Natural disaster risk in New Mexico, by county
All 33 counties in New Mexico, ranked by FEMA's National Risk Index composite risk score, with each one's highest-rated hazard. Other states
At a glance
Highest overall risk: Doña Ana County (relatively high, score 96.1). Lowest: Harding County (very low, score 0.4).
Top hazards in New Mexico
| Hazard | Counties rated relatively high or very high | Average score |
|---|---|---|
| Lightning | 17 of 33 | 68.4 |
| Winter weather | 13 of 33 | 71.2 |
| Drought | 7 of 33 | 68.5 |
| Wildfire | 5 of 33 | 89.3 |
| Hail | 3 of 33 | 44.9 |
All counties, highest risk first
| # | County | Overall risk | Highest-rated hazard |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Doña Ana County | Relatively high 96.1 | Lightning (very high) |
| 2 | Bernalillo County | Relatively high 94.4 | Winter weather (very high) |
| 3 | San Juan County | Relatively moderate 88.3 | Drought (relatively high) |
| 4 | Chaves County | Relatively moderate 87.6 | Drought (relatively high) |
| 5 | Lea County | Relatively moderate 86 | Wildfire (relatively high) |
| 6 | Santa Fe County | Relatively moderate 86 | Wildfire (relatively high) |
| 7 | Otero County | Relatively moderate 84.7 | Wildfire (relatively high) |
| 8 | Roosevelt County | Relatively moderate 84.1 | Wildfire (relatively high) |
| 9 | Eddy County | Relatively moderate 83.7 | Winter weather (relatively high) |
| 10 | Valencia County | Relatively moderate 82.3 | Lightning (relatively high) |
| 11 | Rio Arriba County | Relatively low 80.5 | Lightning (relatively high) |
| 12 | Lincoln County | Relatively low 79.5 | Wildfire (relatively high) |
| 13 | McKinley County | Relatively low 78.2 | Lightning (relatively high) |
| 14 | Sandoval County | Relatively low 77 | Lightning (relatively high) |
| 15 | San Miguel County | Relatively low 74.6 | Wildfire (relatively moderate) |
| 16 | Taos County | Relatively low 74.3 | Avalanche (relatively high) |
| 17 | Grant County | Relatively low 74.1 | Wildfire (relatively moderate) |
| 18 | Curry County | Relatively low 61.8 | Drought (relatively high) |
| 19 | Socorro County | Relatively low 61.5 | Lightning (relatively high) |
| 20 | Colfax County | Relatively low 58.5 | Lightning (relatively high) |
| 21 | Cibola County | Relatively low 58.4 | Lightning (relatively high) |
| 22 | Sierra County | Relatively low 55.8 | Inland (riverine) flooding (relatively moderate) |
| 23 | Luna County | Relatively low 51.6 | Drought (relatively high) |
| 24 | Torrance County | Relatively low 46.2 | Wildfire (relatively moderate) |
| 25 | Mora County | Very low 38.8 | Wildfire (relatively moderate) |
| 26 | Catron County | Very low 36.6 | Lightning (relatively high) |
| 27 | Quay County | Very low 26 | Drought (relatively moderate) |
| 28 | Union County | Very low 12.1 | Drought (relatively high) |
| 29 | Hidalgo County | Very low 8.9 | Drought (relatively moderate) |
| 30 | Guadalupe County | Very low 8.8 | Wildfire (relatively low) |
| 31 | De Baca County | Very low 4.1 | Drought (relatively moderate) |
| 32 | Los Alamos County | Very low 3.6 | Wildfire (relatively low) |
| 33 | Harding County | Very low 0.4 | Wildfire (relatively low) |
How to read these ratings
- Ratings run in five steps: very low, relatively low, relatively moderate, relatively high and very high. They compare a county with every other US county; they are not a measure of danger on their own.
- Scores run from 0 to 100 and are national percentiles. The bar shows the score: a score of 80 means a higher value than 80% of US counties.
- Overall risk combines the expected annual loss with social vulnerability and community resilience.
- Expected annual loss is the average yearly loss to buildings, people and agriculture the model expects from all 18 hazards.
- Social vulnerability describes how hard it may be for people to prepare for and recover from a disaster. Higher is worse.
- Community resilience describes a community's ability to prepare, adapt and recover. Higher is better.
- "Not applicable" means FEMA does not model that hazard there (for example, hurricanes far inland).
About this data
Source: FEMA National Risk Index, version 1.20, released December 2025, published by the Federal Emergency Management Agency (US public domain). About the National Risk Index. The index is a model of relative risk built from historical hazard records, what is exposed and community factors. It is not a forecast, it does not describe any single property, and it is not insurance or financial advice. For decisions about a specific address, check FEMA's flood maps and your local emergency management office.
Questions
Which county in New Mexico has the highest natural disaster risk?
Doña Ana County has the highest composite risk score in New Mexico in FEMA's National Risk Index: 96.1, rated relatively high.
Which county in New Mexico has the lowest natural disaster risk?
Harding County has the lowest composite risk score in New Mexico: 0.4, rated very low. A low score means lower modelled risk compared with other US counties, not no risk.
What natural disasters is New Mexico most at risk from?
Across New Mexico, the hazards rated highest in the most counties are lightning, winter weather, drought, according to FEMA's National Risk Index. Each county page lists all 18 hazards.
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