Dolores County, Colorado severe weather history spans 33 recorded events between 1983 and 2025. The dominant hazard is thunderstorm wind, accounting for 21.2% of all recorded events. It ranks #3,107 nationally and #55 in Colorado.
33
Recorded events
1
Direct deaths
1
Direct injuries
$117K
Property damage
The record
What the Dolores County, Colorado severe weather history record shows
Across the archive, Dolores County, Colorado severe weather history averages 0.8 recorded events a year. The busiest stretch on record is the 2000s, with 12 events logged in that decade alone. Roughly 1 events fall before 1990 and 32 from 1990 onward — a gap that reflects the expansion of NOAA reporting practice as much as the weather itself.
The deadliest hazard in the Dolores County, Colorado record is lightning, responsible for 1 direct deaths. The costliest is hail, with $50K in reported property damage. In total, 9 distinct hazard types appear in this county archive, each listed with its own dated record below.
By hazard type
Every hazard type recorded in Dolores County
| Hazard | Events | Deaths | Damage | Max | Span |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Thunderstorm Wind | 7 | 0 | $35K | 70 | 1983–2025 |
| Heavy Rain | 6 | 0 | $0 | 0 | 2004–2013 |
| Hail | 5 | 0 | $50K | 1.5 | 2000–2025 |
| Flash Flood | 4 | 0 | $500 | 0 | 2010–2022 |
| Flood | 4 | 0 | $28K | 0 | 2002–2023 |
| Funnel Cloud | 3 | 0 | $0 | 0 | 2000–2022 |
| Lightning | 2 | 1 | $1K | 0 | 1997–2017 |
| Dust Devil | 1 | 0 | $2K | 0 | 2004–2004 |
| Wildfire | 1 | 0 | $0 | 0 | 2000–2000 |
Decade by decade
Dolores County, Colorado severe weather history by decade
Reporting practice changed over time — early decades are undercounted, not calmer.
Significant events
Deadliest events on record in Dolores County
| Date | Type | Location | Deaths | Injuries | Damage |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Aug 13, 2017 | Lightning | RICO | 1 | 1 | $0 |
From the record
What the reports say
Written by National Weather Service staff at the time of the event · public domain
Lightning struck two mountain bikers who had gotten below tree line to seek shelter. One mountain biker was killed. The other only had minor injuries and her clothes were shredded. They had been riding on a trail just above the 10,200 foot level on the East Fork Trail near the Lizard Head Wilderness Area. The mountain bikers were either under or very near a tree when struck by lightning. After being struck, the male victim was talking and conscious for about a minute, and then collapsed. CPR was administered immediately by the female victim, and then an EMT who was also mountain biking in the area came over to assist, but all efforts were unsuccessful.
Rapid snowmelt resulted in flooding across Road 9.7 in Dolores County, as the Dolores River overran its banks. The road was closed for a prolonged period as flood waters did not recede for several days. The accelerated snowmelt and subsequent pooling of water flooded the local high school, which damaged the gym flooring.
While performing a search and rescue operation for an injured hiker at El Diente Peak, Dolores County Search and Rescue members narrowly escaped a portion of the road exiting the trailhead being washed out as a result of flash flooding from heavy rain.
Context
Risk, population and federal disasters
Very Low
FEMA NRI risk rating
2,432
Population (ACS)
$248K
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 |
| Sep 5, 2005 | Coastal Storm | HURRICANE KATRINA EVACUATION | EM |
| Jun 19, 2002 | Fire | WILDFIRES | DR |
| Jul 27, 1984 | Flood | SEVERE STORMS, MUDSLIDES, LANDSLIDES & FLOODING | DR |
| Jan 29, 1977 | Drought | DROUGHT | EM |
Quick answers
Frequently asked
How many severe weather events have been recorded in Dolores County, Colorado?
33 events are on record between 1983 and 2025, causing 1 direct deaths and $117K in property damage.
What is the most common severe weather hazard in Dolores County?
Thunderstorm Wind, with 7 recorded events — 21.2% of everything in the archive for this county.
How many federal disaster declarations cover Dolores County?
8 federal disaster declarations from FEMA include Dolores County, each tied to a specific incident period.
How risky is Dolores County compared with the rest of the country?
FEMA's National Risk Index rates Dolores County as very low risk, placing it in the 11 percentile of its state for expected annual loss.
Where does the Dolores 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
- Denver County 535
- Douglas County 623
- Delta County 70
- Eagle County 103
- Custer County 164
- Elbert County 805
Cite this page
“Dolores County, Colorado.” Severe Weather History. severeweatherhistory.com/county/colorado/dolores-county/ · Data: NOAA/NCEI, FEMA, U.S. Census — public domain.