Denver County Disaster Risk

Denver County has a FEMA National Risk Index rating of Relatively High, placing it in the 95th percentile nationally out of 3,144 counties. This composite score reflects the county's overall exposure to natural hazards including floods, wildfires, tornadoes, earthquakes, and hurricanes, weighted by expected annual loss and social vulnerability.

Denver County is evaluated for five major natural hazard types: tornado (98th percentile), flooding (95th percentile), earthquake (91th percentile), wildfire (61th percentile). The highest-risk hazard is tornado at the 98th percentile nationally. These scores are derived from FEMA's National Risk Index, which analyzes expected annual loss, social vulnerability, and community resilience for each hazard type.

Denver County's composite risk percentile is 95th, compared to the Colorado state average of 41th percentile. The state's overall risk rating is Very Low. This means Denver County faces higher natural disaster risk than the typical county in Colorado.

Yes, Denver County's tornado risk is at the 98th percentile nationally. This places it in the top quartile for this hazard type. For flooding specifically, Denver County is at the 95th percentile.

FEMA's National Risk Index (NRI) calculates risk scores for 18 natural hazard types across all U.S. counties and census tracts. The composite score combines Expected Annual Loss (estimated dollar losses from each hazard), Social Vulnerability (demographic factors affecting disaster impact), and Community Resilience (ability to recover). Percentile scores rank each county against all 3,144 U.S. counties, and risk ratings range from Very Low to Very High.

Denver County's composite risk score of 95th percentile is above the Colorado state average of 41th percentile. This elevated risk is driven by tornado exposure (98th percentile), along with flooding and earthquake and wildfire risk. Geographic location, terrain, climate patterns, and proximity to flood zones or fault lines all influence a county's risk profile.