San Miguel County, Colorado severe weather history spans 97 recorded events between 1981 and 2025. The dominant hazard is debris flow, accounting for 35.1% of all recorded events. It ranks #2,892 nationally and #41 in Colorado.
97
Recorded events
0
Direct deaths
0
Direct injuries
$1.1M
Property damage
The record
What the San Miguel County, Colorado severe weather history record shows
Across the archive, San Miguel County, Colorado severe weather history averages 2.2 recorded events a year. The busiest stretch on record is the 2000s, with 32 events logged in that decade alone. Roughly 1 events fall before 1990 and 96 from 1990 onward — a gap that reflects the expansion of NOAA reporting practice as much as the weather itself.
The costliest is flash flood, with $584K 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 San Miguel County
| Hazard | Events | Deaths | Damage | Max | Span |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Debris Flow | 34 | 0 | $540K | 0 | 2013–2025 |
| Flash Flood | 28 | 0 | $584K | 0 | 1996–2021 |
| Heavy Rain | 12 | 0 | $2K | 0 | 2003–2016 |
| Flood | 7 | 0 | $4K | 0 | 2001–2023 |
| Hail | 6 | 0 | $0 | 1 | 1981–2021 |
| Wildfire | 6 | 0 | $0 | 0 | 2002–2003 |
| Thunderstorm Wind | 2 | 0 | $0 | 70 | 2002–2005 |
| Lightning | 2 | 0 | $5K | 0 | 1997–2002 |
Decade by decade
San Miguel County, Colorado severe weather history by decade
Reporting practice changed over time — early decades are undercounted, not calmer.
From the record
What the reports say
Written by National Weather Service staff at the time of the event · public domain
A large mudslide occurred across Colorado Highway 145 near Sawpit as a result of heavy rains. The highway was closed for a couple of hours due to cleanup operations. The most severe slide occurred at mile marker 79 with 1 to 2 feet of debris and boulders across the road.
San Miguel County Sheriff's Office reported a mudslide between mile markers 77 and 80 along Colorado Highway 145 near Sawpit and Fall Creek Road. Additionally, there were rocks the size of cars that were caught up in the debris flow and water was 2 to 3 feet deep in some spots across the road.
Two mudslides occurred on Colorado Highway 145 at mile markers 85 and 86 just north of the junction of Highways 62 and 145. The San Miguel County Sheriff's Office reported two feet of debris across the roadway at mile marker 86.
Context
Risk, population and federal disasters
Very Low
FEMA NRI risk rating
7,968
Population (ACS)
$721K
Median home value
9
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 |
| Jul 15, 2002 | Fire | CO – BURN CANYON FIRE – 07/15/02 | FM |
| Jun 19, 2002 | Fire | WILDFIRES | DR |
| Jul 27, 1984 | Flood | SEVERE STORMS, MUDSLIDES, LANDSLIDES & FLOODING | DR |
Quick answers
Frequently asked
How many severe weather events have been recorded in San Miguel County, Colorado?
97 events are on record between 1981 and 2025, causing 0 direct deaths and $1.1M in property damage.
What is the most common severe weather hazard in San Miguel County?
Debris Flow, with 34 recorded events — 35.1% of everything in the archive for this county.
How many federal disaster declarations cover San Miguel County?
9 federal disaster declarations from FEMA include San Miguel County, each tied to a specific incident period.
How risky is San Miguel County compared with the rest of the country?
FEMA's National Risk Index rates San Miguel County as very low risk, placing it in the 19 percentile of its state for expected annual loss.
Where does the San Miguel 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
- San Juan County 17
- Sedgwick County 298
- Saguache County 64
- Summit County 18
- Routt County 101
- Teller County 163
Cite this page
“San Miguel County, Colorado.” Severe Weather History. severeweatherhistory.com/county/colorado/san-miguel-county/ · Data: NOAA/NCEI, FEMA, U.S. Census — public domain.