NOAA's National Centers for Environmental Information
Colorado Summary
From 1980–2024 (as of November 1, 2024), there have been 75 confirmed weather/climate disaster events with losses exceeding $1 billion each to affect Colorado. These events included 15 drought events, 2 flooding events, 1 freeze event, 42 severe storm events, 12 wildfire events, and 3 winter storm events. The 1980–2023 annual average is 1.6 events (CPI-adjusted); the annual average for the most recent 5 years (2019–2023) is 3.6 events (CPI-adjusted).
| Disaster Type | Events | Events/Year | Percent Frequency | Total Costs | Percent of Total Costs |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Drought | 15 | 0.3 | 20.0% | $5.0B-$10.0B | 14.2% |
| Flooding | 2 | 0.0 | 2.7% | $2.0B-$5.0B | 4.1% |
| Freeze | 1 | 0.0 | 1.3% | $100M-$250M | 0.2% |
| Severe Storm | 42 | 0.9 | 56.0% | $20.0B-$50.0B | 66.2% |
| Tropical Cyclone | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- |
| Wildfire | 12 | 0.3 | 16.0% | $5.0B-$10.0B | 14.4% |
| Winter Storm | 3 | 0.1 | 4.0% | $250M-$500M | 0.8% |
| All Disasters | 75 | 1.7 | 100.0% | $50.0B-$100.0B | 100.0% |
| Drought | 15 | 0.3 | 22.7% | $5.0B-$10.0B | 14.4% |
| Flooding | 2 | 0.0 | 3.0% | $1.0B-$2.0B | 4.4% |
| Freeze | 1 | 0.0 | 1.5% | $5M-$100M | 0.1% |
| Severe Storm | 35 | 0.8 | 53.0% | $20.0B-$50.0B | 64.2% |
| Tropical Cyclone | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- |
| Wildfire | 10 | 0.2 | 15.2% | $5.0B-$10.0B | 15.8% |
| Winter Storm | 3 | 0.1 | 4.5% | $250M-$500M | 1.1% |
| All Disasters | 66 | 1.5 | 100.0% | $20.0B-$50.0B | 100.0% |
| Time Period | Billion-Dollar Disasters | Events/ | Cost | Percent of Total Cost |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1980s (1980-1989) | 5 | 0.5 | $1.0B-$2.0B | 3.8% |
| 1990s (1990-1999) | 5 | 0.5 | $2.0B-$5.0B | 5.3% |
| 2000s (2000-2009) | 14 | 1.4 | $5.0B-$10.0B | 11.8% |
| 2010s (2010-2019) | 30 | 3.0 | $20.0B-$50.0B | 47.9% |
| Last 5 Years (2019-2023) | 18 | 3.6 | $10.0B-$20.0B | 29.3% |
| Last 3 Years (2021-2023) | 14 | 4.7 | $10.0B-$20.0B | 21.7% |
| Last Year (2023) | 5 | 5.0 | $2.0B-$5.0B | 9.9% |
| All Years (1980-2024)* | 75 | 1.7 | $50.0B-$100.0B | 100.0% |
| 1980s (1980-1989) | 2 | 0.2 | $100M-$250M | 0.4% |
| 1990s (1990-1999) | 2 | 0.2 | $100M-$250M | 0.5% |
| 2000s (2000-2009) | 13 | 1.3 | $2.0B-$5.0B | 8.5% |
| 2010s (2010-2019) | 28 | 2.8 | $10.0B-$20.0B | 49.8% |
| Last 5 Years (2019-2023) | 18 | 3.6 | $10.0B-$20.0B | 37.1% |
| Last 3 Years (2021-2023) | 14 | 4.7 | $5.0B-$10.0B | 28.3% |
| Last Year (2023) | 5 | 5.0 | $2.0B-$5.0B | 13.6% |
| All Years (1980-2024)* | 66 | 1.5 | $20.0B-$50.0B | 100.0% |
| Event | Type | Begin Date |
End Date |
Summary |
CPI-AUnadjusted Estimated Cost (in Billions) |
Deaths |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Colorado Hail Storms and Southern Severe Weather May 2024 | Severe Storm | May 31, 2024 | June 1, 2024 | Severe hail storms caused damage across eastern Colorado, with numerous reports of golf ball to baseball-sized hail. There was considerable damage to homes, vehicles, businesses and other infrastructure. Severe storms also produced high wind damage across Texas. | $3.0 CI | 0 |
Central, Southern, Eastern Severe Weather May 2024 | Severe Storm | May 18, 2024 | May 22, 2024 | Severe storms across many central, southern and eastern states produced widespread impacts from several dozen tornadoes, severe hail and high winds. The states most impacted were Nebraska, Kansas, Oklahoma, Texas, Iowa and Wisconsin, as each experienced considerable damage to homes, vehicles, businesses, agriculture and additional infrastructure. On May 21, an EF-4 tornado cut a 44-mile path across southeast Iowa, with peak wind speeds of 175-185 mph. The town of Greenfield, Iowa was heavily damaged. Multiple 'Particularly Dangerous Situation (PDS)' watches were issued by NOAA's National Weather Service for these states, during this multi-day sequence. Several eastern states also sustained high wind damage from these storms. | $4.9 CI | 5 |
Central, Southern, Southeastern Tornado Outbreak May 2024 | Severe Storm | May 6, 2024 | May 9, 2024 | An outbreak producing more than 165 tornadoes developed across many central, southern and southeastern states. The states most affected include Oklahoma, Kansas, Nebraska, Michigan, Indiana, Ohio, Kentucky, Tennessee, Alabama, North Carolina, South Carolina, Georgia and Florida. This multi-day torando outbreak produced at least 61 EF-0, 79 EF-1, 13 EF-2, three EF-3, one EF-4 tornado and dozens of EF-U (unknown/unrated) tornadoes, causing widespread damage to many homes, businesses, vehicles, agriculture and other infrastructure. The towns of Barnsdall and Bartlesville, Oklahoma were impacted by a violet EF-4 tornado that caused extensive damage. | $6.6 CI | 3 |
Southern and Eastern Severe Weather April 2024 | Severe Storm | April 8, 2024 | April 11, 2024 | Southern and eastern severe weather produced tornadoes, hail and high wind, from Texas to Virginia. The event began with severe hail and high wind impacts across central and eastern Texas, followed by more than 20 tornadoes impacting the Gulf Coast counties of Louisiana, Mississippi, Alabama and Florida. There were additional high wind and tornado impacts in North Carolina and Virginia. | $2.7 CI | 0 |
Central, Southern, Northeastern Winter Storm and Cold Wave January 2024 | Winter Storm | January 14, 2024 | January 18, 2024 | A bitterly cold airmass affected numerous central and southern states most including Illinois, Missouri, Kansas, Texas, Mississippi, Arkansas, Tennessee and Georgia. This long-duration cold wave produced sleet and freezing rain accumulations into the deep south, across much of Mississippi. High winds also pushed wind chills well below zero for many states contributing to dozens of fatalities, many in Tennessee. Damage also occurred to homes, vehicles and businesses from the high winds and frozen precipitation. | $1.9 CI | 41 |
Northeastern and Eastern Severe Weather August 2023 | Severe Storm | August 5, 2023 | August 8, 2023 | More than one thousand reports of high wind, severe hail or tornadoes across many Northeastern and Eastern states. August 7 was a prolific day of severe weather with damage reports from Georgia to New York. These storms caused impacts to many homes, vehicles, businesses, agriculture and other infrastructure. | $1.7 CI | 4 |
Central Severe Weather June 2023 | Severe Storm | June 28, 2023 | July 2, 2023 | Severe storms caused damage across numerous Central states. The state most impacted were Missouri, Illinois and Indiana while there were also damage in many surrounding states. The damage to many homes, vehicles, businesses and agriculture assets was largely from high wind and damaging hail but there were also scattered tornado impacts. | $2.0 CI | 3 |
Rockies Hail Storms and Central and Eastern Severe Weather June 2023 | Severe Storm | June 21, 2023 | June 26, 2023 | Severe hail storms across Colorado damaged many homes, vehicles and injured approximately 100 people at a large outdoor concert. This multi-day outbreak of severe weather also produced more than 60 tornadoes across portions of Wyoming, Colorado, Minnesota, Indiana, Kentucky and Arkansas that caused damage to homes, businesses, vehicles, agriculture and other infrastructure. | $5.4 CI | 8 |
Southern Severe Weather June 2023 | Severe Storm | June 11, 2023 | June 14, 2023 | Numerous southern states including Texas, Louisiana, Mississippi, Alabama, Georgia, Tennessee, Arkansas, South Carolina and Florida were impacted by hail, tornadoes and high winds. These storms caused damage to many homes, vehicles and businesses across several days of severe storm activity. | $4.2 CI | 0 |
Central and Eastern Tornadoes and Hail Storms May 2023 | Severe Storm | May 10, 2023 | May 12, 2023 | Dozens of tornadoes and severe hail storms from the eastern Rockies and across several central states. The most costly severe hail impacts were focused in Colorado while numerous tornadoes also impacted western Kansas, central Oklahoma and eastern Nebraska. Texas and North Dakota were also impacted from combination of high winds, hail and isolated tornadoes with damage to homes, businesses, vehicles, farms and other infrastructure. | $3.6 CI | 1 |
Western/ 2022 | Drought | January 1, 2022 | December 31, 2022 | Severe drought conditions impacted many Western and Central states. Large reservoirs across the West including Lake Mead, Lake Powell, Lake Oroville, and Shasta Lake, among others continue to be depleted. Lake Mead, the Nation's largest reservoir, is nearing dead pool status and is at the lowest level since it was filled in the 1930s. The Great Salt Lake is also near record-low levels. The impacts of the drought affected crop production across may states and sharply increased feeding costs for livestock. Many segments of the Mississippi River also experienced low water levels causing delays and reductions in river commerce. Extreme heat also developed for many days across Western and Central states. These excess heat conditions caused more than one hundred heat-related fatalities focused across Arizona, Nevada, California, Oregon and Texas. The 2022 drought was one of the costlier droughts on record, with a diverse array of direct impacts across different regions and industries. | $23.5 CI | 136 |
Central and Eastern Winter Storm and Cold Wave December 2022 | Winter Storm | December 21, 2022 | December 26, 2022 | Historic winter storm and powerful arctic front caused significant impact across much of the nation, bringing heavy rains, snow, ice and high winds that sent temperatures plummeting. More than 200 million people were under a winter weather advisory or warning and more than a million customers, from Texas to Maine, were left without power. Buffalo, New York was paralyzed by near hurricane force winds and continuous snow squalls, which contributed to dozens of fatalities in the region. Additional impacts were widespread frozen water pipes that led to extensive water damage in many homes, businesses and to other critical infrastructure. | $9.0 CI | 87 |
Central Severe Weather June 2022 | Severe Storm | June 7, 2022 | June 8, 2022 | Severe weather produced damaging hail, high wind and damage from more than two dozen tornadoes across numerous states including Colorado, Nebraska, Kansas, Missouri, Oklahoma, Texas, Iowa and Ohio. Hail and high wind damage was severe across much of Nebraska causing widespread damage to homes, businesses, vehicles, farms and agriculture and other infrastructure. | $2.0 CI | 0 |
Southern Severe Weather April 2022 | Severe Storm | April 11, 2022 | April 13, 2022 | Severe weather including hundreds of damaging wind reports and dozens of tornadoes occurred across Arkansas, Louisiana, Mississippi, Alabama, Texas, Tennessee and Kentucky. On April 11, tornadoes and damaging hail was focused across central Arkansas causing damage to homes, vehicles, outbuildings and farms and vegetation. April 12 and 13 produced widespread high wind reports and dozens of tornadoes across central Mississippi, northeast Arkansas and west-central Kentucky. These tornadoes produced damage to homes, businesses, farms, outbuildings and other infrastructure. There was also considerable hail damage across Wisconsin and Minnesota. | $2.9 CI | 1 |
Western Wildfires 2021 | Wildfire | June 1, 2021 | December 31, 2021 | Severe drought conditions and periods of extreme heat provided conditions favorable for another damaging western wildfire season most focused across California, Colorado, Oregon, Washington, Idaho, Montana and Arizona. The Dixie Fire consumed over 960,000 acres making it the second-largest wildfire on record in California while also destroying more than 1,000 structures. California's Caldor Fire grew rapidly during August, threatening South Lake Tahoe communities and burned over 220,000 acres. Other large wildfires included the Ford Corkscrew Fire (Washington), the Bootleg Fire (Oregon), the Boundary Fire (Idaho), the Trail Creek Fire (Montana) and the Telegraph Fire (Arizona), among many others. There was also the Marshall Fire in Boulder County, Colorado on December 30 that damaged or destroyed more than 1,000 homes and businesses. This wildfire is the most destructive on record in Colorado. Throughout the wildfire season air quality was also a concern across numerous states, as ash and fine particulates from wildfires obscured the skies and made outdoor activities more hazardous. Over 7.1 million acres burned nationally during the 2021 wildfire season. | $12.1 CI | 8 |
Western Drought and Heat Wave 2021 | Drought | January 1, 2021 | December 31, 2021 | Western drought conditions were persistent throughout 2021, as the drought expanded and intensified across many Western states. A historic heat wave also developed for many days across the Pacific Northwest shattering numerous all-time high temperature records across the region. This prolonged heat dome was maximized over the states of Oregon and Washington and extended well into Canada. These extreme temperatures impacted several major cities and millions of people. For example, Portland reached a high of 116 degrees F while Seattle reached 108 degrees F. These extreme temperatures caused hundreds of direct and indirect heat-related fatalities across Oregon and Washington, not including excess mortality that may be hundreds of additional deaths. This combined drought and heat rapidly dried out vegetation across the West, impacting agriculture. Low water levels also forced the hydroelectric power plant at Lake Oroville in California to shut down for the first time since it opened in 1967. | $10.1 CI | 229 |
Midwest Derecho and Tornado Outbreak December 2021 | Severe Storm | December 15, 2021 | December 15, 2021 | A rare, record-breaking December derecho and tornado outbreak caused widespread damage that was focused across Kansas, Nebraska, Iowa, Minnesota and Wisconsin. There were many reports of hurricane-force thunderstorm wind gusts and more than 50 tornadoes causing widespread damage to homes, vehicles, businesses and infrastructure. This was the first December derecho on record to occur within the United States. This event also produced the first December tornado on record in Minnesota since 1950, with 17 tornadoes reported across southeast Minnesota. | $2.0 CI | 1 |
Central Severe Storms June 2021 | Severe Storm | June 24, 2021 | June 26, 2021 | A combination of thunderstorm high winds, hail and tornadoes affected numerous Central states. The states most affected included Michigan, Illinois, Indiana, Ohio, Missouri, Kansas and Texas with damage to homes, businesses, vehicles and agriculture. | $1.5 CI | 0 |
Northwest, Central, Eastern Winter Storm and Cold Wave February 2021 | Winter Storm | February 10, 2021 | February 19, 2021 | Historic cold wave and winter storm impacts many northwest, central and eastern states. Temperature departures exceeding 40.0 degrees F (22.2 degrees C) below normal occurred from Nebraska southward to Texas. The prolonged arctic air caused widespread power outages in Texas, as well as other southern states, with multiple days of sustained below-freezing temperatures. At the peak of the outage, nearly 10 million people were without power. Additional impacts were frozen water pipes, which burst upon thawing causing water damage to buildings. These extreme conditions also caused or contributed to the direct and indirect deaths of more than 210 people in Texas alone. This count does not include excess mortality that may be hundreds of additional deaths. There were also snow and ice impacts across numerous states including Oklahoma, Arkansas, Missouri, Illinois, Kentucky, Tennessee, Louisiana, Mississippi, Colorado, Oregon and Washington. This is now the costliest U.S. winter storm event on record, more than doubling the inflation-adjusted cost of the 'Storm of the Century' that occurred in March 1993. | $27.2 CI | 262 |
Western Wildfires - California, Oregon, Washington Firestorms Fall 2020 | Wildfire | August 1, 2020 | December 30, 2020 | A record-breaking U.S. wildfire season burned more than 10.2 million acres. California more than doubled its previous annual record for area burned (last set in 2018) with over 4.1 million acres. Five of the top six largest wildfires on record in California (dating to 1932) burned during August and September. The August Complex was the largest California wildfire, which began as 37 separate wildfires within the Mendocino National Forest, set off after storms caused >10,000 lightning strikes across Northern California. Approximately 10,500 structures were damaged or destroyed across California. Oregon also had historic levels of wildfire damage, as over 2,000 structures burned. These wildfires spread rapidly and destroyed several small towns in California, Oregon and Washington. Colorado also had a severe wildfire season, as its three largest wildfires on record burned during 2020. Dense wildfire smoke also produced hazardous air quality that affected millions of people that also included major cities for weeks. Hundreds of additional wildfires also burned across other Western states. | $19.9 CI | 46 |
Western/ Summer-Fall 2020 | Drought | June 1, 2020 | December 30, 2020 | Widespread, continuous drought and record heat affected more than a dozen Western and Central states for much of the summer, fall and into the winter months. Persistent above-average temperatures and precipitation deficits caused D3 (extreme) and D4 (exceptional) drought coverage in December that was the largest extent since August 2012. Death Valley recorded a temperature of 130 degrees F - the highest measured temperature globally in decades - while Los Angeles county recorded a record high of 121 degrees F. There were considerable crop and livestock impacts across the West and Central states from both the persistent heat and increasingly dry conditions. The combined drought and heat also assisted in drying out vegetation across the West that contributed to the Western wildfire potential and severity. | $5.4 CI | 45 |
Colorado Hail Storms July 2019 | Severe Storm | July 4, 2019 | July 5, 2019 | Colorado hail storms across the Denver and Fort Collins that damaged many homes and vehicles. | $1.2 CI | 0 |
Rockies, Central and Northeast Tornadoes and Severe Weather May 2019 | Severe Storm | May 26, 2019 | May 29, 2019 | A four-day tornado outbreak impacts many states across the Rockies, Central and Northeast (CO, WY, NE, KS, OK, MO, IA, IL, IN, OH, PA and NJ). This outbreak produced 190 tornadoes in addition to hundreds of reports of damaging hail and straight-line thunderstorm winds. Of particular note was an EF-4 tornado that produced heavy damage near the city of Dayton, Ohio on May 27. | $5.7 CI | 3 |
Western Wildfires, California Firestorm Summer-Fall 2018 | Wildfire | June 1, 2018 | December 31, 2018 | In 2018, California has experienced its costliest, deadliest and largest wildfires to date, with records back to 1933. The Camp Fire is the costliest and deadliest wildfire - destroying more than 18,500 buildings. California also endured its largest wildfire on record - the Medincino Complex Fire - burning over 450,000 acres. Additionally, California was impacted by other destructive wildfires: the Carr Fire in Northern California and the Woolsey Fire in Southern California. The total 2018 wildfire costs in California (with minor costs in other Western states) approach $24.0 ($30.0) billion - a new U.S. record. In total, over 8.7 million acres has burned across the U.S. during 2018, which is well above the 10-year average (2009-2018) of 6.8 million acres. The last 2 years of U.S. wildfire damage has been unprecedented in damage, with losses exceeding $40.0 ($50.0) billion. | $30.0 CI | 106 |
Southwest/ Summer-Fall 2018 | Drought | June 1, 2018 | December 30, 2018 | Drought conditions were present across numerous Southwestern and Plains states (TX, OK, KS, MO, CO, NM, AZ, UT). The most extreme drought conditions continue to persist across the Four Corners region of the Southwest. The agriculture sector has been impacted across the affected states including damage to field crops from lack of rainfall. Ranchers have also be forced to sell-off livestock early in some regions due to high feeding costs. | $3.8 CI | 0 |
Rockies and Plains Hail Storms August 2018 | Severe Storm | August 6, 2018 | August 7, 2018 | Severe hail impacts from baseball to softball size impacted several states including Colorado, Nebraska and Wyoming. The most costly impacts occurred in numerous locations of eastern Colorado. | $1.3 CI | 0 |
Mountain West Severe Weather July 2018 | Severe Storm | July 26, 2018 | July 29, 2018 | Severe weather including hail, high winds and 19 tornadoes impacted Montana, Wyoming and Colorado. These impacts caused damage to homes, businesses, vehicles and other infrastructure. | $1.1* CI | 0 |
Colorado Hail Storm June 2018 | Severe Storm | June 18, 2018 | June 19, 2018 | Severe hail storms cause golf ball to baseball-sized hail and widespread damage in many areas from northern Denver to Boulder and Fort Collins. Many homes, businesses and vehicles were impacted. Utah also experienced moderate hail damage. | $2.8 CI | 0 |
Colorado Hail Storm June 2018 | Severe Storm | June 13, 2018 | June 13, 2018 | Hailstorms in Colorado Springs and Pueblo, Colorado cause severe damage to many homes, businesses and vehicles. | $1.2 CI | 0 |
Central and Eastern Severe Weather May 2018 | Severe Storm | May 13, 2018 | May 15, 2018 | Severe storm damage across many Central states including TX, KS, CO, OK, MO, IL, IN, IA and OH. This was followed by a derecho event across the Northeastern states of MD, NJ, NY, PA, VA, WV, MA and CT that caused widespread high wind damage. Also, there were one dozen tornadoes reported across PA, NY and CT causing further damage. | $1.7 CI | 5 |
Central and Northeast Severe Weather May 2018 | Severe Storm | May 1, 2018 | May 4, 2018 | Numerous central states (KS, NE, OK, TX, NM, MO, IA, IL, IN, OH, WI) were impacted by large hail and tornadoes. Several northeastern states including NY, PA and VT were also impacted by high wind damage from severe storms. | $1.8 CI | 0 |
Colorado Hail Storm and Central Severe Weather May 2017 | Severe Storm | May 8, 2017 | May 11, 2017 | Hail storm and wind damage impacting several states including CO, OK, TX, NM, MO. The most costly impacts were in the Denver metro region where baseball-sized hail caused the most expensive hail storm in Colorado history, with insured losses exceeding $2.2 ($2.8) billion. | $4.3 CI | 0 |
Rockies and Northeast Severe Weather July 2016 | Severe Storm | July 28, 2016 | July 30, 2016 | Severe storms across the Rockies and Northeastern states (CO, WY, VA, MD, PA, NJ, NY) caused large hail and high wind damage. Storm damage in Colorado was the most costly due to hail. | $1.9 CI | 0 |
Rockies/ May 2016 | Severe Storm | May 21, 2016 | May 26, 2016 | Sustained period of severe thunderstorms and tornadoes affecting several states including Montana, Colorado, Kansas, Missouri and Texas. The most concentrated days for tornado development were on May 22 and 24. Additional damage was created by straight-line high wind and hail damage. | $1.5 CI | 0 |
Plains Tornadoes and Central Severe Weather May 2016 | Severe Storm | May 8, 2016 | May 11, 2016 | Tornadoes and severe storms cause widespread damage across the Plains and Central states (NE, MO, TX, OK, KS, CO, IL, KY, TN) over a multi-day period. The damage from tornadoes and high wind was most costly in Nebraska and Missouri. | $2.3 CI | 2 |
Western and Alaskan Wildfires Summer-Fall 2015 | Wildfire | June 1, 2015 | November 30, 2015 | Wildfires burned over 10.1 million acres across the U.S. in 2015, surpassing 2006 for the highest annual total of U.S. acreage burned since record-keeping began in 1960. The most costly wildfires occurred in California where over 2,500 structures were destroyed due to the Valley and Butte wildfires with the insured losses alone exceeding $1.0 ($1.3) billion. The most extensive wildfires occurred in Alaska where over 5 million acres burned within the state. There was extensive burnt acreage across other western states, most notably (OR, WA, ID, MT, ND, CO, WY, TX). | $4.0 CI | 12 |
Central and Northeast Severe Weather June 2015 | Severe Storm | June 21, 2015 | June 25, 2015 | Severe storms across numerous Central and Northeast states (CO, CT, IA, IL, MD, MI, NJ, NY, PA, SD, VA, WI) with widespread hail and high wind damage. | $1.5 CI | 1 |
Texas and Oklahoma Flooding and Severe Weather May 2015 | Flooding | May 23, 2015 | May 26, 2015 | A slow-moving system caused tremendous rainfall and subsequent flooding to occur in Texas and Oklahoma. The Blanco river in Texas swelled from 5 feet to a crest of more than 40 feet over several hours causing considerable property damage and loss of life. The city of Houston also experienced flooding which resulted in hundreds of high-water rescues. The damage in Texas alone exceeded $1.0 ($1.4) billion. There was also damage in other states (KS, CO, AR, OH, LA, GA, SC) from associated severe storms. | $3.4 CI | 31 |
Southern Plains Tornadoes May 2015 | Severe Storm | May 6, 2015 | May 10, 2015 | Tornado outbreak across the Southern Plain states (IA, KS, NE, OK, CO, SD, TX) with 122 tornadoes. The most costly damage occurred across Texas and Oklahoma. | $1.7 CI | 4 |
Western Drought 2014 | Drought | January 1, 2014 | December 31, 2014 | Historic drought conditions affected the majority of California for all of 2014 making it the worst drought on record for the state. Surrounding states and parts of Texas, Oklahoma and Kansas also experienced continued severe drought conditions. This is a continuation of drought conditions that have persisted for several years. | $5.3 CI | 0 |
Rockies/ September 2014 | Severe Storm | September 29, 2014 | October 2, 2014 | Severe storms across the Rockies and Plains states (CO, KS, TX). Large hail and high winds created significant damage across eastern Colorado and Texas, particularly in the Dallas metro area. | $1.8 CI | 0 |
Rockies/ May 2014 | Severe Storm | May 18, 2014 | May 23, 2014 | Severe storms across the Rockies, Midwest and Eastern states (CO, MT, IA, IL, IN, OH, SC, VA, PA, DE, NY) with the most costly damage in Colorado, Illinois and Pennsylvania. | $4.9 CI | 0 |
Western/ Spring-Fall 2013 | Drought | March 1, 2013 | November 30, 2013 | The 2013 drought slowly dissipated from the historic levels of the 2012 drought, as conditions improved across many Midwestern and Plains states. However, moderate to extreme drought did remain or expand into western states (AZ, CA, CO, IA, ID, IL, KS, MI, MN, MO, ND, NE, NM, NV, OK, OR, SD, TX, UT, WA, WI, WY). In comparison to 2011 and 2012 drought conditions the US experienced only moderate crop losses across the central agriculture states. | $14.3 CI | 53 |
Colorado Flooding September 2013 | Flooding | September 10, 2013 | September 16, 2013 | A stalled frontal boundary over Colorado led to record rainfall, as some areas received > 15 inches over several days. This resulted in historic flooding across numerous cities and towns. Destruction of residences, businesses and transportation infrastructure was widespread. | $2.0 CI | 9 |
U.S. Drought/ 2012 | Drought | January 1, 2012 | December 31, 2012 | The 2012 drought is the most extensive drought to affect the U.S. since the 1930s. Moderate to extreme drought conditions affected more than half the country for a majority of 2012. The following states were affected: CA, NV, ID, MT, WY, UT, CO, AZ, NM, TX, ND, SD, NE, KS, OK, AR, MO, IA, MN, IL, IN, GA. Costly drought impacts occurred across the central agriculture states resulting in widespread harvest failure for corn, sorghum and soybean crops, among others. The associated summer heat wave also caused 123 direct deaths, but an estimate of the excess mortality due to heat stress is still unknown. | $41.7 CI | 123 |
Western Wildfires Summer-Fall 2012 | Wildfire | June 1, 2012 | November 30, 2012 | Wildfires burned over 9.2 million acres across the U.S. in 2012. This is the 3rd highest annual total since the year 2000. The most damaging wildfires occurred in the western states (CO, ID, WY, MT, CA, NV, OR, WA). Colorado experienced the most costly wildfires (e.g., Waldo Canyon fire) where several hundred residences were destroyed. | $2.4 CI | 8 |
Rockies/ June 2012 | Severe Storm | June 6, 2012 | June 12, 2012 | Severe storms and damaging hail over several states (CO, NM, TX) with 25 confirmed tornadoes. Colorado experienced over $1.0 ($1.4) billion in damage due to hail. | $3.6 CI | 0 |
Texas, New Mexico, Arizona Wildfires Summer-Fall 2011 | Wildfire | June 1, 2011 | November 30, 2011 | Continued drought conditions and periods of extreme heat provided conditions favorable for a series of historic wildfires across Texas, New Mexico and Arizona. The Bastrop Fire in Texas was the most destructive fire in Texas history destroying over 1,500 homes. The Wallow Fire consumed over 500,000 acres in Arizona making it the largest on record in Arizona. The Las Conchas Fire in New Mexico was also the state's largest wildfire on record scorching over 150,000 acres while threatening the Los Alamos National Laboratory. Over 3 million acres have burned across Texas this wildfire season. | $2.5 CI | 5 |
Southern Plains/ Spring-Summer 2011 | Drought | March 1, 2011 | August 31, 2011 | Drought and heat wave conditions created major impacts across Texas, Oklahoma, New Mexico, Arizona, southern Kansas, and western Louisiana. In Texas and Oklahoma, a majority of range and pastures were classified in "very poor" condition for much of the 2011 crop growing season. | $17.1 CI | 95 |
Rockies and Midwest Derecho July 10-11, 2011 | Severe Storm | July 10, 2011 | July 11, 2011 | A derecho produced a wide swatch of high wind damage beginning east of the Rockies and across the central plains (CO, IA, IL, MI, MN, OH). | $1.7 CI | 2 |
Rockies/ June 2010 | Severe Storm | June 10, 2010 | June 15, 2010 | Severe storms cause high wind and hail damage across numerous states including CO, NM, KS, OK, IL, IN, GA, SC and NC. | $1.3* CI | 2 |
Western Wildfires Summer-Fall 2009 | Wildfire | June 1, 2009 | November 30, 2009 | Residual and sustained drought conditions across western and south-central states resulted in thousands of wildfires. Most affected states include CA, AZ, NM, TX, OK, and UT. National wildfire acreage burned exceeds 5.9 million acres. Over 200 homes and structures destroyed in the California "Station" fire alone. | $1.5 CI | 10 |
Colorado Hail Storm July 2009 | Severe Storm | July 20, 2009 | July 20, 2009 | Severe hail impacts Colorado. Jefferson County was most affected with hail at least 8 inches deep. The hail damage from this storm was comparable to the July 11, 1990 Colorado hail storm. | $1.5 CI | 0 |
U.S. Drought 2008 | Drought | January 1, 2008 | December 31, 2008 | Severe drought and heat caused agricultural losses across a large portion of the U.S. Record low lake levels also occurred in areas of the southeast. The states impacted include AL, AR, CA, CO, GA, ID, IN, KS, KY, MD, MN, MS, MT, NC, ND, NJ, NM, OH, OK, OR, SC, TN, TX, UT, VA, WA and WI. | $10.4 CI | 0 |
U.S. Wildfires Fall 2008 | Wildfire | September 1, 2008 | November 30, 2008 | Drought conditions across numerous western, central and southeastern states (AK, AZ, CA, NM, ID, UT, MT, NV, OR, WA, CO, TX, OK, NC, FL ) resulted in thousands of wildfires; national acreage burned exceeding 5.2 million acres (mainly in the west) and over 1,000 homes and structures destroyed in California fires alone. | $1.8 CI | 16 |
Midwest Tornadoes and Severe Weather May 2008 | Severe Storm | May 22, 2008 | May 27, 2008 | Outbreak of tornadoes over the Midwest/Ohio Valley regions (IL, IN, IA, KS, MN, NE, OK, WY, CO) with 235 tornadoes confirmed. | $4.4 CI | 13 |
Midwest/ Spring-Summer 2006 | Drought | March 1, 2006 | August 31, 2006 | Rather severe drought affected crops especially during the spring-summer, centered over the Great Plains region with other areas affected across portions of the south -- including states of ND, SD, NE, KS, OK, TX, MN, IA, MO, AR, LA, MS, AL, GA, FL, MT, WY, CO, NM. | $9.5 CI | 0 |
Colorado Hail Storms June 2004 | Severe Storm | June 8, 2004 | June 9, 2004 | Several hailstorms across central and eastern Colorado cause widespread damage to many homes, businesses and vehicles. | $1.2* CI | 0 |
Western/ Spring-Fall 2003 | Drought | March 1, 2003 | November 30, 2003 | 2003 drought across western and central portions of the U.S. with losses to agriculture. The states most impacted include AZ, CO, IA, ID, IL, KS, MI, MN, MO, MT, ND, NE, NM, OR, SD, WA and WI. | $8.7 CI | 35 |
Severe Storms/ May 2003 | Severe Storm | May 3, 2003 | May 10, 2003 | Numerous tornadoes over the midwest, Mississippi valley, OH/TN valleys, and portions of the southeast, with a modern record one-week total of approximately 400 tornadoes reported | $7.1 CI | 51 |
Western Fire Season Fall 2002 | Wildfire | September 1, 2002 | November 30, 2002 | Major wildfires over 11 western states from the Rockies to the west coast due to drought and periodic high winds, with over 7.1 million acres burned. | $2.3 CI | 21 |
U.S. Drought Spring-Fall 2002 | Drought | March 1, 2002 | November 30, 2002 | Moderate to extreme drought over large portions of more than 30 states, including the western states, the Great Plains, and much of the eastern U.S. | $16.0 CI | 0 |
Midwest/ April 2001 | Severe Storm | April 6, 2001 | April 11, 2001 | Storms, tornadoes, and hail in the states of TX, OK, KS, NE, IA, MO, IL, IN, WI, MI, OH, KY, WV, and PA, over a 6-day period. | $5.5 CI | 3 |
Western/ Spring-Fall 2000 | Drought | March 1, 2000 | November 30, 2000 | Western/Central/Southeast Drought/Heat Wave. The states impacted include AZ, AL, AR, CA, CO, FL, GA, IA, KS, LA, MS, MT, NE, NM, OK, OR, SC, TN, and TX. | $9.3 CI | 140 |
Western Fire Season Spring-Summer 2000 | Wildfire | March 1, 2000 | August 31, 2000 | Severe wildfire season in the western states due to drought and frequent winds, with nearly 7 million acres burned. | $2.0 CI | 0 |
Southern Plains Drought Spring-Summer 1996 | Drought | March 1, 1996 | August 31, 1996 | Severe drought in agricultural regions of southern plains--Texas and Oklahoma most severely affected | $3.7 CI | 0 |
Western Fire Season Summer-Fall 1994 | Wildfire | June 1, 1994 | November 30, 1994 | Severe wildfire season in the western states due to dry weather conditions. The states most impacted include CA, AZ, OR, WA, CO, UT, NV, NM and TX. | $1.5* CI | 0 |
Midwest/ April 1994 | Severe Storm | April 25, 1994 | April 27, 1994 | Tornadoes and severe storms cause damage in states across the South, Southeast and Midwest. The states impacted include TX, OK, AR, CO, KS, NE, IA, SD, IL, IN, MN and MO. | $2.1 CI | 3 |
Western Fire Season Summer 1990 | Wildfire | June 1, 1990 | August 31, 1990 | Severe wildfire season in the western states due to drought and frequent winds, with more than 4.5 million acres burned nationally. | $1.7* CI | 17 |
Colorado Hail Storm July 1990 | Severe Storm | July 11, 1990 | July 11, 1990 | Denver, CO (including airport) hit by severe hail storm. This was the costliest hail storm on record for Colorado when it occurred. | $2.0* CI | 0 |
Northern Plains Drought Summer-Fall 1989 | Drought | June 1, 1989 | November 30, 1989 | Severe summer drought over much of the northern plains with significant losses to agriculture. The states impacted include CO, IA, IL, KS, MO, ND, NE, NV, SD, TX and UT. | $7.8 CI | 0 |
Western Severe Storms and Flooding February 1986 | Severe Storm | February 14, 1986 | February 16, 1986 | Severe storms and flooding affect the states CA, CO, NV, OR, WY across the West. | $1.5* CI | 13 |
Severe Storms and Hail June 1984 | Severe Storm | June 13, 1984 | June 17, 1984 | Severe storms and hail impact Colorado, South Dakota and Nebraska. | $1.4* CI | 1 |
Freeze/ December 1983 | Freeze | December 15, 1983 | December 25, 1983 | Severe freeze damages citrus crops across central/northern Florida. Associated cold wave over much of the U.S. causes over 100 deaths and additional damages. | $6.5 CI | 151 |
Midwest/ April 1982 | Severe Storm | April 2, 1982 | April 4, 1982 | Tornadoes and severe weather affect the states (AL, AR, CO, IA, IL, IN, KS, KY, LA, MI, MN, MO, MS, NE, OH, OK, PA, TN, TX, WI, WV) across the Midwest, Plains and Southeast. | $1.6* CI | 33 |
†Deaths associated with drought are the result of heat waves. (Not all droughts are accompanied by extreme heat waves.)
Flooding events (river basin or urban flooding from excessive rainfall) are separate from inland flood damage caused by tropical cyclone events.
*Statistics valid as of November 1, 2024
Citing this information:
- NOAA National Centers for Environmental Information (NCEI) U.S. Billion-Dollar Weather and Climate Disasters (2024). https://www.ncei.noaa.gov/access/billions/, DOI: 10.25921/stkw-7w73