Morgan County, Colorado severe weather history spans 805 recorded events between 1955 and 2025. The dominant hazard is hail, accounting for 59.4% of all recorded events. It ranks #287 nationally and #13 in Colorado.
805
Recorded events
0
Direct deaths
13
Direct injuries
$38.5M
Property damage
The record
What the Morgan County, Colorado severe weather history record shows
Across the archive, Morgan County, Colorado severe weather history averages 11.5 recorded events a year. The busiest stretch on record is the 2000s, with 198 events logged in that decade alone. Roughly 118 events fall before 1990 and 687 from 1990 onward — a gap that reflects the expansion of NOAA reporting practice as much as the weather itself.
The costliest is flood, with $31.4M 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 Morgan County
| Hazard | Events | Deaths | Damage | Max | Span |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Hail | 478 | 0 | $2.2M | 4.5 | 1958–2025 |
| Thunderstorm Wind | 178 | 0 | $764K | 83 | 1956–2025 |
| Tornado | 95 | 0 | $1.6M | F2 | 1955–2025 |
| Flash Flood | 32 | 0 | $2.6M | 0 | 1997–2024 |
| Lightning | 10 | 0 | $22K | 0 | 1996–2021 |
| Flood | 7 | 0 | $31.4M | 0 | 1999–2015 |
| Heavy Rain | 3 | 0 | $0 | 0 | 2015–2024 |
| Funnel Cloud | 2 | 0 | $0 | 0 | 1996–1996 |
Decade by decade
Morgan County, Colorado severe weather history by decade
Reporting practice changed over time — early decades are undercounted, not calmer.
Tornado tracks
Paths crossing this county
100 mapped tornado paths intersect this county: 97 touched down inside it and 3 crossed in from a neighbouring county. This comes from path geometry, not county-tagged reports.
| Date | Scale | Deaths | Injuries | Path length | Origin |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2018-07-29 | EF2 | 0 | 0 | 8.6 mi | Touched down here |
| 2018-07-29 | EF2 | 0 | 0 | 7.7 mi | Touched down here |
| 2018-07-29 | EF2 | 0 | 0 | 7.1 mi | Touched down here |
| 2016-05-07 | EF2 | 0 | 0 | 8.8 mi | Crossed in |
| 1996-07-30 | EF2 | 0 | 0 | 0.5 mi | Touched down here |
| 1996-05-30 | EF2 | 0 | 0 | 1.0 mi | Touched down here |
| 1990-06-14 | EF2 | 0 | 0 | 7.0 mi | Touched down here |
| 1986-09-18 | EF2 | 0 | 0 | 25.0 mi | Touched down here |
| 1984-05-24 | EF2 | 0 | 0 | 5.0 mi | Touched down here |
| 1956-06-19 | EF2 | 0 | 0 | 0.1 mi | Touched down here |
Significant events
Deadliest events on record in Morgan County
| Date | Type | Location | Deaths | Injuries | Damage |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jul 25, 1999 | Thunderstorm Wind | FT MORGAN | 0 | 10 | $0 |
| May 22, 1998 | Hail | BRUSH | 0 | 2 | $2.2M |
| May 22, 2008 | Thunderstorm Wind | LODI | 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 preliminary damage assessment included: $1,510,800 for Residential Property Damage; $4,560,000 for County Bridge Infrastructure: $3,350,000 for County Asphault Infrastructure; and $786,000 for Gravel Road Infrastructure. Most of the damage to the city was sustained in Riverside Park. The city estimated a total cost of the flood at $20 million, including damages and expenditures. Agricultural producers in Morgan County saw little damage from the flood overall.
Large hail pummelled the towns of Greeley, Brush and Fort Morgan. In Brush, some roofs collapsed under the deluge and one roof was blown off. Two people received minor injuries. One woman was injured, while in her home, when large hail broke through the window. Hundreds of cars were also damaged and some were stuck in the hail, up to 18 inches deep, until snowplows could clear the roads off. Crops were shredded during the hailstorm and fields flooded. Approximately 140,000 acres of cropland in and around Brush were devastated. Damage estimates to homes and vehicle in the Greeley, Brush and Fort Morgan areas was estimated at $2.2 million. In addition, crop losses from the storm were expected to exceed $1.0 million.
Radar estimates of 5 to 6 inches of rainfall were observed over northern portions of Morgan County during the evening hours. The brunt of the flooding occurred between 10 pm and 12 am lst when the Weldona Valley Ditch broke. The ensuing floodwaters, up to 4 feet deep, inundated the entire town. Approximately 50 families had to be evacuated, many from their rooftops. Although no dollar estimate was available, 48 homes were damaged, 13 extensively, as well as at least 30 vehicles. Several homes had to be condemned. In addition, $2.0 million in damage was reported to roads, businesses and public buildings in town.
Context
Risk, population and federal disasters
Relatively Low
FEMA NRI risk rating
29,520
Population (ACS)
$339K
Median home value
12
Federal declarations
| Declared | Incident | Title | Type |
|---|---|---|---|
| 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 |
| Sep 5, 2005 | Coastal Storm | HURRICANE KATRINA EVACUATION | EM |
Within the county
Most affected places
- Ft Morgan 179
- Brush 113
Quick answers
Frequently asked
How many severe weather events have been recorded in Morgan County, Colorado?
805 events are on record between 1955 and 2025, causing 0 direct deaths and $38.5M in property damage.
What is the most common severe weather hazard in Morgan County?
Hail, with 478 recorded events — 59.4% of everything in the archive for this county.
How many tornadoes have crossed Morgan County?
100 mapped tornado paths intersect the county boundary; 97 of them touched down inside it. This is derived from path geometry, not county-tagged reports.
How many federal disaster declarations cover Morgan County?
12 federal disaster declarations from FEMA include Morgan County, each tied to a specific incident period.
How risky is Morgan County compared with the rest of the country?
FEMA's National Risk Index rates Morgan County as relatively low risk, placing it in the 52 percentile of its state for expected annual loss.
Where does the Morgan 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
- Montrose County 130
- Otero County 445
- Montezuma County 139
- Ouray County 52
- Moffat County 125
- Park County 72
Cite this page
“Morgan County, Colorado.” Severe Weather History. severeweatherhistory.com/county/colorado/morgan-county/ · Data: NOAA/NCEI, FEMA, U.S. Census — public domain.