Lake County, Colorado severe weather history spans 8 recorded events between 1982 and 2023. The dominant hazard is lightning, accounting for 62.5% of all recorded events. It ranks #3,185 nationally and #63 in Colorado.
8
Recorded events
0
Direct deaths
3
Direct injuries
$15K
Property damage
The record
What the Lake County, Colorado severe weather history record shows
Across the archive, Lake County, Colorado severe weather history averages 0.2 recorded events a year. The busiest stretch on record is the 1990s, with 4 events logged in that decade alone. Roughly 1 events fall before 1990 and 7 from 1990 onward — a gap that reflects the expansion of NOAA reporting practice as much as the weather itself.
The costliest is lightning, with $15K in reported property damage. In total, 3 distinct hazard types appear in this county archive, each listed with its own dated record below.
By hazard type
Every hazard type recorded in Lake County
| Hazard | Events | Deaths | Damage | Max | Span |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Lightning | 5 | 0 | $15K | 0 | 1998–2007 |
| Hail | 2 | 0 | $0 | 0.75 | 1982–2007 |
| Heavy Rain | 1 | 0 | $0 | 0 | 2023–2023 |
Decade by decade
Lake 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 Lake County
| Date | Type | Location | Deaths | Injuries | Damage |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jul 4, 1998 | Lightning | LEADVILLE | 0 | 2 | $1K |
| Aug 19, 2007 | Lightning | TWIN LAKES | 0 | 1 | $0 |
From the record
What the reports say
Written by National Weather Service staff at the time of the event · public domain
A lightning flash struck in the front yard of a house, traveled a wire fence to the front of the house, and onto the aluminum siding. A window was broken on the house, and two tires on a car were flattened. The solar energy system of the house was also damaged.
Context
Risk, population and federal disasters
Very Low
FEMA NRI risk rating
7,380
Population (ACS)
$466K
Median home value
6
Federal declarations
| Declared | Incident | Title | Type |
|---|---|---|---|
| Jul 5, 2026 | Fire | WILLOW FIRE | FM |
| 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 5, 2005 | Coastal Storm | HURRICANE KATRINA EVACUATION | EM |
| Jun 19, 2002 | Fire | WILDFIRES | DR |
Quick answers
Frequently asked
How many severe weather events have been recorded in Lake County, Colorado?
8 events are on record between 1982 and 2023, causing 0 direct deaths and $15K in property damage.
What is the most common severe weather hazard in Lake County?
Lightning, with 5 recorded events — 62.5% of everything in the archive for this county.
How many federal disaster declarations cover Lake County?
6 federal disaster declarations from FEMA include Lake County, each tied to a specific incident period.
How risky is Lake County compared with the rest of the country?
FEMA's National Risk Index rates Lake County as very low risk, placing it in the 6 percentile of its state for expected annual loss.
Where does the Lake 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
- Kit Carson County 1,324
- La Plata County 256
- Kiowa County 500
- Larimer County 915
- Jefferson County 657
- Las Animas County 437
Cite this page
“Lake County, Colorado.” Severe Weather History. severeweatherhistory.com/county/colorado/lake-county/ · Data: NOAA/NCEI, FEMA, U.S. Census — public domain.