Colorado Flooding
One of the flooding disasters on NOAA’s billion-dollar list: $2.0 billion in losses at 2024 prices ($1.5 billion at the time) and 9 deaths.
What the offices filed during it
The 77 most significant flooding episodes filed in these dates, colored by kind.
- Tornadoes
- Tropical storms and surge
- Floods
- Wind
- Hail
- Winter weather
- Heat and drought
- Cold
- Fire, smoke and dust
- Marine and coastal
- Other
The toll
- Losses, 2024 dollars
- $2.0 billion
- Losses at the time
- $1.5 billion
- Deaths
- 9
The losses and deaths are NCEI’s, counting everything the disaster did. The episodes below are only what the Weather Service filed in its Storm Events record, which counts damage differently and often not at all, so the two never add up and are shown apart.
By state, as filed
| State | Events | Deaths | Injuries | Damage filed |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Colorado | 109 | 8 | 5 | $711 million |
| Texas | 13 | 0 | 0 | $4.0 million |
| New Mexico | 24 | 1 | 0 | $1.6 million |
| Wyoming | 7 | 0 | 0 | $1.5 million |
| Utah | 40 | 0 | 0 | $1.3 million |
| Arizona | 32 | 0 | 0 | $474,000 |
| New Hampshire | 10 | 0 | 0 | $275,000 |
| Pennsylvania | 26 | 0 | 0 | $139,000 |
| Michigan | 1 | 0 | 0 | $125,000 |
| Nevada | 7 | 0 | 0 | $65,000 |
| Maine | 2 | 0 | 0 | $15,000 |
| New York | 10 | 0 | 0 | |
| Kansas | 7 | 0 | 0 | |
| New Jersey | 6 | 0 | 0 | |
| Puerto Rico | 6 | 0 | 0 | |
| Vermont | 5 | 0 | 0 | |
| Idaho | 4 | 0 | 0 | |
| Alaska | 2 | 0 | 0 | |
| Maryland | 2 | 0 | 0 | |
| Montana | 1 | 0 | 0 |
Episode by episode
- Flash Flood in Montana, September 8, 2013A line of heavy thunderstorms moved across Musselshell County during the early evening of the 8th. This resulted in flash flooding on the Dahl, Delphia, and Wilson Burn Scar areas. Water was reported running over county and private roads.
- Flash Flooding in Utah, September 9, 2013A monsoonal push of moisture initiated heavy rain producing thunderstorms across southeast Utah during the morning and afternoon hours on September 9th. Runoff from these storms produced flash flooding in and near Canyonlands National Park.
- Flash Flooding in Arizona, September 9, 2013Southerly flow spread copious amounts of tropical moisture northward and into the south central Arizona deserts during the morning hours on September 9th.
- Flash Flood and Heavy Rain in Arizona, September 9, 2013Copious amounts of tropical moisture spread northward across the southwest and south central Arizona deserts during the morning hours on September 9th, and this led to the developement of scattered to numerous showers along with isolated embedded thunderstorms.
- Heavy Rain in Arizona, September 9, 2013Thunderstorms produced heavy rain street flooding in the Payson area.
- Flood and Hail in Pennsylvania, September 9, 2013Scattered thunderstorms developed along a warm front as it moved northeast across eastern Ohio and western Pennsylvania.
- Flash Flooding in Arizona, September 9 to 11, 2013Lingering monsoon moisture continued to fuel thunderstorms over the Mojave Desert. A few storms produced flash flooding.
- Flash Flood in Arizona, September 9, 2013Thunderstorms with heavy rain Cataract and Supai Canyons causing flash flooding.
- Flash Flood in New Mexico, September 9, 2013A deep moisture plume was centered on the Arizona-New Mexico border region with surface dew points around 60F. An upper level trough was located across Western Arizona providing lift and a continuous tap of moisture from the Baja region.
- Flash Flooding and Lightning Strike in Nevada, September 9 to 11, 2013Lingering monsoon moisture continued to fuel thunderstorms over the Mojave Desert. A few storms produced flash flooding.
- Flash Flooding in Arizona, September 9 to 12, 2013Heavy rain caused flash flooding along Highway 191 from around Chinle northward to around Round Rock. The heavy rain also caused an earthen dam to break in this area. Heavy rain also impacted portions of northern Apache County near Highway 160.
- Flash Flood in Michigan, September 10, 2013Multiple thunderstorms moved over portions of the upper St Marys River valley on the night of the 9th. Most of the heavy rain fell on the Canadian side of the border, but the swath of excessive rain did cross the north half of Sugar Island.
- Flash Flooding and Debris Flow in Utah, September 10 to 14, 2013A Pacific storm system, combined with deep subtropical moisture, produced widespread heavy precipitation across Utah. This led to flooding across many parts of the state, with significant damages reported in several locations.
- Flood in Alaska, September 10 to 11, 2013Multiple storms bringing prolonged rainfall to south central Alaska caused rivers to rise and some minor flooding in numerous areas around the region.
- Flood in Arizona, September 10 to 11, 2013A trough of low pressure over southern California drew tropical moisture from the remnants of Tropical Storm Lorena into southern Arizona on September 9th. Precipitable water values near 2 inches contributed to widespread thunderstorms from Tucson westward.
- Flash Flooding and Lightning Strike in Arizona, September 10 to 14, 2013Thunderstorms produced heavy rain and flooding across the Navajo Nation. Several communities were impacted by the flooding.
- Flash Flooding in Utah, September 10, 2013Several days of monsoon related rainfall lead to flash flooding in and near the national parks within southeast Utah.
- Flash Flood in Arizona, September 10, 2013A deep moist southerly flow fueled thunderstorms that produced heavy rain over the Yarnell Hill Fire scar. This triggered flash flooding in the town of Yarnell.
- Flash Flooding and Flood in Arizona, September 10, 2013Scattered to numerous showers and thunderstorms moved across portions of the south central deserts, including northwestern Maricopa county and eastern La Paz county, during the morning hours on September 10th.
- Flash Flooding in Arizona, September 11, 2013Thunderstorms with heavy rain hit northern Navajo and northern Apache Counties. Flash flooding covered highways around Kayenta northward toward Monument Valley and near Round Rock.
- Flash Flooding in New Mexico, September 11 to 12, 2013A weak upper low remained over Northwest Arizona with a convergent mid-level flow setup across the Rio Grande Valley. Dew points were in the lower 60s with precipitable water values well above normal allowing for very heavy rain to occur across Dona Ana County.
- Flash Flooding and Hail in Pennsylvania, September 11, 2013Significant instability combined with modest lapse rates and abundant deep-layer moisture (PW) produced numerous thunderstorm clusters with locally heavy rain during the afternoon and evening hours across central PA.
- Flash Flooding and Flooding in Pennsylvania, September 11, 2013A very warm and moist air mass for early September helped scattered thunderstorms to develop in the afternoon and evening. Isolated flooding and wind damage were reported.
- Flash Flood in Maryland, September 11, 2013Hot and humid conditions led to an unstable environment as high pressure departed the region. Further north and west, across Western Maryland showers and thunderstorms formed due to terrain circulations. A saturated environment led to flash flooding.
- Flash Flooding and Flooding in Colorado, September 11 to 20, 2013A deep southerly flow over Colorado, ahead of a near stationary low pressure system over the Great Basin, pumped copious amounts of monsoonal moisture into the area. In addition, a weak stationary front stretched along the Front Range Foothills and Palmer Divide.
- Flash Flood in New Mexico, September 11, 2013An upper level low was over northern Arizona, and the circulation around the low brought in low level moisture across southeast New Mexico and West Texas. Upper level disturbances moved over the region providing additional lift.
- Debris Flow in Colorado, September 11, 2013Heavy rainfall from monsoonal thunderstorms caused a mudslide near Edwards which closed Highway 6.
- Flash Flooding and Flood in Colorado, September 11 to 12, 2013Storms produced heavy rain across western Pueblo County and western El Paso County and the Waldo Canyon burn scar. Rural roads were flooded east of Beulah. There was also flooding on US Highway 24 and numerous streets on the west side of Colorado Springs.
- Flood in Alaska, September 11 to 12, 2013The last in a series of strong subtropical weather fronts moved over the northern areas of the inner channels of Southeast Alaska. This front produced about one inch of rain over the area and with the ground already saturated all of the rainfall went into runoff.
- Flash Flood in New Jersey, September 12, 2013Training thunderstorms (thunderstorms moving over the same areas) caused flash flooding in Hunterdon County on the morning of the 12th.
- Flash Flooding in Texas, September 12, 2013A deep south to southwest flow aloft continued to tap moisture from the Baja region while low level flow was tapping Gulf of Mexico moisture. Precipitable water values across the region were running over 150 percent of normal.
- Flash Flooding in New Mexico, September 12, 2013Plentiful moisture came in from the Pacific Ocean across southeast New Mexico and far West Texas, and this moisture was limited further east due to a mid-level ridge that was approaching the Southern Plains.
- Flash Flooding and Flood in Colorado, September 12, 2013An area of heavy rain moved from northeast Fremont County to western El Paso County, causing flash flooding. Flooded county roads were on either side of State Highway 115. The heavy rain moved across western Colorado Springs and flooded streets and US Highway 24.
- Flash Flood in Texas, September 12, 2013Plentiful moisture came in from the Pacific Ocean across southeast New Mexico and far West Texas, and this moisture was limited further east due to a mid-level ridge that was approaching the Southern Plains.
- Flash Flooding and Flood in New Hampshire, September 12, 2013A pre-frontal surface trough developed over southern New England, providing a focus for low level convection. Plenty of instability, as well as a strong upper jet aloft, allowed several of these storms to become severe, producing damaging winds.
- Flash Flooding and Damaging Winds in New York, September 12, 2013A series of cold front moved towards the region on Thursday, September 12th. Despite some periods of cloudiness, a warm and humid air mass ahead of the approaching boundaries allowed for moderate amounts of instability to be in place.
- Flash Flooding and Flooding in Colorado, September 12 to 13, 2013An area of heavy rain developed across western El Paso County flooding many areas. Rock Creek, Cheyenne Creek, and Fountain Creek experienced flash flooding and flooding. Rock and Cheyenne Creek watersheds experienced significant damages to infrastructure.
- Flash Flooding and Damaging Winds in Vermont, September 12, 2013A series of cold front moved towards the region on Thursday, September 12th. Despite some periods of cloudiness, a warm and humid air mass ahead of the approaching boundaries allowed for moderate amounts of instability to be in place.
- Flash Flood in Maryland, September 12, 2013A cold front moved through the region and a surface trough was located near the I-95 corridor. Southerly flow ahead of the cold front brought warm and humid conditions to the area. This led to instability and showers and thunderstorms formed near the pressure trough.
- Flash Flood and Flooding in Kansas, September 12 to 13, 2013A slow-moving upper low pressure area stalled over Colorado, while ample low-level moisture moved in on southeast winds. The result was a period of very heavy rainfall from repeat episodes of thunderstorms.
- Flash Flood in Nevada, September 12, 2013Flooding was observed on O'Neil Basin road by an NDOT road crew.
- Flash Flood in Maine, September 12, 2013An area of slow moving thunderstorm dropped 2 to 4 inches of rain in 3 hours causing the Noisy Brook to rise rapidly and flood Route 17 in Roxbury.
- Flash Flood in Nevada, September 12, 2013The Midas road near Willow Creek Reservoir was washed out by a flash flood.
- Flash Flooding in New Jersey, September 12, 2013A cold front encountered a highly unstable airmass as it approached from the west, which resulted in a line of showers and thunderstorms during the evening hours. High precipitable water levels preceding the front resulted in heavy rain and flash flooding in Bergen County.
- Flash Flooding in Colorado, September 12 to 13, 2013A slow-moving upper low pressure area stalled over Colorado, while ample low-level moisture moved in on southeast winds. The result was a period of very heavy rainfall from repeat episodes of thunderstorms.
- Flash Flood in Wyoming, September 12, 2013Thunderstorms dropped very heavy rain over portions of eastern Lincoln County during the late afternoon hours of September 12. Rainfall estimated at around one inch fell in a little less than one hour.
- Flash Flood in Wyoming, September 12, 2013Heavy rainfall from thunderstorms produced flash flooding across portions of the Squirrel Creek burn scar in southwest Albany County.
- Flash Flooding in Idaho, September 12, 2013An expansive upper low situated across Eastern Nevada fed moisture northward into Idaho where intense convection spurred flash flooding across the area.
- Flash Flooding in Colorado, September 12, 2013Heavy rainfall continued to cause flooding and mudslides across portions of western Colorado.
- Heavy Rain in Kansas, September 13, 2013Copious amounts of tropical moisture was streaming north. Rain overnight was heavy in some areas.
- Coastal Flood in Texas, September 13 to 15, 2013High energy swells from Hurricane Ingrid, which moved through the western Gulf of Mexico into northeastern Mexico, impacted the Middle Texas Coast from September 13th through the 15th.
- Flooding in Colorado, September 13 to 17, 2013The runoff across the Pikes Peak Region sent a flood wave down Fountain Creek and adjacent drainages into the Arkansas River. The flood wave traveled down Fountain Creek and the Arkansas River through Pueblo County on the 12th through the 14th.
- Flash Flood in New Mexico, September 13, 2013A deep plume of moisture remained over the region with a low level moisture fetch off of the Gulf of Mexico and a mid and upper level moisture feed off the Gulf of California. Very heavy rains occurred over Sierra County and caused flash flooding which included 1 death.
- Flash Flood in Texas, September 13, 2013Scattered showers and thunderstorms across the Texas Panhandle lead to localized flash flooding and heavy rain during the evening hours of the 13th.
- Heavy Rain in Texas, September 13, 2013Scattered showers and thunderstorms across the Texas Panhandle lead to localized heavy rain during the evening hours of the 13th.
- Flash Flooding in Utah, September 13, 2013Abundant monsoon moisture continued to create thunderstorms with heavy rainfall and resultant flash floods in southeast Utah.
- Heavy Rain in Arizona, September 13, 2013Thunderstorms produced heavy rain and street flooding in Taylor.
- Flash Flood in Idaho, September 13, 2013Rainfall amounts up to 1 inch in one hour caused debris flow in the Timber Gulch area and in the Greenhorn area near Hailey. The rains over the Beaver Creek fire burn scar contributed to the flooding.
- Flood in Maine, September 13, 2013An area of thunderstorms in Northern Oxford County produced 2 to 4 inches of rain in 3 hours causing the Swift River at Roxbury to rise above the 7 foot flood stage. The river crested at 8.03 feet resulting in only a brief period of minor flooding.
- Flash Flood in Wyoming, September 13, 2013Heavy rainfall from thunderstorms caused flash flooding over parts of the southern Laramie Range foothills west of Cheyenne.
- Flash Flood and Hail in Arizona, September 13, 2013A thunderstorm produced severe hail and flash flooding near the town of Whiteriver.
- Flood in Arizona, September 14 to 15, 2013Several days in a row of monsoon thunderstorms occurred in east central Arizona and west central New Mexico. Runoff drained into the Blue, San Francisco and Gila Rivers.
- Flooding in Puerto Rico, September 14, 2013A surface trough combined with strong daytime heating and sea breeze convergence to produced scattered to numerous showers with thunderstorms over the San Juan metropolitan area.
- Flash Flood in New Mexico, September 14, 2013An upper level trough was passing through Central New Mexico where an area of deep moisture remained from the previous days. Heavy rain was reported in Catron County which caused a log jam break on the west fork of the Gila River which moved south into Gila Hot Springs.
- Flash Flooding in Utah, September 14, 2013The weather pattern was favorable for another strong push of monsoon moisture northward into Utah and Colorado in mid September. The resultant thunderstorms produced heavy rainfall which contributed to flash flooding and debris flows across many areas on September 14th.
- Flood in Colorado, September 14, 2013Flooding occurred on Cheyenne Creek, causing flooding of houses and roads.
- Flash Flooding in Colorado, September 14, 2013The weather pattern was favorable for another strong push of monsoon moisture northward into Colorado in mid September. The resultant thunderstorms produced heavy rainfall which contributed to flash flooding and debris flows across many areas.
- Flash Flooding in Wyoming, September 14, 2013Two to three inches of rain in a two-hour period resulted in flash flooding across north and northeast Cheyenne. Several roads and intersections were flooded. Dry Creek overflowed its banks.
- Flash Flood in Wyoming, September 14, 2013A slow moving upper level low brought unseasonably moist air to southwest Wyoming. The result was heavy thunderstorm rains across eastern Lincoln County where rainfall earlier in the week set the stage for flash flooding.
- Debris Flow in Nevada, September 14, 2013Heavy rainfall from thunderstorms on the Bison Fire scar caused a large debris flow which closed a road in the far western portion of the Smith Valley on the 14th.
- Flooding in Colorado, September 15 to 21, 2013The headwaters of the South Platte River caused widespread flooding as it moved through Morgan, northwest Washington and Logan Counties. The damage was not as extensive in Sedgwick County.
- Flash Flooding in Colorado, September 15, 2013Strong storms produced heavy rain and flash flooding across Manitou Springs and Colorado Springs. A man drowned in Sand Creek due to fast-flowing water in the channel. Strong storms also flooded rural roads in eastern Fremont County north of Penrose.
- Flash Flooding in New Mexico, September 15 to 17, 2013A persistent area of high pressure over the Eastern United States setup a deep east to southeast flow off the Gulf of Mexico which provided plenty of moisture to Otero County.
- Flash Flooding and Flooding in New Mexico, September 15 to 18, 2013A stationary upper level low pressure system that settled into the Great Basin around the 10th provided a steady stream of near record subtropical atmospheric moisture over New Mexico.
- Heavy Rain in Texas, September 16, 2013Scattered showers and thunderstorms developed along a slowly northward advancing warm front during the afternoon hours of the 16th.
- Flash Flood in Texas, September 16, 2013Scattered showers and thunderstorms developed along a slowly northward advancing warm front during the afternoon hours of the 16th.
- Flash Flooding and Hail in Utah, September 17, 2013The weather pattern of high pressure over the southeast states and an upper trough along the west coast allowed another surge of monsoonal moisture to move into eastern Utah.
More
Every billion-dollar disasterEvery storm of 2013Tornadoes in 2013
Sources
NOAA NCEI, U.S. Billion-Dollar Weather and Climate Disasters (2025), https://doi.org/10.25921/stkw-7w73, and the Storm Events Database for the episodes.