Phillips County, Colorado severe weather history spans 405 recorded events between 1953 and 2025. The dominant hazard is hail, accounting for 54.1% of all recorded events. It ranks #1,236 nationally and #25 in Colorado.
405
Recorded events
0
Direct deaths
2
Direct injuries
$2.1M
Property damage
The record
What the Phillips County, Colorado severe weather history record shows
Across the archive, Phillips County, Colorado severe weather history averages 5.6 recorded events a year. The busiest stretch on record is the 2000s, with 116 events logged in that decade alone. Roughly 49 events fall before 1990 and 356 from 1990 onward — a gap that reflects the expansion of NOAA reporting practice as much as the weather itself.
The costliest is thunderstorm wind, with $1.1M in reported property damage. In total, 6 distinct hazard types appear in this county archive, each listed with its own dated record below.
By hazard type
Every hazard type recorded in Phillips County
| Hazard | Events | Deaths | Damage | Max | Span |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Hail | 219 | 0 | $20K | 3 | 1955–2025 |
| Thunderstorm Wind | 121 | 0 | $1.1M | 85 | 1956–2025 |
| Tornado | 50 | 0 | $848K | F2 | 1953–2022 |
| Flash Flood | 12 | 0 | $180K | 0 | 1997–2021 |
| Flood | 2 | 0 | $5K | 0 | 2007–2021 |
| Heavy Rain | 1 | 0 | $0 | 0 | 2010–2010 |
Decade by decade
Phillips County, Colorado severe weather history by decade
Reporting practice changed over time — early decades are undercounted, not calmer.
Tornado tracks
Paths crossing this county
48 mapped tornado paths intersect this county: 47 touched down inside it and 1 crossed in from a neighbouring county. This comes from path geometry, not county-tagged reports.
| Date | Scale | Deaths | Injuries | Path length | Origin |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1977-07-09 | EF2 | 0 | 0 | 0.1 mi | Touched down here |
| 1965-05-24 | EF2 | 0 | 0 | 0.1 mi | Touched down here |
| 1955-06-18 | EF2 | 0 | 1 | 4.9 mi | Touched down here |
| 1950-08-05 | EF2 | 0 | 1 | 0.1 mi | Touched down here |
| 2021-08-19 | EF1 | 0 | 0 | 0.0 mi | Touched down here |
| 1997-08-21 | EF1 | 0 | 0 | 0.1 mi | Touched down here |
| 1996-05-22 | EF1 | 0 | 0 | 0.2 mi | Touched down here |
| 1976-08-15 | EF1 | 0 | 0 | 0.5 mi | Touched down here |
| 1976-08-15 | EF1 | 0 | 0 | 0.5 mi | Touched down here |
| 1973-08-25 | EF1 | 0 | 0 | 0.3 mi | Touched down here |
Significant events
Deadliest events on record in Phillips County
| Date | Type | Location | Deaths | Injuries | Damage |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| May 29, 2004 | Thunderstorm Wind | HOLYOKE | 0 | 1 | $0 |
| Jun 18, 1955 | Tornado | 0 | 1 | $250K |
From the record
What the reports say
Written by National Weather Service staff at the time of the event · public domain
Stong thunderstorm winds ruptured a large storage bin containing 85,000-90,000 bushels of popcorn at Jack's Bean Company southeast of Holyoke. When the large bin ruptured, the collapse damaged two smaller 55,000 bushel bins adjacent to it. In addition, a trailer and shed were extensively damaged.
Thunderstorms produced very heavy rain in southeast Phillips County. Local law enforcement reported several roads were flooded southeast of Holyoke. Rainfall measurements from 4 to 9 inches were reported. Several houses had water rise up to the front doors. Significant flash flooding was observed 6 miles east of Holyoke on U.S. Highway 6. Widespread flooding of roads, ditches, and fields was reported. At least one road crossing Frenchman Creek was impassable. Frenchman Creek and other streams had significant flooding as well.
A severe thunderstorm caused extensive damage to wheat and corn crops in the immediate area. Out of 104,000 planted acres of wheat in Phillips County; 3,000 were destroyed. Sixty thousand additional acres were damaged. Out of 102,000 planted acres of corn in the county; 2,000 were completely destroyed and 20,500 were damaged.
Context
Risk, population and federal disasters
Very Low
FEMA NRI risk rating
4,496
Population (ACS)
$258K
Median home value
6
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 |
| May 17, 2001 | Severe Storm | SEVERE WINTER STORMS | DR |
| Aug 1, 1997 | Flood | SEVERE STORMS, HEAVY RAIN, FLASH FLOODS, FLOODING, MUDSLIDES | DR |
| Jun 19, 1965 | Tornado | TORNADOES, SEVERE STORMS & FLOODING | DR |
Within the county
Most affected places
- Holyoke 105
Quick answers
Frequently asked
How many severe weather events have been recorded in Phillips County, Colorado?
405 events are on record between 1953 and 2025, causing 0 direct deaths and $2.1M in property damage.
What is the most common severe weather hazard in Phillips County?
Hail, with 219 recorded events — 54.1% of everything in the archive for this county.
How many tornadoes have crossed Phillips County?
48 mapped tornado paths intersect the county boundary; 47 of them touched down inside it. This is derived from path geometry, not county-tagged reports.
How many federal disaster declarations cover Phillips County?
6 federal disaster declarations from FEMA include Phillips County, each tied to a specific incident period.
How risky is Phillips County compared with the rest of the country?
FEMA's National Risk Index rates Phillips County as very low risk, placing it in the 12 percentile of its state for expected annual loss.
Where does the Phillips 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
- Park County 72
- Pitkin County 78
- Ouray County 52
- Prowers County 688
- Otero County 445
- Pueblo County 954
Cite this page
“Phillips County, Colorado.” Severe Weather History. severeweatherhistory.com/county/colorado/phillips-county/ · Data: NOAA/NCEI, FEMA, U.S. Census — public domain.