1 federal flood & hurricane disasters
Share of the whole county outline, rivers and lakes included; parts FEMA hasn’t mapped count as zero.
Shaded areas are FEMA’s mapped flood hazard zones in and around Bent County, Colorado. Zoomed out they are simplified; at street level the map switches to FEMA’s exact layer. Tap anywhere to check that spot, or search an address above.
Flash flooding from summer thunderstorms dominates the flood risk profile for Bent County, with 12 flash flood events compared to 4 general flood events recorded over the last 30 years in the NOAA Storm Events Database.
Severe weather patterns frequently drive these conditions across the region. For example, numerous strong, slow-moving storms caused flash flooding across Bent and neighboring counties on July 29, 2014. More recently, late afternoon thunderstorm activity moving east-southeast across the Colorado plains triggered numerous flash flooding events on August 6, 2022.
Property owners, residents, and real estate professionals in Bent County should pay the closest attention to areas susceptible to rapid storm runoff, localized high water accumulation, and intense seasonal convective weather.
Summary written from NOAA storm reports and NFIP claims for this county. Not a prediction.
1 NOAA storm reports from Bent County describe what happened, in the words of the forecasters who covered it. Read the Colorado flood stories →
9 federal disaster declarations since 1965, 1 of them floods, coastal storms or hurricanes.
| Disaster | Began |
|---|---|
| Snow | Dec 28, 2006 |
| Hurricane Katrina Evacuation | Aug 29, 2005 |
| Wildfires | Apr 23, 2002 |
| Severe Winter Storms | Apr 11, 2001 |
| Flooding 4/30/99 | Apr 29, 1999 |
| Drought | Jan 29, 1977 |
| Tornadoes, Severe Storms & Flooding | Jun 19, 1965 |
Weather and water disasters only; most recent first. Source: OpenFEMA Disaster Declarations.
16 since 1996: 12 flash floods and 4 river or area floods.
| Event | Date | Damage |
|---|---|---|
| Flash Flood | Jul 5, 2023 | — |
| Flash Flood | Aug 6, 2022 | — |
| Flash Flood | Jul 28, 2017 | — |
| Flash Flood | Jul 1, 2016 | — |
| Flash Flood | Jul 29, 2014 | — |
| Flood | Jul 18, 2014 | — |
| Flood | Jul 15, 2014 | — |
| Flood | Jul 13, 2014 | — |
— = no damage estimate in the record. Source: NOAA Storm Events Database.
Flash Flood · Jul 5, 2023. Residual moisture from an incredibly anomalously wet June continues to moisten the lower levels aiding in ample amounts of instability. The northwest flow pattern created a lot of shear, which led to prolonged 3 day severe weather event over adjacent and eastern plains of southern Colorado.
Flash Flood · Aug 6, 2022. Late afternoon thunderstorm activity pushed off the Palmer Divide moving east-southeast across the Colorado plains. Numerous flash flooding events, severe thunderstorm winds and some damage were reported across the region.
Flash Flood · Jul 28, 2017. A few severe storms produced flash flooding and damaging wind gusts.
Flash Flood · Jul 1, 2016. Strong to severe storms produced hail up to half dollar size and flash flooding across the I-25 corridor and southeast plains.
National Weather Service narratives, lightly trimmed. Source: NOAA Storm Events Database.
Every colour on the map above is a place on this drawing: where the ground sits relative to the flood FEMA plans for.
If a building in Bent County is in a high-risk zone (A or V) and its mortgage comes from a federally regulated or insured lender, or is federally backed, flood insurance is required.
Outside those zones it is optional, and often worth having: from 2014 to 2024 nearly one-third of NFIP claims came from outside the high-risk Special Flood Hazard Area. Since Risk Rating 2.0, NFIP premiums are set for each building, so the only reliable price is a quote: FloodSmart.gov or a local agent.