San Juan County, Colorado severe weather history spans 17 recorded events between 1996 and 2025. The dominant hazard is debris flow, accounting for 47.1% of all recorded events. It ranks #3,164 nationally and #59 in Colorado.
17
Recorded events
0
Direct deaths
4
Direct injuries
$51K
Property damage
The record
What the San Juan County, Colorado severe weather history record shows
Across the archive, San Juan County, Colorado severe weather history averages 0.6 recorded events a year. The busiest stretch on record is the 2020s, with 8 events logged in that decade alone.
The costliest is debris flow, with $28K in reported property damage. In total, 4 distinct hazard types appear in this county archive, each listed with its own dated record below.
By hazard type
Every hazard type recorded in San Juan County
| Hazard | Events | Deaths | Damage | Max | Span |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Debris Flow | 8 | 0 | $28K | 0 | 2020–2025 |
| Flash Flood | 6 | 0 | $23K | 0 | 1997–2011 |
| Thunderstorm Wind | 2 | 0 | $0 | 67 | 2012–2013 |
| Lightning | 1 | 0 | $0 | 0 | 1996–1996 |
Decade by decade
San Juan 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 San Juan County
| Date | Type | Location | Deaths | Injuries | Damage |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Aug 3, 1996 | Lightning | SILVERTON | 0 | 4 | $0 |
From the record
What the reports say
Written by National Weather Service staff at the time of the event · public domain
A major flash flood roared down from the west slope of the Animas River Valley across the Durango and Silverton Narrow Gauge Railroad and into the Animas River. The flash flood deposited mud, boulders, and pine trees up to 15 feet deep onto a 300 foot section of railroad tracks. The Animas River was also clogged from the debris. It took 6 days for crews to clear the debris and repair the railroad tracks before the railroad could reopen.
Heavy convective rainfall concentrated just north of the La Plata and San Juan County line produced a massive flow of water, rock, and mud which traveled across the Durango to Silverton Narrow Gage Railroad track and dammed up the Animas River about one mile north of Needleton. Initially, the entire river channel was dammed. The river bed at that location was raised 8 feet on the east side of the channel and remained blocked on the west side of the channel. The debris flow covered about 250 feet of railroad track. The peak depth of debris on the railroad track was measured at close to 45 feet. The railroad track did not sustain significant damage, because the lowest several feet of debris on the track consisted primarily of mud. On top of the mud was a lot of rock material with some trees mixed in it.
Heavy rain from thunderstorms occurred in the early morning hours of June 21 and caused a major rock slide that damaged part of the railroad track for the Durango to Silverton Narrow Gauge Railroad. Exact time of occurrence is estimated. Part of the 45-mile long railroad track was blocked by a pile of debris after a rock slide occurred. Officials were notified about the rock slide just after 7:30 a.m. MDT that morning. The rock slide happened near mile post 486 just outside Needleton, which is about 55 minutes south of Silverton by train.
Context
Risk, population and federal disasters
Very Low
FEMA NRI risk rating
724
Population (ACS)
$433K
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 |
| Jun 19, 2002 | Fire | WILDFIRES | DR |
| Jul 6, 1973 | Flood | FLOODING & LANDSLIDES | DR |
| Sep 22, 1970 | Flood | HEAVY RAINS & FLOODING | DR |
Quick answers
Frequently asked
How many severe weather events have been recorded in San Juan County, Colorado?
17 events are on record between 1996 and 2025, causing 0 direct deaths and $51K in property damage.
What is the most common severe weather hazard in San Juan County?
Debris Flow, with 8 recorded events — 47.1% of everything in the archive for this county.
How many federal disaster declarations cover San Juan County?
6 federal disaster declarations from FEMA include San Juan County, each tied to a specific incident period.
How risky is San Juan County compared with the rest of the country?
FEMA's National Risk Index rates San Juan County as very low risk, placing it in the 11 percentile of its state for expected annual loss.
Where does the San Juan 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
- Saguache County 64
- San Miguel County 97
- Routt County 101
- Sedgwick County 298
- Rio Grande County 35
- Summit County 18
Cite this page
“San Juan County, Colorado.” Severe Weather History. severeweatherhistory.com/county/colorado/san-juan-county/ · Data: NOAA/NCEI, FEMA, U.S. Census — public domain.