7 flood insurance claims·$4,362 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 Lincoln 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 profile of Lincoln County, Colorado, accounting for 19 out of 20 recorded flood events over the last 30 years alongside a single standard flood event.
Severe weather instances illustrate these risks. In June 2023, significant flash flooding occurred in and near Limon, prompting a few water rescues and several road closures due to heavy rain. Later that month, localized flash flooding was observed near Boyero during severe thunderstorms that also produced large hail and a brief tornado. Another slow-moving thunderstorm event in August 2024 brought up to four inches of rainfall north of Punkin Center alongside high winds and hail.
Historical National Flood Insurance Program claims data shows four claims in Zone A, with an average payout of $4,362 and an average recorded water depth of two inches. Additionally, two claims were recorded in Zone X Unshaded and one claim in Zone X, both averaging $0 in payouts and zero inches of recorded water depth. Property owners located within Zone A should pay the closest attention to flood risk, as this zone accounts for all historical claim payouts and measurable water depths in the county.
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 1990, with 2 claims and $0 paid.
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.
8 NOAA storm reports from Lincoln County describe what happened, in the words of the forecasters who covered it. Read the Colorado flood stories →
10 federal disaster declarations since 1965, 4 of them floods, coastal storms or hurricanes.
| Disaster | Began |
|---|---|
| Severe Storms, Flooding, And Tornadoes | Jun 8, 2023 |
| Severe Storms, Flooding, Landslides, And Mudslides | Sep 11, 2013 |
| Hurricane Katrina Evacuation | Aug 29, 2005 |
| Wildfires | Apr 23, 2002 |
| Severe Winter Storms | Apr 11, 2001 |
| Severe Storms, Heavy Rain, Flash Floods, Flooding, Mudslides | Jul 28, 1997 |
| Drought | Jan 29, 1977 |
| Tornadoes, Severe Storms & Flooding | Jun 19, 1965 |
Weather and water disasters only; most recent first. Source: OpenFEMA Disaster Declarations.
20 since 1996: 19 flash floods and 1 river or area floods.
| Event | Date | Damage |
|---|---|---|
| Flash Flood | May 29, 2024 | — |
| Flash Flood | Aug 12, 2024 | — |
| Flash Flood | Jun 16, 2023 | $5,000 |
| Flash Flood | Jun 11, 2023 | $50,000 |
| Flash Flood | Aug 1, 2019 | $25,000 |
| Flood | May 9, 2015 | $15,000 |
| Flash Flood | Jul 16, 2014 | $250,000 |
| Flash Flood | Jul 13, 2013 | $30,000 |
— = no damage estimate in the record. Source: NOAA Storm Events Database.
Flash Flood · May 29, 2024. Two land spout tornadoes formed along a boundary over eastern Adams County. As storms progressed eastward, a few become severe with large hail and strong winds.
Flash Flood · Aug 12, 2024. Slow moving thunderstorms produced flash flooding with up to four inches of rainfall reported in Brush and north of Punkin Center. In addition to the heavy rainfall, hail up to two inches in diameter and 68 mph winds were reported.
Flash Flood · Jun 16, 2023. Severe thunderstorms produced large hail across parts of Elbert and Lincoln counties, along with one brief tornado. The hail ranged from quarter to around tennis ball size. Some of the roadways were completely covered by several inches of hail accumulation. The tornado touched down in an open field with no damage observed. Localized flash flooding was observed near Boyero.
Flash Flood · Jun 11, 2023. Very heavy rain occurred across some areas of northeast Colorado from June 11th until the early hours of June 12th with flash flooding in some areas. The worst areas were south and southeast of Fort Collins towards Timnath and Windsor and in the Milliken area. Locations in these areas received from 3.0 to 5.5 inches of rain. Another area was located in and near Limon where significant flash flooding occurred a…
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 Lincoln 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.