Clear Creek County, Colorado severe weather history spans 35 recorded events between 1971 and 2023. The dominant hazard is hail, accounting for 51.4% of all recorded events. It ranks #3,097 nationally and #53 in Colorado.
35
Recorded events
0
Direct deaths
13
Direct injuries
$256K
Property damage
The record
What the Clear Creek County, Colorado severe weather history record shows
Across the archive, Clear Creek County, Colorado severe weather history averages 0.7 recorded events a year. The busiest stretch on record is the 2000s, with 13 events logged in that decade alone. Roughly 4 events fall before 1990 and 31 from 1990 onward — a gap that reflects the expansion of NOAA reporting practice as much as the weather itself.
The costliest is flash flood, with $256K in reported property damage. In total, 6 distinct hazard types appear in this county archive, each listed with its own dated record below.
By hazard type
Every hazard type recorded in Clear Creek County
| Hazard | Events | Deaths | Damage | Max | Span |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Hail | 18 | 0 | $0 | 2 | 1971–2023 |
| Flash Flood | 7 | 0 | $256K | 0 | 1998–2013 |
| Lightning | 4 | 0 | $0 | 0 | 2000–2015 |
| Tornado | 2 | 0 | $0 | EF0 | 2007–2012 |
| Thunderstorm Wind | 2 | 0 | $0 | 63 | 2006–2023 |
| Heavy Rain | 2 | 0 | $0 | 0 | 1999–2019 |
Decade by decade
Clear Creek County, Colorado severe weather history by decade
Reporting practice changed over time — early decades are undercounted, not calmer.
Tornado tracks
Paths crossing this county
2 mapped tornado paths intersect this county: 2 touched down inside it and 0 crossed in from a neighbouring county. This comes from path geometry, not county-tagged reports.
| Date | Scale | Deaths | Injuries | Path length | Origin |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2012-07-28 | EF0 | 0 | 0 | 0.1 mi | Touched down here |
| 2007-08-18 | EF0 | 0 | 0 | 0.1 mi | Touched down here |
Significant events
Deadliest events on record in Clear Creek County
| Date | Type | Location | Deaths | Injuries | Damage |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jun 28, 2015 | Lightning | GUANELLA PASS | 0 | 8 | $0 |
| Jul 17, 2000 | Lightning | IDAHO SPGS | 0 | 2 | $0 |
| Jul 8, 2000 | Lightning | IDAHO SPGS | 0 | 2 | $0 |
| Aug 16, 2003 | Lightning | GEORGETOWN | 0 | 1 | $0 |
From the record
What the reports say
Written by National Weather Service staff at the time of the event · public domain
Three people were transported to Denver-area hospitals after a lightning strike 500 feet below the summit of Mt. Bierstadt. A total of fifteen people were hit by lightning. Eight adults were were transported from the trailhead, and that three of those were taken to Denver-area hospitals. One of them was in serious condition, the other two had non-life threatening injuries. A dog was also killed.
Very heavy rain washed out parts of Virginia Canyon Road near Idaho Springs. Up to 4 feet of mud reportedly washed down the road during the storm. Several vehicles were stuck on the road. In Idaho Springs, several streets including the main street, were also buried by mud and gravel. Some buildings in town also experienced minor flooding, including the basement of the town library and the police station.
Two men were struck by lightning while climbing just below the summit of Mount Evans. The lightning hit a boulder that had taken shelter under, then struck them. One man suffered second degree burns to his left arm, the other suffered burns to his legs, arms and back.
Context
Risk, population and federal disasters
Relatively Low
FEMA NRI risk rating
9,262
Population (ACS)
$609K
Median home value
9
Federal declarations
| Declared | Incident | Title | Type |
|---|---|---|---|
| Mar 28, 2020 | Biological | COVID-19 PANDEMIC | DR |
| Mar 13, 2020 | Biological | COVID-19 | EM |
| Sep 14, 2013 | Flood | SEVERE STORMS, FLOODING, LANDSLIDES, AND MUDSLIDES | DR |
| Sep 12, 2013 | Flood | SEVERE STORMS, FLOODING, LANDSLIDES, AND MUDSLIDES | EM |
| Sep 5, 2005 | Coastal Storm | HURRICANE KATRINA EVACUATION | EM |
| Apr 9, 2003 | Snowstorm | SNOW | EM |
Quick answers
Frequently asked
How many severe weather events have been recorded in Clear Creek County, Colorado?
35 events are on record between 1971 and 2023, causing 0 direct deaths and $256K in property damage.
What is the most common severe weather hazard in Clear Creek County?
Hail, with 18 recorded events — 51.4% of everything in the archive for this county.
How many tornadoes have crossed Clear Creek County?
2 mapped tornado paths intersect the county boundary; 2 of them touched down inside it. This is derived from path geometry, not county-tagged reports.
How many federal disaster declarations cover Clear Creek County?
9 federal disaster declarations from FEMA include Clear Creek County, each tied to a specific incident period.
How risky is Clear Creek County compared with the rest of the country?
FEMA's National Risk Index rates Clear Creek County as relatively low risk, placing it in the 47 percentile of its state for expected annual loss.
Where does the Clear Creek County, Colorado severe weather history data come from?
Every figure is drawn from United States federal public-domain records: NOAA/NCEI Storm Events for the event archive, NOAA SPC SVRGIS for mapped tornado paths, FEMA for disaster declarations and risk ratings, and the U.S. Census for population context. Dates are shown in UTC and recent entries may still be revised by NOAA.
Nearby
Neighbouring counties
- Conejos County 14
- Cheyenne County 851
- Costilla County 24
- Chaffee County 48
- Broomfield County 48
- Crowley County 157
Cite this page
“Clear Creek County, Colorado.” Severe Weather History. severeweatherhistory.com/county/colorado/clear-creek-county/ · Data: NOAA/NCEI, FEMA, U.S. Census — public domain.