Washington County, Colorado severe weather history spans 1,104 recorded events between 1952 and 2025. The dominant hazard is hail, accounting for 59.0% of all recorded events. It ranks #102 nationally and #5 in Colorado.
1,104
Recorded events
0
Direct deaths
7
Direct injuries
$16.4M
Property damage
The record
What the Washington County, Colorado severe weather history record shows
Across the archive, Washington County, Colorado severe weather history averages 15.1 recorded events a year. The busiest stretch on record is the 2000s, with 336 events logged in that decade alone. Roughly 116 events fall before 1990 and 988 from 1990 onward — a gap that reflects the expansion of NOAA reporting practice as much as the weather itself.
The costliest is flood, with $15.1M in reported property damage. In total, 8 distinct hazard types appear in this county archive, each listed with its own dated record below.
By hazard type
Every hazard type recorded in Washington County
| Hazard | Events | Deaths | Damage | Max | Span |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Hail | 651 | 0 | $30K | 4.5 | 1955–2025 |
| Tornado | 210 | 0 | $676K | F3 | 1952–2025 |
| Thunderstorm Wind | 208 | 0 | $266K | 98 | 1955–2025 |
| Flash Flood | 24 | 0 | $370K | 0 | 1996–2023 |
| Flood | 5 | 0 | $15.1M | 0 | 1996–2023 |
| Lightning | 3 | 0 | $25K | 0 | 2002–2005 |
| Funnel Cloud | 2 | 0 | $0 | 0 | 1996–1996 |
| Heavy Rain | 1 | 0 | $0 | 0 | 2004–2004 |
Decade by decade
Washington County, Colorado severe weather history by decade
Reporting practice changed over time — early decades are undercounted, not calmer.
Tornado tracks
Paths crossing this county
233 mapped tornado paths intersect this county: 229 touched down inside it and 4 crossed in from a neighbouring county. This comes from path geometry, not county-tagged reports.
| Date | Scale | Deaths | Injuries | Path length | Origin |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2023-08-08 | EF3 | 0 | 0 | 15.7 mi | Touched down here |
| 1996-05-30 | EF3 | 0 | 0 | 0.5 mi | Touched down here |
| 1993-07-21 | EF3 | 0 | 6 | 12.0 mi | Touched down here |
| 1975-05-10 | EF3 | 0 | 0 | 8.0 mi | Touched down here |
| 2025-05-23 | EF2 | 0 | 0 | 8.4 mi | Touched down here |
| 2023-06-21 | EF2 | 0 | 0 | 1.9 mi | Touched down here |
| 2023-06-21 | EF2 | 0 | 0 | 4.9 mi | Touched down here |
| 2023-06-21 | EF2 | 0 | 0 | 4.5 mi | Touched down here |
| 2018-07-29 | EF2 | 0 | 0 | 7.1 mi | Crossed in |
| 1990-06-14 | EF2 | 0 | 0 | 7.0 mi | Crossed in |
Significant events
Deadliest events on record in Washington County
| Date | Type | Location | Deaths | Injuries | Damage |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jun 6, 1967 | Tornado | 0 | 4 | $3K | |
| Aug 5, 2004 | Flash Flood | CENTRAL PORTION | 0 | 3 | $0 |
From the record
What the reports say
Written by National Weather Service staff at the time of the event · public domain
The flood crest moving down the South Platte River completely submerged the community of Messex and forced the evacuation of the small community for several days. The railroad tracks, owned by the Burlington Northern Santa Fe Railway on the west side of the river, suffered extensive damage. In addition, a section of CO63 was also damaged. Several small bridges and county roads were washed out by flooding around Messex including Washington County Roads 59, N and WW. The entrance and exit ramps of Interstate 76 to Barlow Road were closed due to flooding. Fiber optic cables were also damaged during the flood.
A levee breach, about 100 yards wide along the South Platte River, produced farmland flooding over northwest Washington County. Floodwaters, 3 to 4 feet deep, washed out the Union Pacific railroad tracks southwest of Messex. Up to 10 inches of water covered several miles of track. Approximately 30 trains per day had to be diverted until the tracks could be repaired and inspected. Washington County Road 58.3 was also washed out.
Strong thunderstorms producing up to 4 inches of rainfall, caused flash flooding. State Highway 61 was closed following an accident involving a semi-truck. Several sections of the highway experienced flooding. Extensive flooding was also observed in fields and ditches north and west along the highway towards Sterling. Several county roads were reportedly washed out.
Context
Risk, population and federal disasters
Very Low
FEMA NRI risk rating
4,831
Population (ACS)
$226K
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 |
| Sep 14, 2013 | Flood | SEVERE STORMS, FLOODING, LANDSLIDES, AND MUDSLIDES | DR |
| Sep 12, 2013 | Flood | SEVERE STORMS, FLOODING, LANDSLIDES, AND MUDSLIDES | EM |
Within the county
Most affected places
- Akron 207
- Elba 103
Quick answers
Frequently asked
How many severe weather events have been recorded in Washington County, Colorado?
1,104 events are on record between 1952 and 2025, causing 0 direct deaths and $16.4M in property damage.
What is the most common severe weather hazard in Washington County?
Hail, with 651 recorded events — 59.0% of everything in the archive for this county.
How many tornadoes have crossed Washington County?
233 mapped tornado paths intersect the county boundary; 229 of them touched down inside it. This is derived from path geometry, not county-tagged reports.
How many federal disaster declarations cover Washington County?
13 federal disaster declarations from FEMA include Washington County, each tied to a specific incident period.
How risky is Washington County compared with the rest of the country?
FEMA's National Risk Index rates Washington County as very low risk, placing it in the 12 percentile of its state for expected annual loss.
Where does the Washington 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
- Teller County 163
- Weld County 1,900
- Summit County 18
- Yuma County 1,535
- Sedgwick County 298
- San Miguel County 97
Cite this page
“Washington County, Colorado.” Severe Weather History. severeweatherhistory.com/county/colorado/washington-county/ · Data: NOAA/NCEI, FEMA, U.S. Census — public domain.