Abstract: We report on how individuals local to the US state of Colorado used statistics in tweets to make sense of the early stages of the COVID-19 pandemic. Tweets provided insight into how people interpreted statistical data, sometimes incorrectly, which has implications for crisis responders tasked with understanding public perceptions and providing accurate information. With widespread concerns about the accuracy and quality of online information, we show how monitoring public reactions to and uses of statistics on social media is important for improving crisis communication. Findings suggest that statistics can be a powerful tool for making sense of a crisis and coping with the stress and uncertainty of a global, rapidly evolving event like the COVID-19 pandemic. We conclude with broader implications for how crisis responders might improve their communications around statistics to the public, and suggestions for how this research might be expanded to look at other types of disasters.