How Likely Is a Tornado in Huerfano County, CO?
Huerfano County's tornado history, by the numbers
Huerfano County has recorded 8 tornado touches in NOAA's 76-year database, a rate of roughly one every 9.5 years - our Low band. Put another way: Huerfano County sees more tornado activity than 23% of US counties. Within Colorado alone, Huerfano County ranks 34 of 64 counties for tornado frequency.
Beyond the frequency band: violent history
7 weak and 1 significant tornadoes make up Huerfano County's 8-track record - none violent. NOAA has never logged an EF4 or EF5 crossing this county.
The dollar figure Huerfano County's rating leads to
Cost nationally: $2,890-$13,280, about $7,645 typical. Colorado has no state rebate program confirmed here; FEMA's underlying 75% cost-share exists nationwide, but applying through a state program is what usually makes it real, and none was found for Colorado this pass.
What a direct hit isn't required for
6,988 people live in Huerfano County, and a tornado outbreak's power loss usually reaches far more of Colorado than the tracks themselves touch. A portable battery unit is the faster, no-fuel way to bridge that outage.
What this number is, and is not
One caveat before relying on Huerfano County's number: it is county-wide, and it covers about 1,591 square miles, so a single touch counts the same as one in a county a fraction of that size. Weaker pre-1990s tornadoes are also documented as undercounted in NOAA's own record. Huerfano County has about 6,988 residents.