19 flood insurance claims·$86,062 paid·4 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 Delta 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.
River overflow and snowmelt-driven flooding, alongside flash flooding from summer storms, define the primary flood hazards in Delta County, with NOAA Storm Events Database records showing 11 flood events and 9 flash flood events over the last 30 years. Recent occurrences include high and fast flows driven by accelerated snowmelt from near-record snowpacks, which compromised county roads and bridges in April 2023, as well as low-lying recreational trails and roads in May 2023.
National Flood Insurance Program records indicate historical claims across various zones, including 6 claims in unknown zones averaging a $2,083 payout and 1 inch of recorded water depth, 6 claims in unshaded Zone X averaging a $4,956 payout and 1 inch of recorded water depth, and 4 claims in Zone A averaging a $22,512 payout and 4 inches of recorded water depth. Additionally, single claims were recorded in Zone D (averaging a $5,053 payout and 1 inch of water depth) and Zone X (averaging a $0 payout and 0 inches of water depth). Property owners located near rivers, drainages, and low-lying areas should pay the closest attention to these flood risks.
Summary written from NOAA storm reports and NFIP claims for this county. Not a prediction.
In flood insurance claims here that reported a flood depth, the average was 2 inches.
Drawn to scale against an 80-inch door. Even a few inches soaks flooring, the bottom of the drywall and anything plugged in near the floor.
Average of the depths reported on claims (zero and implausible values left out); FEMA’s record doesn’t say exactly where each depth was measured. Source: OpenFEMA NFIP claims.
The worst year was 1984, with 5 claims and $55,677 paid, the year of Severe Storms, Mudslides, Landslides & Flooding.
Bar height is scaled by square root so ordinary years stay visible next to the worst one. NFIP claims by year of loss. Source: OpenFEMA.
7 NOAA storm reports from Delta County describe what happened, in the words of the forecasters who covered it. Read the Colorado flood stories →
9 federal disaster declarations since 1970, 4 of them floods, coastal storms or hurricanes.
| Disaster | Began |
|---|---|
| Hurricane Katrina Evacuation | Aug 29, 2005 |
| Mcgruder Fire-07/03/2004 | Jul 3, 2004 |
| Wildfires | Apr 23, 2002 |
| Severe Storms, Mudslides, Landslides & Flooding | Jul 27, 1984 |
| Drought | Jan 29, 1977 |
| Flooding & Landslides | Jul 6, 1973 |
| Heavy Rains & Flooding | Sep 22, 1970 |
Weather and water disasters only; most recent first. Source: OpenFEMA Disaster Declarations.
20 since 1996: 9 flash floods and 11 river or area floods.
| Event | Date | Damage |
|---|---|---|
| Flood | May 24, 2023 | $10,000 |
| Flood | May 21, 2023 | $5,000 |
| Flood | May 20, 2023 | $2,500 |
| Flood | Apr 13, 2023 | $1,000 |
| Flood | Jul 23, 2021 | $2,000 |
| Flash Flood | Jul 26, 2019 | — |
| Flash Flood | Jul 29, 2014 | — |
| Flash Flood | Jul 18, 2013 | $150,000 |
— = no damage estimate in the record. Source: NOAA Storm Events Database.
Flood · May 24, 2023. Accelerated snowmelt from a near-record snowpack due to above normal temperatures and precipitation produced high and fast flow on drainages in several west-central counties. As a result, flooding compromised various low-lying roads in the counties.
Flood · May 21, 2023. Accelerated snowmelt from a near-record snowpack due to above normal temperatures and precipitation produced high and fast flow on drainages in Delta and Garfield counties. As a result, flooding compromised various low-lying recreational trails.
Flood · May 20, 2023. Accelerated snowmelt from a near-record snowpack due to above normal temperatures and precipitation produced high and fast flow on drainages in Delta and Garfield counties. As a result, flooding compromised various low-lying recreational trails.
Flood · Apr 13, 2023. Above normal temperatures accelerated snowmelt from a near-record snowpack. This resulted in high and fast flows on several rivers and drainages across Western Colorado. The increased runoff and flooding compromised several county roads and bridges across Montezuma, Archuleta, Routt, Delta, Dolores, Montrose, and Moffat counties.
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 Delta 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.