Wind Hazards Data Sources

Colorado Natural Hazards Mitigation Plan

The Colorado Hazard Mitigation Plan is the State’s FEMA-approved plan that serves as a foundation for the State’s program to reduce risks to people, property, and infrastructure from natural hazards. The Plan is administered and updated by the Colorado Division of Homeland Security and Emergency Management.

Colorado Climate Center

The Colorado Climate Center is housed in the Department of Atmospheric Science at Colorado State University. It is a source of useful information on natural hazards in Colorado and provides an excellent resource to learn about climate in Colorado.

National Centers for Environmental Information

The National Centers for Environmental Information (NCEI) was formed in 2015 as a merger of NOAA’s three existing National Data Centers. This site is a rich data source for climate and historical weather information and contains historical event data on a host of natural hazards.

SHELDUS™

Developed by the Hazards & Vulnerability and Research Institute at the University of South Carolina, SHELDUS™ provides a county-level hazard loss data and map set for 18 different natural hazard events types, including wind hazards, and has been used by some Colorado communities in completing the risk assessments for their local or regional hazard mitigation plans.

American Society of Civil Engineers

A widely-recognized resource worth consulting for wind hazards is the American Society of Civil Engineers (ASCE), and particularly the data and information made available through Minimum Design Loads for Buildings and Other Structures (ASCE/SEI 7-10). This technical publication represents a national standard for requirements on general structural design and it contains ultimate event wind maps for determining wind loads which are suitable for inclusion in building codes and other documents. In addition, this publication includes a detailed commentary with explanatory and supplementary information designed to assist building code staff and regulatory authorities.

Rocky Mountain Insurance Information Association

RMIIA is a non-profit insurance communications organization representing property and casualty insurers in Colorado, New Mexico, Utah, and Wyoming. RMIIA compiles overall estimates of insured losses and number of claims filed for catastrophes (insured natural disasters that cause more than $25 million in damages).

• Hail
• Tornadoes

National Weather Service (NWS)

The NWS is the official provider of U.S. weather, marine, fire, and aviation forecasts. The NWS issues warnings and provides data, products, forecasts, and information related to meteorology. The NWS is a component of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA). The NWS maintains a glossary of information on more than 2,000 terms, phrases, and abbreviations used by the NWS.