Photo: ERoss99 · CC BY-SA 3.0FEMA puts Elizabeth’s expected hazard damage per building above that of 77% of U.S. towns, led by wildfire
On FEMA’s National Risk Index, Elizabeth gets a C− for hazard risk: higher expected damage per building than 77% of U.S. towns, #120 of 159 in Colorado. Most of that expected damage is wildfire (42%), then river and rain flooding (33%). FEMA’s files show no paid flood insurance claims here.
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 Elizabeth faces
Each hazard’s share of the building damage FEMA expects here, and how its rate compares with the rest of the country.
Wildfire
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 Elizabeth’s grade
Wildfire is 42% of the building damage FEMA expects in Elizabeth, and Elizabeth’s rate of wildfire damage is in the top 2% of U.S. census tracts. Hail adds 14%, at a rate in the top 3% of U.S. census tracts.
C− #120 of 159 in Colorado; higher expected damage per building than 77% of U.S. towns (21,298).
Elizabeth’s residents live in 3 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, Elizabeth has more expected damage per building than 75% of Colorado towns.
In dollars, FEMA expects about $1.1M a year in losses across Elizabeth: $921K to buildings, the rest to people and crops.
Does Elizabeth flood? No paid flood claims on record
FEMA’s records show no paid flood insurance claims in Elizabeth. That’s not a promise: most homes don’t carry flood insurance, so small floods go unrecorded.
Elizabeth isn’t in FEMA’s Community Rating System, which cuts flood insurance up to 45% in towns that do extra flood-proofing.
Insurance rates: Elbert County.2 federal disasters brought FEMA money to Elizabeth
Disasters that paid out in Elizabeth itself (aid to households or repair grants to the Town of Elizabeth), newest first, with that year’s flood claims.
- 2006Snow$3K to the Town of Elizabeth for repairs
- 2003Snow$3K to the Town of Elizabeth for repairs
Elbert County has had 10 natural disasters declared by the President since 1953, most often floods, then severe storms. Not counted: the 2005 Hurricane Katrina evacuee emergency, which covered counties that took in evacuees.
Old photos of Elizabeth after a storm or flood belong in the town’s history. Add one, or share what you remember below.
Add to the Elizabeth archive →Elizabeth and its neighbors
Elizabeth is 2nd of the 2 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Ponderosa Park | Cmore damage than 68% | river and rain flooding | — |
| Elizabeth | C−more damage than 77% | wildfire | 0 |
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 Elizabeth faces
A short kit for the hazards that drive the building damage here, what to check before you buy, and where neighbors get alerts.
- Clear dead leaves and brush within 5 feet of the house.
- Sign up for local alerts and know two ways out.
- Keep N95 masks for smoky days.
- 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 Elizabeth
Is Elizabeth at risk for natural disasters?
On FEMA’s National Risk Index, Elizabeth has higher expected damage per building than 77% of U.S. towns: C− for hazard risk, #120 of 159 in Colorado. Most of the expected damage is wildfire (42%) and river and rain flooding (33%). This is FEMA’s model of an average year for today’s buildings, not a forecast.
Is Elizabeth 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 Elbert County, 11% of homes in mapped flood zones carry federal flood insurance, and 0.2% of all homes do.
How much is flood insurance in Elizabeth?
FEMA’s Community Rating System list shows no discount for Elizabeth’s flood program. Premiums depend on the building; policies usually start 30 days after you buy, so get a quote early.
What was the biggest storm in Elizabeth?
By FEMA money that reached Elizabeth, Snow (2003): $3K to the Town of Elizabeth for repairs.
Is Elizabeth at risk from wildfire?
It is the largest share of the building damage FEMA expects here (42%), and Elizabeth’s rate for it is in the top 2% of U.S. census tracts.
Storm stories
Memories, warnings and help from neighbors in Elizabeth.
Sources: FEMA National Risk Index v1.20 (December 2025), census-tract table, combined by where Elizabeth’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.