Photo: Joe Tempel · Public domainStorms, floods and disasters in Morrison
Morrison isn’t graded for hazard risk: Morrison has 412 residents; we grade towns of 1,000 or more. Flood insurance has paid 1 claim here since 1983.
What Morrison 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
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.
Does Morrison flood? Rarely: 1 flood claim since 1983
Every paid claim on a federal flood insurance policy in Morrison, from FEMA’s records.
Morrison is in FEMA’s Community Rating System (class 8) for its flood-proofing work.
Insurance rates: Jefferson County.3 federal disasters brought FEMA money to Morrison
Disasters that paid out in Morrison itself (aid to households or repair grants to the Town of Morrison), newest first, with that year’s flood claims.
- 2013Severe Storms, Flooding, Landslides, and Mudslides9 households applied for aid$28K to the Town of Morrison for repairs
- 2006Snow$7K to the Town of Morrison for repairs
- 2003Snow$14K to the Town of Morrison for repairs
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 Morrison after a storm or flood belong in the town’s history. Add one, or share what you remember below.
Add to the Morrison archive →Morrison and its neighbors
How expected damage per building compares across the town line. Tap a town to see its hazards.
| Town | Hazard risk | Mostly (buildings) | Flood claims |
|---|---|---|---|
| Lakewood | B−more damage than 53% | hail | 93 |
| Indian Hills | — | 986 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 Morrison 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.
- 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.
- Morrison residents get 10% off flood insurance.
Know where neighbors sign up for alerts? Add it to the Handbook so everyone has it.
Questions about natural hazards in Morrison
Does Morrison flood?
Flood insurance has paid 1 claim in Morrison since 1983, $1K in all.
Is Morrison 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 Morrison?
Morrison is in FEMA’s Community Rating System (class 8), which takes 10% off federal flood insurance policies for its flood-proofing work. Premiums depend on the building; policies usually start 30 days after you buy, so get a quote early.
What was the biggest storm in Morrison?
By FEMA money that reached Morrison, Severe Storms, Flooding, Landslides, and Mudslides (2013): 9 households applied for aid, $0 approved, and $28K to the Town of Morrison for repairs.
Storm stories
Memories, warnings and help from neighbors in Morrison.
Sources: FEMA National Risk Index v1.20 (December 2025), census-tract table, combined by where Morrison’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.