Flood risk snapshot · Thornton, CO

More for Colorado: Highest flood risk cities · Colorado live outlook

Current risk outlook

Flooding and heavy rain risk for Thornton, CO.

Live conditions updated just now. Refreshes every 5–40 minutes.

This view focuses on street flooding, ponding in low-lying areas, and how heavy rain tends to behave around this city.

Live risk outlook

LOW

Low

Next 6–24 hours: Today: Low (10/100) · Rain 1% · 0.0 in · Max wind 13 mph.

2 active alerts nearby.

Sources: NOAA, NWS, SPC, NHC, FEMA, USGS.

Historical risk score

Long-term baseline derived from historical hazard activity.

57

/ 100

Flood risk score57/100

For typical homes located in Thornton, CO.

Baseline context

FEMA NFHL flood zones: 15 features intersect this tile.

Local hazard map

Thornton, CO

Tile rasters

Click a tile to update scores. These layers are for awareness and are not a replacement for official NWS / NHC warnings.

Live flood alerts & official forecast (NWS)

Forecast office: BOU · radar KFTG

Active alerts near Thornton

Fire Weather Watch

Effective local time

The Fire Weather Watch has been cancelled.

A Fire Weather Watch means that critical fire weather conditions are forecast to occur. Listen for later forecasts and possible Red Flag Warnings.

Fire Weather Watch

Effective local time

Fire Weather Watch issued February 26 at 3:16AM MST until February 27 at 6:00PM MST by NWS Denver CO

A Fire Weather Watch means that critical fire weather conditions are forecast to occur. Listen for later forecasts and possible Red Flag Warnings.

Flood intelligence snapshot

FEMA flood zones (NFHL)

Dominant zone: X (54% of features)

SFHA share: 46% (feature-weighted)

NFHL features in tile: 521

Tile risk label: Moderate

Source: FEMA NFHL (MapServer).

Nearest river gauge (USGS)

No nearby USGS gauges reporting right now.

Source: USGS NWIS (instant values).

Soil saturation (model)

Soil moisture: 7% volumetric

Last 24h rain: 0.00 in

Updated: local time

Source: Open-Meteo soil model (proxy).

5-day flood & rain outlook

Today

LOW

Rain chance: 1% · 0.0 in

Max wind: 13 mph

Risk score: 10/100

Tomorrow

LOW

Rain chance: 0% · 0.0 in

Max wind: 7 to 16 mph

Risk score: 10/100

Sat

LOW

Rain chance: 9% · 0.0 in

Max wind: 6 to 9 mph

Risk score: 14/100

Sun

LOW

Rain chance: 39%

Max wind: 3 to 13 mph

Risk score: 26/100

Mon

LOW

Rain chance: 28%

Max wind: 3 to 9 mph

Risk score: 21/100

Outlook blends NWS forecast, WPC QPF totals, and Excessive Rainfall Outlook categories.

Historical flooding exposure

Local flood data facts

NFHL features in this tile521
Dominant FEMA zoneX (54%)
SFHA share of features46%
Soil moisture (topsoil)7% · 0.00 in rain

Data from FEMA NFHL, USGS gauges, and Open-Meteo soil moisture.

Historical flooding exposure in Thornton

  • Lowest-lying streets and drainage chokepoints tend to flood first during heavy rain.
  • Long-duration rainfall can raise ponding risk even without a named storm.
  • Local elevation and canal/river networks can amplify or reduce flood impacts.

Flood & storm risk FAQs for Thornton

Does Thornton flood often?

Flooding risk depends on elevation, drainage, and rainfall intensity. This model summarizes localized flood patterns from public datasets.

What causes street flooding without a storm surge?

Short bursts of heavy rain can overwhelm drains; longer events can saturate soils and keep water standing even after rain ends.