139 flood insurance claims·$1.7M paid·2 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 Otero 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 and river overflow dominate the flood character of Otero County, supported by 27 flash flood events and 12 general flood events over the last 30 years, including one recorded death.
Recent occurrences illustrate these risks. In June 2024, snowmelt runoff in the upper Arkansas and high flow releases from Pueblo Reservoir caused minor flooding at numerous forecast points along the Arkansas River. Shortly after, in July 2024, locally heavy rainfall produced a quick rise and a brief period of minor flooding along the Arkansas River in La Junta.
Property owners should review their flood risk according to FEMA zone classifications. The highest volume of National Flood Insurance Program claims occurs in Zone A, which accounts for 130 claims with an average payout of $14,437 and an average recorded water depth of 14 inches. Additional claims are distributed across Zone X_SHADED (3 claims, averaging $46,286 and 4 inches of water), Zone X (1 claim, averaging $66,400 with 0 inches of water), Zone X_UNSHADED (1 claim, averaging $10,553 and 1 inch of water), and Zone UNKNOWN (4 claims with $0 average payout and 0 inches of water). Homeowners, real estate agents, and journalists should pay the closest attention to properties located within Zone A and along the Arkansas River.
Summary written from NOAA storm reports and NFIP claims for this county. Not a prediction.
3% of Otero County’s flood insurance claims were on properties rated outside FEMA’s high-risk zones.
134 NFIP claims with a recorded rated flood zone, 1978 to date. The zone is the one FEMA used to rate that policy, which may not match today’s map. Source: OpenFEMA NFIP claims.
In flood insurance claims here that reported a flood depth, the average was 13 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 1999, with 104 claims and $1.6M paid, the year of Flooding 4/30/99.
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.
6 NOAA storm reports from Otero County describe what happened, in the words of the forecasters who covered it. Read the Colorado flood stories →
9 federal disaster declarations since 1965, 2 of them floods, coastal storms or hurricanes.
| Disaster | Began |
|---|---|
| Snow | Dec 28, 2006 |
| Hurricane Katrina Evacuation | Aug 29, 2005 |
| Wildfires | Apr 23, 2002 |
| Flooding 4/30/99 | Apr 29, 1999 |
| 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.
39 since 1996: 27 flash floods and 12 river or area floods.
| Event | Date | Damage |
|---|---|---|
| Flood | Jun 12, 2024 | — · 1 killed |
| Flash Flood | Jul 7, 2024 | — |
| Flood | Jul 3, 2024 | — |
| Flash Flood | Jul 19, 2023 | — |
| Flash Flood | Jun 6, 2023 | — |
| Flood | Jul 5, 2023 | — |
| Flash Flood | Jul 6, 2022 | — |
| Flash Flood | Aug 6, 2022 | — |
— = no damage estimate in the record. Source: NOAA Storm Events Database.
Flood · Jun 12, 2024. Snowmelt runoff in the upper Arkansas (above Pueblo) and high flow releases from Pueblo Reservoir resulted in minor flooding at numerous forecast points along the Arkansas River.
Flash Flood · Jul 7, 2024. Strong storms and flash flooding on July 7th for Prowers, Bent, Otero Counties.
Flood · Jul 3, 2024. Locally heavy rainfall resulted in a quick rise and brief period of minor flooding along the Arkansas River in La Junta.
Flash Flood · Jul 19, 2023. An upper level high pressure center was located over central Arizona and central New Mexico which resulted in a favorable pattern for efficient diurnal wind fluctuations including upslope oriented winds towards WFO Pueblo's eastern mountains. Weak waves embedded in the upper level northwesterly flow enhanced the lift and the pattern enhanced the deep shear. The result was a very rare mountainous tornado that was o…
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 Otero 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.