — | 2 | 0 |
| Jul 13, 1996 | Jefferson County | — | 2 | 0 |
| Sep 12, 2013 | Boulder County | — | 1 | 0 |
| Aug 9, 2013 | El Paso County | — | 1 | 3 |
| Sep 15, 2013 | El Paso County | — | 1 | 0 |