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Phillips County, Colorado

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

Very Low overall risk
47th of 64highest risk in Colorado
$7Mexpected losses a year
4federal declarations
1 in 500homes with flood insurance
Photo: Aleatoric Consonance, CC BY 2.0

Phillips County, Colorado has a very low overall risk from natural hazards in FEMA's National Risk Index. Its risk score is lower than 88% of US counties. It ranks 47th of 64 counties in Colorado. The costliest hazards here are drought, inland flooding and hail. FEMA estimates about $6.9 million a year in expected losses, or roughly $1,530 per resident. Since 1965 it has been included in 4 federal disaster or emergency declarations for natural events (3 major disasters). The most recent was in September 2005 (Hurricane Katrina Evacuation). Only 5 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 Phillips County

Drought

Moderate
$2 million a yearExpected losses. Damaging events about 63 times a year.
  • Check local water restrictions.
  • Choose drought-tolerant plants.
$1.5 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.

Hail

Moderate
$987,793 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
DroughtModerate88.8
$2M
Inland floodingVery Low8.3
$1M
HailModerate77.4
$988K
TornadoLow33.0
$786K
Cold waveLow37.5
$768K
Strong windLow49.4
$704K
LightningVery Low21.4
$95K
Ice stormLow30.1
$42K
EarthquakeVery Low20.8
$40K
Winter weatherVery Low20.6
$24K
WildfireVery Low31.5
$20K
Heat waveVery Low7.1
$13K
LandslideVery Low0.7
$1

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 very 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 Phillips County. 2020s bar runs to November 2026.

By type

Tornado1
Flood1
Severe Storm1
Coastal Storm1

Most recent

Sep 5, 2005Hurricane Katrina EvacuationEmergency
May 17, 2001Severe Winter StormsMajor disaster
Aug 1, 1997Severe Storms, Heavy Rain, Flash Floods, Flooding, MudslidesMajor disaster
Jun 19, 1965Tornadoes, Severe Storms & FloodingMajor disaster

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

Storm history since 1953

Tornado risk by county ›

The National Weather Service has logged 413 storm reports in Phillips County since 1953, with 0 deaths and 2 injuries and about $11.3 million in reported damage. The strongest on record here was an F2 tornado on June 18, 1955.

51tornadoes
224hail reports, largest 3 inches
123damaging thunderstorm winds
14floods and flash floods

Strongest tornadoes

DateStrengthNearHurt / killed
Jun 18, 1955F2–1 / 0
Jun 18, 1955F2–0 / 0
May 24, 1965F2–0 / 0
Jul 9, 1977F2–0 / 0
May 2, 1991F1–0 / 0

Most damaging storms

DateTypeNearDamage
Jun 18, 2009HailHaxtun$9M
Jul 4, 2006Thunderstorm WindHolyoke$1M
Aug 6, 1993HailHolyoke$500K
Jun 18, 1955Tornado–$250K
Jun 18, 1955Tornado–$250K
May 2, 1991Tornado–$250K

Source: NOAA Storm Events Database, county-based reports through Jun 24, 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 Phillips County

Check your address flood zone ›
0.2%of homes have federal flood insurance (5 policies)
0%of homes in mapped high-risk flood zones are insured
$7,402paid on 2 flood claims since 1978
2007costliest year, with $5,158 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 Phillips County

$258,200median 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
5.9%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; 2,164 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
Logan CountyLow10
Yuma CountyVery Low5
Chase County, NEVery Low10
Perkins County, NEVery Low8
Sedgwick CountyVery Low7

Common questions about Phillips County

What is the biggest natural hazard in Phillips County?

Drought has the highest expected yearly losses in Phillips County, about $2 million a year in FEMA's estimate. Inland flooding is second at $1.5 million.

How many federal disasters has Phillips County had?

Phillips County has been included in 4 federal disaster or emergency declarations for natural events since 1965, including 3 major disasters. The most recent was Hurricane Katrina Evacuation in September 2005.

Is Phillips County a high-risk place to live?

Its overall rating is Very Low, 47th 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 Phillips County?

Standard home insurance does not cover flooding. About 1 in 500 homes in Phillips 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 Phillips County had?

NOAA records list 51 tornadoes in Phillips County since 1950. The strongest was an F2 tornado on June 18, 1955. The weather service has also logged 224 hail reports and 14 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.