Montezuma County, Colorado severe weather history spans 139 recorded events between 1970 and 2025. The dominant hazard is thunderstorm wind, accounting for 21.6% of all recorded events. It ranks #2,745 nationally and #36 in Colorado.
139
Recorded events
0
Direct deaths
7
Direct injuries
$2.6M
Property damage
The record
What the Montezuma County, Colorado severe weather history record shows
Across the archive, Montezuma County, Colorado severe weather history averages 2.5 recorded events a year. The busiest stretch on record is the 2000s, with 65 events logged in that decade alone. Roughly 4 events fall before 1990 and 135 from 1990 onward — a gap that reflects the expansion of NOAA reporting practice as much as the weather itself.
The costliest is hail, with $1.0M in reported property damage. In total, 11 distinct hazard types appear in this county archive, each listed with its own dated record below.
By hazard type
Every hazard type recorded in Montezuma County
| Hazard | Events | Deaths | Damage | Max | Span |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Thunderstorm Wind | 30 | 0 | $207K | 75 | 1974–2025 |
| Hail | 23 | 0 | $1.0M | 1.75 | 1992–2022 |
| Heavy Rain | 22 | 0 | $180K | 0 | 1996–2018 |
| Wildfire | 17 | 0 | $420K | 0 | 1996–2003 |
| Lightning | 13 | 0 | $252K | 0 | 1997–2017 |
| Flash Flood | 11 | 0 | $324K | 0 | 2002–2013 |
| Flood | 11 | 0 | $60K | 0 | 2000–2023 |
| Funnel Cloud | 4 | 0 | $0 | 0 | 1998–2015 |
| Debris Flow | 4 | 0 | $11K | 0 | 2022–2024 |
| Tornado | 3 | 0 | $50K | F2 | 1970–2011 |
| Dust Devil | 1 | 0 | $3K | 0 | 2004–2004 |
Decade by decade
Montezuma County, Colorado severe weather history by decade
Reporting practice changed over time — early decades are undercounted, not calmer.
Tornado tracks
Paths crossing this county
3 mapped tornado paths intersect this county: 3 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1985-04-25 | EF2 | 0 | 0 | 0.5 mi | Touched down here |
| 1970-09-05 | EF1 | 0 | 0 | 1.5 mi | Touched down here |
| 2011-07-18 | EF0 | 0 | 0 | 0.3 mi | Touched down here |
Significant events
Deadliest events on record in Montezuma County
| Date | Type | Location | Deaths | Injuries | Damage |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Aug 13, 2000 | Thunderstorm Wind | MANCOS | 0 | 4 | $50K |
| Aug 6, 2001 | Lightning | CORTEZ | 0 | 3 | $0 |
From the record
What the reports say
Written by National Weather Service staff at the time of the event · public domain
Strong outflow winds from a thunderstorm combined with winds associated with a nearby cold front to produce extensive damage on several farms within about a two-mile radius of the location with the heaviest damage. At the location with the strongest estimated winds, a metal barn was destroyed and a wind turbine that was rated to withstand winds to 95 mph had the blades ripped off and the flange bolt assembly ripped apart. Shingles were ripped off houses and outbuildings and unsecured objects such as lawn chairs became airborne missiles. Ripening hay in many fields was leveled and pinto bean plants in other fields were ripped to shreds and flattened.
Rapid snowmelt from the Dolores River led to various drainages breaching their banks. This resulted in flooded downtown residential buildings in the town of Dolores. The water also flooded streets, some yards, and school playgrounds. Flood waters did not recede for several days.
Thunderstorms moved over the area and produced 1.55 inches of rain within an hour and a half. Street flooding occurred as the storm drains were not able to handle the volume of rainfall. Water backed up into an area next to the flooded roads and flowed into the ground level floors of an apartment building. Water also pooled up to about a foot deep in a large vacant field.
Context
Risk, population and federal disasters
Relatively Low
FEMA NRI risk rating
26,412
Population (ACS)
$331K
Median home value
8
Federal declarations
| Declared | Incident | Title | Type |
|---|---|---|---|
| Mar 28, 2020 | Biological | COVID-19 PANDEMIC | DR |
| Mar 13, 2020 | Biological | COVID-19 | EM |
| Jun 24, 2012 | Fire | WEBER FIRE | FM |
| Sep 5, 2005 | Coastal Storm | HURRICANE KATRINA EVACUATION | EM |
| Jun 19, 2002 | Fire | WILDFIRES | DR |
| Jan 29, 1977 | Drought | DROUGHT | EM |
Quick answers
Frequently asked
How many severe weather events have been recorded in Montezuma County, Colorado?
139 events are on record between 1970 and 2025, causing 0 direct deaths and $2.6M in property damage.
What is the most common severe weather hazard in Montezuma County?
Thunderstorm Wind, with 30 recorded events — 21.6% of everything in the archive for this county.
How many tornadoes have crossed Montezuma County?
3 mapped tornado paths intersect the county boundary; 3 of them touched down inside it. This is derived from path geometry, not county-tagged reports.
How many federal disaster declarations cover Montezuma County?
8 federal disaster declarations from FEMA include Montezuma County, each tied to a specific incident period.
How risky is Montezuma County compared with the rest of the country?
FEMA's National Risk Index rates Montezuma County as relatively low risk, placing it in the 48 percentile of its state for expected annual loss.
Where does the Montezuma 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
- Moffat County 125
- Montrose County 130
- Mineral County 7
- Morgan County 805
- Mesa County 472
- Otero County 445
Cite this page
“Montezuma County, Colorado.” Severe Weather History. severeweatherhistory.com/county/colorado/montezuma-county/ · Data: NOAA/NCEI, FEMA, U.S. Census — public domain.