Mill City House · Photo: Jeffrey Beall from Colorado, USA · CC BY-SA 2.0More hazard damage per building is expected in Applewood than in 77% of U.S. towns, mostly from river and rain flooding
On FEMA’s National Risk Index, Applewood gets a C− for hazard risk: higher expected damage per building than 77% of U.S. towns, #119 of 159 in Colorado. Most of that expected damage is river and rain flooding (59%), then hail (31%). Flood insurance has paid 5 claims here since 2000.
Graded on FEMA’s expected yearly building damage per dollar of building value (NRI v1.20, December 2025), weighted by where residents live; flood claims are shown, not graded. How hazard risk is graded
What Applewood faces
Each hazard’s share of the building damage FEMA expects here, and how its rate compares with the rest of the country.
River and rain flooding
Hail
Tornadoes
Shares are of FEMA’s expected building damage, the measure the grade uses; ranks compare each hazard’s building-damage rate with all 85,154 U.S. census tracts. In FEMA’s terms, river and rain flooding is FEMA’s “Inland Flooding” (rivers and streams overflowing their banks, or rain overwhelming drainage). FEMA defines coastal flooding as high or rising tides and storm surge, so surge damage is counted there. Drought isn’t listed: FEMA counts its losses in crops only.
What’s behind Applewood’s grade
River and rain flooding is 59% of the building damage FEMA expects in Applewood, and Applewood’s rate of river and rain flooding damage is higher than 70% of U.S. census tracts. Hail adds 31%, at a rate in the top 1% of U.S. census tracts.
C− #119 of 159 in Colorado; higher expected damage per building than 77% of U.S. towns (21,298).
Applewood’s residents live in 5 census tracts; FEMA’s figures are combined by where they live.
The typical Colorado town has higher expected damage than 56% of U.S. towns; within the state, Applewood has more expected damage per building than 75% of Colorado towns.
In dollars, FEMA expects about $3.5M a year in losses across Applewood: $3.1M to buildings, the rest to people and crops.
Does Applewood flood? Rarely: 5 flood claims since 2000
Every paid claim on a federal flood insurance policy in Applewood, from FEMA’s records: 1.4 per 1,000 homes, fewer than 71% of the 13,809 U.S. towns with a flood insurance record.
Applewood isn’t in FEMA’s Community Rating System, which cuts flood insurance up to 45% in towns that do extra flood-proofing.
Insurance rates: Jefferson County.The storms Applewood remembers
None of the 7 disasters declared for Jefferson County shows FEMA aid or repair money reaching Applewood itself in FEMA’s records, so these are its biggest flood-claim years.
- 20132 flood claims paidThe year of Severe Storms, Flooding, Landslides, and Mudslides, declared for Jefferson County
- 20001 flood claims paidNo declaration for the county that year
- 20041 flood claims paidNo declaration for the county that year
Jefferson County has had 7 natural disasters declared by the President since 1953, most often floods, then winter storms. Not counted: the 2005 Hurricane Katrina evacuee emergency, which covered counties that took in evacuees.
Also 4 FEMA wildfire suppression grants (Fire Management Assistance, not a disaster declaration) for fires in Jefferson County, 2000–2024.
Old photos of Applewood after a storm or flood belong in the town’s history. Add one, or share what you remember below.
Add to the Applewood archive →Applewood and its neighbors
Applewood is 4th of the 5 graded towns here, from least expected damage per building to most. Tap a town to see its hazards.
| Town | Hazard risk | Mostly (buildings) | Flood claims |
|---|---|---|---|
| Lakewood | B−more damage than 53% | hail | 93 |
| West Pleasant View | C+more damage than 63% | river and rain flooding | 3 |
| Fairmount | Cmore damage than 69% | river and rain flooding | 1 |
| Applewood | C−more damage than 77% | river and rain flooding | 5 |
| Wheat Ridge | Dmore damage than 87% | river and rain flooding | 27 |
| East Pleasant View | — | 832 residents; we grade 1,000+ | |
Hazard risk = FEMA’s expected yearly building damage per dollar of building value, vs. the 21,298 U.S. towns we grade; the map is shaded by fifths of the same scale. Flood claims = paid federal flood insurance claims on record.
Get ready for what Applewood faces
A short kit for the hazards that drive the building damage here, what to check before you buy, and where neighbors get alerts.
- Turn around at flooded roads: a foot of moving water can carry off a car.
- Flood insurance usually takes 30 days to start, so buy it before the forecast.
- Keep papers and medicines up high, in a grab-and-go bag.
- Park in a garage or under cover when storms are forecast.
- Stay away from windows while it falls.
- Photograph roof and car damage for your insurer.
- Pick your spot now: the lowest floor, an inside room, no windows.
- A watch means be ready; a warning means take cover now.
- Keep shoes and a flashlight by the bed.
- Look up the address on FEMA’s flood map.
- Ask the seller or landlord whether it has ever flooded, and what flood insurance costs there.
- Get a flood insurance quote early: policies usually start 30 days after you buy.
Know where neighbors sign up for alerts? Add it to the Handbook so everyone has it.
Questions about natural hazards in Applewood
Is Applewood at risk for natural disasters?
On FEMA’s National Risk Index, Applewood has higher expected damage per building than 77% of U.S. towns: C− for hazard risk, #119 of 159 in Colorado. Most of the expected damage is river and rain flooding (59%) and hail (31%). This is FEMA’s model of an average year for today’s buildings, not a forecast.
Does Applewood flood?
Flood insurance has paid 5 claims in Applewood since 2000, $6K in all, or 1.4 per 1,000 homes, fewer than 71% of U.S. towns with a flood insurance record.
Is Applewood in a flood zone?
Flood zones are drawn street by street, so the answer depends on the address: look it up on FEMA’s flood map. In Jefferson County, 41% of homes in mapped flood zones carry federal flood insurance, and 0.6% of all homes do.
How much is flood insurance in Applewood?
FEMA’s Community Rating System list shows no discount for Applewood’s flood program. Premiums depend on the building; policies usually start 30 days after you buy, so get a quote early.
Is Applewood at risk from river and rain flooding?
It is the largest share of the building damage FEMA expects here (59%), and Applewood’s rate for it is higher than 70% of U.S. census tracts.
Storm stories
Memories, warnings and help from neighbors in Applewood.
Sources: FEMA National Risk Index v1.20 (December 2025), census-tract table, combined by where Applewood’s residents lived in the 2020 census; OpenFEMA: NFIP redacted claims, multiple-loss properties, community status book and residential penetration rates, housing assistance (owners and renters), public assistance funded projects, hazard mitigation properties and disaster declarations. Homes: Census ACS 2020–24. Preparedness tips: Ready.gov. FEMA’s model is an average of expected damage, not a forecast. How hazard risk is graded.