Every federal disaster in Boulder since 1955
Each square is a disaster or emergency declaration by the President or FEMA that covered Boulder County. Declarations make federal aid available after hurricanes, floods, storms, fires and other events, so this is a record of the big ones.
- Declarations
- 21since 1955
- Major disasters
- 9the most serious kind
- Since 2000
- 17declarations
- Most recent
- 2024Stone Mountain Fire
FEMA's National Risk Index rates Boulder County's overall natural hazard risk relatively moderate, led by lightning, tornado and wildfire. The history above shows what has actually happened; the risk index estimates what is likely.
All declarations
| Declared | Event | Type | FEMA number |
|---|---|---|---|
| Jul 31, 2024 | Stone Mountain Fire | Fire management | FM-5525 |
| Dec 31, 2021 | Wildfires and Straight-Line Winds | Major disaster | DR-4634 |
| Dec 30, 2021 | Marshall Fire | Fire management | FM-5423 |
| Oct 17, 2020 | Calwood Fire | Fire management | FM-5379 |
| Mar 28, 2020 | COVID-19 Pandemic | Major disaster | DR-4498 |
| Mar 13, 2020 | COVID-19 | Emergency | EM-3436 |
| Jul 16, 2015 | Severe Storms, Tornadoes, Flooding, Landslides, and Mudslides | Major disaster | DR-4229 |
| Sep 14, 2013 | Severe Storms, Flooding, Landslides, and Mudslides | Major disaster | DR-4145 |
| Sep 12, 2013 | Severe Storms, Flooding, Landslides, and Mudslides | Emergency | EM-3365 |
| Sep 6, 2010 | Four Mile Canyon Fire | Fire management | FM-2855 |
| Jan 7, 2009 | Olde Stage Fire | Fire management | FM-2793 |
| Jan 7, 2007 | Snow | Emergency | EM-3270 |
| Sep 5, 2005 | Hurricane Katrina Evacuation | Emergency | EM-3224 |
| Oct 29, 2003 | Co - Overland Wildfire - 10/29/2003 | Fire management | FM-2509 |
| Apr 9, 2003 | Snow | Emergency | EM-3185 |
| Jun 19, 2002 | Wildfires | Major disaster | DR-1421 |
| Sep 16, 2000 | Co - Eldorado Fire | Fire management | FM-2338 |
| May 23, 1973 | Heavy Rains, Snowmelt and Flooding | Major disaster | DR-385 |
| May 19, 1969 | Severe Storms & Flooding | Major disaster | DR-261 |
| Jun 12, 1956 | Flood | Major disaster | DR-59 |
| May 25, 1955 | Flood | Major disaster | DR-33 |
Frequently asked questions
How many federal disasters has Boulder had?
Since 1955, the federal government has issued 21 disaster or emergency declarations covering Boulder County, including 9 major disaster declarations. 17 of them came in 2000 or later.
What was the most recent federal disaster in Boulder?
Stone Mountain Fire (Fire management, declared July 31, 2024).
What kinds of disasters hit Boulder most often?
By FEMA incident type: fire (9), flood (7), snowstorm (2) and biological (2).
New to Boulder? The city profile covers flood maps and emergency alerts, and the risk summary shows FEMA's hazard ratings.
Source: FEMA, OpenFEMA Disaster Declarations Summaries (v2), downloaded October 18, 2026. We list declarations that named Boulder County, plus early statewide declarations from before FEMA designated individual counties. "Major disaster" declarations bring the widest federal aid; "emergency" declarations cover shorter-term help; "fire management" declarations help pay to fight large wildfires.