Elbert County, Colorado severe weather history spans 805 recorded events between 1951 and 2025. The dominant hazard is hail, accounting for 69.2% of all recorded events. It ranks #287 nationally and #13 in Colorado.
805
Recorded events
0
Direct deaths
7
Direct injuries
$921K
Property damage
The record
What the Elbert County, Colorado severe weather history record shows
Across the archive, Elbert County, Colorado severe weather history averages 10.9 recorded events a year. The busiest stretch on record is the 2010s, with 243 events logged in that decade alone. Roughly 79 events fall before 1990 and 726 from 1990 onward — a gap that reflects the expansion of NOAA reporting practice as much as the weather itself.
The costliest is tornado, with $586K in reported property damage. In total, 7 distinct hazard types appear in this county archive, each listed with its own dated record below.
By hazard type
Every hazard type recorded in Elbert County
| Hazard | Events | Deaths | Damage | Max | Span |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Hail | 557 | 0 | $10K | 4.5 | 1957–2025 |
| Tornado | 127 | 0 | $586K | F3 | 1951–2025 |
| Thunderstorm Wind | 91 | 0 | $41K | 76 | 1958–2025 |
| Flash Flood | 22 | 0 | $215K | 0 | 1997–2024 |
| Lightning | 4 | 0 | $5K | 0 | 1997–2019 |
| Flood | 3 | 0 | $65K | 0 | 2015–2024 |
| Heavy Rain | 1 | 0 | $0 | 0 | 1997–1997 |
Decade by decade
Elbert County, Colorado severe weather history by decade
Reporting practice changed over time — early decades are undercounted, not calmer.
Tornado tracks
Paths crossing this county
142 mapped tornado paths intersect this county: 141 touched down inside it and 1 crossed in from a neighbouring county. This comes from path geometry, not county-tagged reports.
| Date | Scale | Deaths | Injuries | Path length | Origin |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1990-06-06 | EF3 | 0 | 0 | 7.0 mi | Touched down here |
| 2025-05-18 | EF2 | 0 | 0 | 0.9 mi | Touched down here |
| 2012-06-07 | EF2 | 0 | 0 | 7.5 mi | Touched down here |
| 2009-06-15 | EF2 | 0 | 0 | 4.0 mi | Touched down here |
| 2004-05-10 | EF2 | 0 | 0 | 6.0 mi | Touched down here |
| 1983-06-04 | EF2 | 0 | 0 | 8.0 mi | Touched down here |
| 1982-06-14 | EF2 | 0 | 0 | 2.0 mi | Touched down here |
| 1982-05-29 | EF2 | 0 | 0 | 1.0 mi | Touched down here |
| 2018-07-27 | EF1 | 0 | 0 | 1.2 mi | Touched down here |
| 2015-06-04 | EF1 | 0 | 0 | 2.0 mi | Touched down here |
Significant events
Deadliest events on record in Elbert County
| Date | Type | Location | Deaths | Injuries | Damage |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| May 6, 2019 | Lightning | CEDAR PT | 0 | 4 | $0 |
| Jul 11, 2001 | Lightning | KIOWA | 0 | 1 | $0 |
| Aug 18, 2000 | Thunderstorm Wind | CEDAR PT | 0 | 1 | $0 |
| Jul 27, 1997 | Thunderstorm Wind | MATHESON | 0 | 1 | $0 |
From the record
What the reports say
Written by National Weather Service staff at the time of the event · public domain
The tornado began 8 miles south-southwest of Elizabeth and produced minor damage to two homes. The tornado then moved southeast and intensified with EF1 and EF2 damage observed 9 miles south of Elizabeth, with substantial damage to a farm, trees, and snapped power poles. The tornado moved on a more southerly track for the next 2 miles with additional EF1 and EF2 damage 11 miles south of Elizabeth. The tornado leveled a 70-yr old barn and a nearby cinder-block shed was torn open. Major tree damage was also observed. The tornado then continued southward for another mile before lifting with some EF0 and EF1 damage 12 miles south of Elizabeth. Minor damage to another home was observed with several large trees uprooted.
Flooding and flash flooding washed out several county roads including: CR73 from CR112 to CR98; Freese Road from Colorado 86 to CR112; CR102, from Double Tree Ranch to the top of the Bluff; CR9 between Colorado 86 and CR98; CR106, from Canyon Road to CR13; Maul Road also suffered extensive damage.
Intense thunderstorms, producing heavy rainfall in excess of 5 inches in one hour, produced flash flooding in the vicinity of Elizabeth. Numerous county roads were washed out. The combination of heavy rain and hail made it necessary to run snow plows through the town. Extensive basement flooding was also observed.
Context
Risk, population and federal disasters
Very Low
FEMA NRI risk rating
27,874
Population (ACS)
$710K
Median home value
13
Federal declarations
| Declared | Incident | Title | Type |
|---|---|---|---|
| Aug 25, 2023 | Flood | SEVERE STORMS, FLOODING, AND TORNADOES | DR |
| Mar 28, 2020 | Biological | COVID-19 PANDEMIC | DR |
| Mar 13, 2020 | Biological | COVID-19 | EM |
| Jul 16, 2015 | Flood | SEVERE STORMS, TORNADOES, FLOODING, LANDSLIDES, AND MUDSLIDES | DR |
| Jan 7, 2007 | Snowstorm | SNOW | EM |
| Sep 5, 2005 | Coastal Storm | HURRICANE KATRINA EVACUATION | EM |
Within the county
Most affected places
- Elizabeth 136
- Kiowa 122
Quick answers
Frequently asked
How many severe weather events have been recorded in Elbert County, Colorado?
805 events are on record between 1951 and 2025, causing 0 direct deaths and $921K in property damage.
What is the most common severe weather hazard in Elbert County?
Hail, with 557 recorded events — 69.2% of everything in the archive for this county.
How many tornadoes have crossed Elbert County?
142 mapped tornado paths intersect the county boundary; 141 of them touched down inside it. This is derived from path geometry, not county-tagged reports.
How many federal disaster declarations cover Elbert County?
13 federal disaster declarations from FEMA include Elbert County, each tied to a specific incident period.
How risky is Elbert County compared with the rest of the country?
FEMA's National Risk Index rates Elbert County as very low risk, placing it in the 37 percentile of its state for expected annual loss.
Where does the Elbert 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
- Eagle County 103
- El Paso County 2,710
- Douglas County 623
- Fremont County 203
- Dolores County 33
- Garfield County 229
Cite this page
“Elbert County, Colorado.” Severe Weather History. severeweatherhistory.com/county/colorado/elbert-county/ · Data: NOAA/NCEI, FEMA, U.S. Census — public domain.