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Kit Carson County, Colorado

Natural disaster risk, federal disaster history and flood insurance facts.

Very Low overall risk
38th of 64highest risk in Colorado
$10Mexpected losses a year
5federal declarations
Photo: Bold Frontiers, CC BY 2.0

Kit Carson County, Colorado has a very low overall risk from natural hazards in FEMA's National Risk Index. Its risk score is lower than 68% of US counties. It ranks 38th of 64 counties in Colorado. The costliest hazards here are cold waves, inland flooding and hail. FEMA estimates about $10 million a year in expected losses, or roughly $1,464 per resident. Since 1965 it has been included in 5 federal disaster or emergency declarations for natural events (3 major disasters). The most recent was in August 2023 (severe storms, flooding and tornadoes). No homes here carry federal flood insurance.

FEMA National Risk Index December 2025; OpenFEMA declarations to Nov 6, 2026; NFIP records. Updated November 6, 2026.

Top risks in Kit Carson County

Cold wave

Moderate
$3.4 million a yearExpected losses. Damaging events about 6 times a year.
  • Insulate pipes in outside walls, crawl spaces and garages.
  • Know how to shut off the main water valve.
$2.5 million a yearExpected losses. Damaging events about once a year.
  • Check the FEMA flood map for your address, and ask the seller or landlord about past flooding.
  • Price a flood policy now. Most new federal policies take 30 days to start.

Hail

Moderate
$1.8 million a yearExpected losses. Damaging events about 7 times a year.
  • Ask about the roof age and any impact-rated shingles.
  • Check your home policy for a separate wind and hail deductible.
HazardRatingScoreExpected loss a year
Cold waveModerate79.4
$3M
Inland floodingVery Low20.3
$2M
HailModerate90.5
$2M
TornadoLow57.5
$2M
Strong windModerate55.8
$640K
Winter weatherModerate80.0
$209K
LightningVery Low23.9
$82K
EarthquakeVery Low29.6
$72K
DroughtLow37.2
$51K
WildfireVery Low42.4
$30K
Ice stormVery Low17.3
$12K
Heat waveVery Low5.4
$6K
LandslideVery Low4.7
$7

Scores are percentiles: a score of 90 means higher risk than about 90% of US counties for that hazard. Hazards FEMA does not rate here are left out. Social vulnerability is relatively low and community resilience is very low in FEMA's measures.

Federal disaster history

Recent disasters nationwide ›

Declarations by decade

Federal declarations for natural events that included Kit Carson County. 2020s bar runs to November 2026.

By type

Tornado1
Drought1
Fire1
Coastal Storm1
Flood1

Most recent

Aug 25, 2023Severe Storms, Flooding, and TornadoesMajor disaster
Sep 5, 2005Hurricane Katrina EvacuationEmergency
Jun 19, 2002WildfiresMajor disaster
Jan 29, 1977DroughtEmergency
Jun 19, 1965Tornadoes, Severe Storms & FloodingMajor disaster

Colorado also had 15 statewide declarations that did not name single counties.

Storm history since 1952

Tornado risk by county ›

The National Weather Service has logged 1,374 storm reports in Kit Carson County since 1952, with 0 deaths and 8 injuries and about $3.5 million in reported damage. The strongest on record here was an EF2 tornado on June 5, 2015 near Seibert.

119tornadoes
873hail reports, largest 4.83 inches
329damaging thunderstorm winds
50floods and flash floods

Strongest tornadoes

DateStrengthNearHurt / killed
Jun 5, 2015EF2Seibert0 / 0
May 8, 1952F2–1 / 0
May 6, 1973F2–5 / 0
May 30, 1988F2–0 / 0
Apr 22, 1957F2–0 / 0

Most damaging storms

DateTypeNearDamage
Jul 27, 1997HailStratton$500K
Jun 28, 2011Thunderstorm WindBurlington$500K
Jun 2, 2008HailBurlington$325K
Jun 16, 2011Thunderstorm WindStratton$300K
Jul 29, 2018Thunderstorm WindSeibert$250K
Sep 1, 2021Thunderstorm WindBurlington$170K

Source: NOAA Storm Events Database, county-based reports through Jul 9, 2026. Tornado records start in 1950, hail and wind in 1955, and floods and other storm types in 1996, so older decades undercount. Damage is in dollars of the year it happened and is often an estimate. Winter storms, heat and hurricanes are logged by forecast zone, not county, so they are not counted here.

Flood insurance in Kit Carson County

Check your address flood zone ›
0%of homes have federal flood insurance (0 policies)
0%of homes in mapped high-risk flood zones are insured
$0paid on 0 flood claims since 1978
n/acostliest year

National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP) records only; private flood policies are not included. Home counts as of Aug 3, 2026. Since 2021 NFIP prices each home separately under Risk Rating 2.0, so your price depends on the building, not the county. Ask an agent for a quote.

Homes in Kit Carson County

$239,500median home value (Colorado $539,400, US $332,700)
1970median year homes were built (Colorado 1988, US 1980)
70%of homes built before 1980, before many modern wind, quake and flood building rules
10%of homes are mobile homes, which are the least safe in tornadoes and high winds

Older homes and mobile homes usually suffer more damage in storms, floods and earthquakes, and can cost more to insure. If you are buying, ask about roof age, foundation bolting and any retrofits. Source: US Census Bureau, American Community Survey 2020 to 2024 5-year estimates; 3,428 housing units.

Compare in Colorado

All 64 ›
Largest countiesOverall riskTop hazard
El Paso CountyModerateInland flooding
Denver CountyHighInland flooding
Arapahoe CountyModerateHail
Jefferson CountyHighInland flooding
Adams CountyModerateHail
Larimer CountyModerateInland flooding
Douglas CountyModerateInland flooding
Boulder CountyModerateInland flooding

Neighboring counties

CountyOverall riskDeclarations
Yuma CountyVery Low5
Sherman County, KSVery Low9
Lincoln CountyVery Low8
Washington CountyVery Low11
Cheyenne County, KSVery Low10
Cheyenne CountyVery Low7
Wallace County, KSVery Low15

Common questions about Kit Carson County

What is the biggest natural hazard in Kit Carson County?

Cold wave has the highest expected yearly losses in Kit Carson County, about $3.4 million a year in FEMA's estimate. Inland flooding is second at $2.5 million.

How many federal disasters has Kit Carson County had?

Kit Carson County has been included in 5 federal disaster or emergency declarations for natural events since 1965, including 3 major disasters. The most recent was Severe Storms, Flooding, and Tornadoes in August 2023.

Is Kit Carson County a high-risk place to live?

Its overall rating is Very Low, 38th highest of 64 in Colorado. A county rating covers the whole area. Risk at one address can be much higher or lower, so check the FEMA flood map and ask about the home's history.

Do I need flood insurance in Kit Carson County?

Standard home insurance does not cover flooding. Lenders require it in mapped high-risk zones, but many flood claims come from outside those zones.

How many tornadoes has Kit Carson County had?

NOAA records list 119 tornadoes in Kit Carson County since 1950. The strongest was an EF2 tornado on June 5, 2015 near Seibert. The weather service has also logged 873 hail reports and 50 floods here.

Sources: FEMA National Risk Index (December 2025), OpenFEMA Disaster Declarations Summaries, and NFIP policy and claims data. Hazard Compass is independent and not affiliated with FEMA. These figures describe the whole county, not a single property, and are not insurance or safety advice. Report a problem.