Home › Colorado › Las Animas County

Las Animas County, Colorado

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

Very Low overall risk
40th of 64highest risk in Colorado
$7Mexpected losses a year
11federal declarations
1 in 1000homes with flood insurance
Photo: U.S. Geological Survey, public domain

Las Animas County, Colorado has a very low overall risk from natural hazards in FEMA's National Risk Index. Its risk score is lower than 76% of US counties. It ranks 40th of 64 counties in Colorado. The costliest hazards here are inland flooding, wildfires and cold waves. FEMA estimates about $6.8 million a year in expected losses, or roughly $472 per resident. Since 1965 it has been included in 11 federal disaster or emergency declarations for natural events (3 major disasters). The most recent was in January 2007 (snow). Only 7 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 Las Animas County

$3.6 million a yearExpected losses. Damaging events about once every 2 years.
  • 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.

Wildfire

Moderate
$1.5 million a yearExpected losses. Damaging events about once every 320 years.
  • Clear dry plants and debris within 5 feet of the house.
  • Get home insurance quotes early; availability varies by area.
$574,087 a yearExpected losses. Damaging events about once a year.
  • Insulate pipes in outside walls, crawl spaces and garages.
  • Know how to shut off the main water valve.
HazardRatingScoreExpected loss a year
Inland floodingLow36.3
$4M
WildfireModerate91.8
$2M
Cold waveLow40.8
$574K
LightningModerate67.6
$381K
Winter weatherModerate79.5
$172K
HailLow40.5
$153K
DroughtLow49.2
$115K
TornadoVery Low14.1
$104K
Heat waveVery Low25.4
$85K
AvalancheLow77.3
$46K
EarthquakeVery Low26.7
$44K
Strong windVery Low5.2
$30K
LandslideLow70.3
$5K
Ice stormVery Low8.8
$4K

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 moderate 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 Las Animas County. 2020s bar runs to November 2026.

By type

Fire4
Snowstorm3
Tornado1
Drought1
Severe Storm1
Coastal Storm1

Most recent

Jan 7, 2007SnowEmergency
Jan 7, 2007SnowEmergency
Jan 8, 2006Mauricio Canyon FireFire management
Sep 5, 2005Hurricane Katrina EvacuationEmergency
Apr 9, 2003SnowEmergency
Jun 19, 2002WildfiresMajor disaster
Jun 3, 2002Co - James John / Fisher - 06/03/02Fire management
Jun 3, 2002Co - Spring Fire - 06/03/02Fire management
May 17, 1999Co-Flooding 4/30/99Major disaster
Jan 29, 1977DroughtEmergency
Show all 11
Jun 19, 1965Tornadoes, Severe Storms & FloodingMajor disaster

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

Storm history since 1954

Tornado risk by county ›

The National Weather Service has logged 432 storm reports in Las Animas County since 1954, with 0 deaths and 4 injuries and about $409,560 in reported damage. The strongest on record here was an F2 tornado on July 12, 1956.

38tornadoes
317hail reports, largest 3.25 inches
41damaging thunderstorm winds
16floods and flash floods

Strongest tornadoes

DateStrengthNearHurt / killed
Jul 12, 1956F2–0 / 0
Jun 7, 1998F1Ville Green0 / 0
Jun 6, 2014EF1Trinidad1 / 0
Jun 6, 2014EF1Trinidad Arpt0 / 0
Jun 16, 1965F1–0 / 0

Most damaging storms

DateTypeNearDamage
Jun 6, 1991Tornado–$250K
Jun 2, 2002WildfireTrinidad$50K
Jun 7, 1998TornadoVille Green$30K
Jul 25, 2010Flash FloodStonewall$20K
Jul 25, 2010Flash FloodWeston$20K
May 21, 2009Flash FloodHoehne$10K

Source: NOAA Storm Events Database, county-based reports through Jul 10, 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 Las Animas County

Check your address flood zone ›
0.1%of homes have federal flood insurance (7 policies)
3.4%of homes in mapped high-risk flood zones are insured
$10,992paid on 4 flood claims since 1978
2006costliest year, with $8,988 paid

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 Las Animas County

$237,600median home value (Colorado $539,400, US $332,700)
1972median year homes were built (Colorado 1988, US 1980)
59%of homes built before 1980, before many modern wind, quake and flood building rules
9.6%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; 8,170 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
Pueblo CountyModerate18
Otero CountyLow7
Colfax County, NMLow16
Huerfano CountyVery Low8
Bent CountyVery Low7
Union County, NMVery Low5
Baca CountyVery Low9
Costilla CountyVery Low8

Common questions about Las Animas County

What is the biggest natural hazard in Las Animas County?

Inland flooding has the highest expected yearly losses in Las Animas County, about $3.6 million a year in FEMA's estimate. Wildfire is second at $1.5 million.

How many federal disasters has Las Animas County had?

Las Animas County has been included in 11 federal disaster or emergency declarations for natural events since 1965, including 3 major disasters. The most recent was Snow in January 2007.

Is Las Animas County a high-risk place to live?

Its overall rating is Very Low, 40th 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 Las Animas County?

Standard home insurance does not cover flooding. About 1 in 1000 homes in Las Animas County has federal flood insurance. Lenders require it in mapped high-risk zones, but many flood claims come from outside those zones.

How many tornadoes has Las Animas County had?

NOAA records list 38 tornadoes in Las Animas County since 1950. The strongest was an F2 tornado on July 12, 1956. The weather service has also logged 317 hail reports and 16 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.