Yuma County, Colorado severe weather history spans 1,535 recorded events between 1954 and 2026. The dominant hazard is hail, accounting for 67.0% of all recorded events. It ranks #33 nationally and #3 in Colorado.
1,535
Recorded events
0
Direct deaths
18
Direct injuries
$12.5M
Property damage
The record
What the Yuma County, Colorado severe weather history record shows
Across the archive, Yuma County, Colorado severe weather history averages 21.3 recorded events a year. The busiest stretch on record is the 2000s, with 514 events logged in that decade alone. Roughly 93 events fall before 1990 and 1,442 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 $5.2M 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 Yuma County
| Hazard | Events | Deaths | Damage | Max | Span |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Hail | 1,028 | 0 | $2.0M | 5.25 | 1958–2025 |
| Thunderstorm Wind | 349 | 0 | $5.2M | 104 | 1958–2026 |
| Tornado | 104 | 0 | $5.0M | F2 | 1954–2025 |
| Flash Flood | 33 | 0 | $170K | 0 | 1996–2024 |
| Flood | 11 | 0 | $150K | 0 | 2007–2024 |
| Funnel Cloud | 7 | 0 | $0 | 0 | 1996–2019 |
| Heavy Rain | 2 | 0 | $0 | 0 | 2006–2011 |
| Lightning | 1 | 0 | $6K | 0 | 2008–2008 |
Decade by decade
Yuma County, Colorado severe weather history by decade
Reporting practice changed over time — early decades are undercounted, not calmer.
Tornado tracks
Paths crossing this county
115 mapped tornado paths intersect this county: 111 touched down inside it and 4 crossed in from a neighbouring county. This comes from path geometry, not county-tagged reports.
| Date | Scale | Deaths | Injuries | Path length | Origin |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2023-08-08 | EF3 | 0 | 0 | 15.7 mi | Crossed in |
| 2023-08-08 | EF2 | 0 | 0 | 5.3 mi | Touched down here |
| 2016-05-07 | EF2 | 0 | 4 | 7.9 mi | Touched down here |
| 1994-06-07 | EF2 | 0 | 0 | 7.0 mi | Touched down here |
| 1988-05-19 | EF2 | 0 | 0 | 1.5 mi | Touched down here |
| 1985-07-31 | EF2 | 0 | 2 | 0.5 mi | Touched down here |
| 1982-05-19 | EF2 | 0 | 0 | 3.5 mi | Touched down here |
| 1975-05-27 | EF2 | 0 | 0 | 12.6 mi | Touched down here |
| 1972-06-21 | EF2 | 0 | 3 | 19.3 mi | Touched down here |
| 1971-10-17 | EF2 | 0 | 9 | 1.0 mi | Touched down here |
Significant events
Deadliest events on record in Yuma County
| Date | Type | Location | Deaths | Injuries | Damage |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Oct 18, 1971 | Tornado | 0 | 9 | $2.5M | |
| May 7, 2016 | Tornado | WRAY MUNI ARPT | 0 | 4 | $135K |
| Jun 22, 1972 | Tornado | 0 | 3 | $25K | |
| Jul 31, 1985 | Tornado | 0 | 2 | $250K |
From the record
What the reports say
Written by National Weather Service staff at the time of the event · public domain
At least two residences sustained major damage, and many others significant damage, as an intense thunderstorm moved over northeast Yuma county. Several large grain bins were destroyed with others damaged. One grain bin fell on a parked semi-trailer causing additional damage to the vehicle. Ten irrigation sprinkler systems was overturned, numerous trees were uprooted. Window and siding damage occurred at several residences with parts of roofs damaged. Y-W electric reported a loss of 44 utility poles. In addition, thousands of acres of cropland were impacted by the hail accompanying the storm. Dollar estimates of damage are approximate and based on figures from the USDA.
The tornado began in far eastern Washington County near the town of Hyde and moved east-southeast into northwest Yuma County. In Yuma County, the tornado remained southwest of the city of Yuma, where it looped around three times along the path causing damage to irrigation pivots, trees, and numerous power poles. The tornado dissipated during a fourth large loop. There was also significant damage to a residential property, three grain bins, and a machine shed towards the end of the path. Image of the actual tornado path is attached.
A tornado developed about 6 miles SW of Vernon and tracked southeast, dissipating just west of Beecher Island. Winds estimated at 100 mph in the Rear Flank downdraft just south of the tornado also caused extensive damage. forty eight utility poles were downed, three irrigation pivots were overturned, a barn was destroyed, several trailer homes were damaged, and the roof of the small auditorium in Beecher Island was heavily damaged.
Context
Risk, population and federal disasters
Very Low
FEMA NRI risk rating
9,979
Population (ACS)
$212K
Median home value
7
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 5, 2005 | Coastal Storm | HURRICANE KATRINA EVACUATION | EM |
| Jun 19, 2002 | Fire | WILDFIRES | DR |
| May 17, 2001 | Severe Storm | SEVERE WINTER STORMS | DR |
Within the county
Most affected places
- Yuma 269
- Wray 210
- Clarkville 143
- Idalia 128
- Vernon 103
Quick answers
Frequently asked
How many severe weather events have been recorded in Yuma County, Colorado?
1,535 events are on record between 1954 and 2026, causing 0 direct deaths and $12.5M in property damage.
What is the most common severe weather hazard in Yuma County?
Hail, with 1,028 recorded events — 67.0% of everything in the archive for this county.
How many tornadoes have crossed Yuma County?
115 mapped tornado paths intersect the county boundary; 111 of them touched down inside it. This is derived from path geometry, not county-tagged reports.
How many federal disaster declarations cover Yuma County?
7 federal disaster declarations from FEMA include Yuma County, each tied to a specific incident period.
How risky is Yuma County compared with the rest of the country?
FEMA's National Risk Index rates Yuma County as very low risk, placing it in the 37 percentile of its state for expected annual loss.
Where does the Yuma 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
- Weld County 1,900
- Washington County 1,104
- Teller County 163
- Summit County 18
- Sedgwick County 298
- San Miguel County 97
Cite this page
“Yuma County, Colorado.” Severe Weather History. severeweatherhistory.com/county/colorado/yuma-county/ · Data: NOAA/NCEI, FEMA, U.S. Census — public domain.