States › New Mexico › Bernalillo County
Bernalillo County, New Mexico
Recorded hazard history: storm events since 1950, federal disaster declarations since 1953, flood insurance claims since 1978, and FEMA's risk index.
NCEI notes that Storm Data is compiled from a variety of sources including the National Weather Service, other federal, state and local agencies, the media and the public; that property and crop damage figures are estimates; and that some events are recorded by NWS forecast zone rather than by county. FEMA notes that NFIP claim records are redacted and aggregated to protect the privacy of policyholders. NCEI storm records through 30 Jun 2026; OpenFEMA declarations refreshed 29 Sep 2026; NFIP claims as of 8 Sep 2026.
Between 1950 and 2026, NCEI recorded 461 storm events in Bernalillo County, New Mexico, led by hail.
That is 39.7 events per 100 square miles, above the New Mexico figure of 20.4, and 6.8 per 10,000 residents against 116.9 statewide.
23 events fall in the 12 months to 30 Jun 2026. NCEI attributes 16 deaths and 26 injuries to events in the county, with property damage estimated at $21M and crop damage at $8K.
FEMA has designated the county in 11 federal disaster declarations since 1953; the most recent is Covid-19 Pandemic (major disaster, 5 Apr 2020).
National Flood Insurance Program policyholders in the county filed 173 claims since 1978, of which 82 were paid, totalling $1.4M (about $17K per paid claim). FEMA counts 1,069 residential flood policies in force.
FEMA's National Risk Index rates the county's overall risk as "Relatively High" and its expected annual loss as "Relatively Moderate" ($154M a year across 18 hazards).
Compared with New Mexico and the United States
| Measure | Bernalillo County | New Mexico | US |
|---|---|---|---|
| Recorded events since 1950 | 461 | 24,740 | 1,977,440 |
| Events per 100 square miles | 39.7 | 20.4 | 56.0 |
| Events per 10,000 residents | 6.8 | 116.9 | 59.6 |
| Events in the last 12 months | 23 | 942 | 62,008 |
| Deaths recorded by NCEI | 16 | 191 | 26,435 |
| Property damage (NCEI estimates) | $21M | $3.2B | $575B |
| NFIP claims per 1,000 residents | 0.3 | 0.9 | 8.1 |
| Average paid NFIP claim | $17K | $37K | $43K |
| Claims per 100 policies in force, last 10 years | 1.5 | 5.7 | 16.1 |
County-recorded events plus zone-recorded events whose forecast zone is named for the county. State and US rows include events recorded only by forecast zone. Rates use 2021 Census population and land area.
Events by decade
Trend: 323 events in the 20 years to 2025 against 102 in the 20 years before. Reporting practice changed in 1996 and again with automated reports in the 2000s, so decade totals measure the record as much as the weather.
Events by type
Hazard pages exist for hail, tornado, flood, wind and winter where the county has at least 10 recorded events. "Other" covers heavy rain, debris flow, dust, funnel clouds and similar reports.
Largest recorded events
| Date | Event type | Group | Magnitude | Property damage | Crop damage | Deaths | Injuries | Geography |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 20 Jul 2021 | Flash Flood | Flood | — | — | — | 3 | — | County |
| 21 May 2018 | Heavy Rain | Other | — | — | — | 1 | 5 | County |
| 31 Jul 2020 | Heavy Rain | Other | — | — | — | 1 | 1 | County |
| 9 Aug 2024 | Flash Flood | Flood | — | — | — | 1 | 1 | County |
| 22 Sep 2015 | Flash Flood | Flood | — | $50K | — | 1 | — | County |
| 9 Sep 2009 | Flash Flood | Flood | — | $1K | $100 | 1 | — | County |
| 14 Aug 1996 | Lightning | Lightning | — | — | — | 1 | — | County |
| 27 Dec 1997 | Heavy Snow | Winter | — | — | — | 1 | — | County |
| 22 Sep 2010 | Flash Flood | Flood | — | — | — | 1 | — | County |
| 11 Aug 2017 | Heavy Rain | Other | — | — | — | 1 | — | County |
| 27 Jul 2021 | Flash Flood | Flood | — | — | — | 1 | — | County |
| 9 Jun 2024 | Flash Flood | Flood | — | — | — | 1 | — | County |
| 2 Jun 2025 | Flash Flood | Flood | — | — | — | 1 | — | County |
| 3 Jul 2025 | Flash Flood | Flood | — | — | — | 1 | — | County |
| 9 Sep 2003 | Thunderstorm Wind | Wind | 52 mph | — | — | — | 4 | County |
| 29 Jul 1997 | Lightning | Lightning | — | — | — | — | 3 | County |
| 4 Jul 2013 | Lightning | Lightning | — | — | — | — | 3 | County |
| 13 Aug 2014 | Heavy Rain | Other | — | — | — | — | 2 | County |
| 30 Jul 2018 | Hail | Hail | 1.50 in | $400K | — | — | 1 | County |
| 4 Oct 1996 | Lightning | Lightning | — | — | — | — | 1 | County |
Ranked by deaths, then injuries, then NCEI's damage estimate. Deaths and injuries are NCEI counts (direct plus indirect); no personal details are recorded here.
Federal disaster declarations
| Declared | Number | Type | Incident | Title | Programs |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 5 Apr 2020 | DR-4529 | Major disaster | Biological | Covid-19 Pandemic | Individual assistance, Public assistance |
| 13 Mar 2020 | EM-3460 | Emergency | Biological | Covid-19 | Public assistance |
| 16 Jun 2016 | FM-5127 | Fire management assistance | Fire | Dog Head Fire | Public assistance |
| 30 Sep 2013 | DR-4148 | Major disaster | Severe Storm | Severe Storms And Flooding | Public assistance |
| 3 Apr 2011 | FM-2880 | Fire management assistance | Fire | White Fire | Public assistance |
| 16 Jun 2006 | FM-2644 | Fire management assistance | Fire | Malpais Fire | Public assistance |
| 7 Sep 2005 | EM-3229 | Emergency | Hurricane | Hurricane Katrina Evacuation | Public assistance |
| 29 Apr 2004 | DR-1514 | Major disaster | Severe Storm | Severe Storms And Flooding | Public assistance |
| 25 Jun 2003 | FM-2472 | Fire management assistance | Fire | Nm-Bosque Fire-06-25-2003 | Public assistance |
| 13 May 2000 | DR-1329 | Major disaster | Fire | Severe Forest Fire | Individual assistance |
| 10 May 2000 | EM-3154 | Emergency | Fire | Severe Fire Threats | Public assistance |
Declarations in which FEMA designated this county, from the OpenFEMA Disaster Declarations Summaries (v2). DR: major disaster; EM: emergency; FM: fire management assistance. Programs show whether individual or public assistance was made available.
Flood insurance claims
| Year of loss | Claims | Paid claims | Amount paid | Average paid |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 3 | 3 | $40,366 | $13,455 |
| 2024 | 1 | 0 | $0 | — |
| 2023 | 1 | 0 | $0 | — |
| 2022 | 2 | 1 | $2,571 | $2,571 |
| 2021 | 1 | 1 | $13,280 | $13,280 |
| 2019 | 3 | 0 | $0 | — |
| 2018 | 4 | 0 | $0 | — |
| 2017 | 1 | 0 | $0 | — |
| 2016 | 1 | 0 | $0 | — |
| 2015 | 2 | 2 | $23,274 | $11,637 |
| 2014 | 2 | 1 | $1,436 | $1,436 |
| 2013 | 25 | 19 | $885,390 | $46,599 |
| 2012 | 2 | 0 | $0 | — |
| 2010 | 1 | 1 | $100,025 | $100,025 |
| 2009 | 2 | 2 | $27,552 | $13,776 |
| 2008 | 2 | 0 | $0 | — |
| 2007 | 2 | 0 | $0 | — |
| 2006 | 25 | 14 | $192,476 | $13,748 |
| 2004 | 6 | 4 | $40,052 | $10,013 |
| 2003 | 1 | 0 | $0 | — |
| 2000 | 3 | 0 | $0 | — |
| 1999 | 7 | 5 | $22,558 | $4,512 |
| 1998 | 1 | 0 | $0 | — |
| 1996 | 1 | 0 | $0 | — |
| 1995 | 1 | 0 | $0 | — |
OpenFEMA NFIP claims (v3, as of 8 Sep 2026), aggregated by year of loss; amounts are building, contents and increased-cost-of-compliance payments as recorded. Repetitive-loss counts from the NFIP Multiple Loss Properties file (2 Aug 2026); policies in force from the NFIP Residential Penetration Rates file (3 Aug 2026).
National Risk Index
| Hazard (NRI) | Risk rating | Expected annual loss |
|---|---|---|
| Inland flooding | $93,196,850 | |
| Earthquake | $40,009,274 | |
| Heat wave | $6,270,490 | |
| Wildfire | $3,340,600 | |
| Hail | $2,787,454 | |
| Lightning | $2,534,180 | |
| Winter weather | $1,516,094 | |
| Tornado | $1,459,071 | |
| Strong wind | $1,205,827 | |
| Cold wave | $1,179,001 | |
| Drought | $233,962 | |
| Ice storm | $168,101 | |
| Landslide | $782 | |
| Avalanche | $38 | |
| Volcanic activity | $0 |
FEMA National Risk Index, December 2025 release. Ratings are FEMA's relative comparison of counties; expected annual loss is FEMA's modelled estimate of average yearly building, population and agriculture loss. See how to read the NRI.
Hurricane and tropical storm passes
No HURDAT2 track at tropical-storm strength passes within 100 miles of the county's centre point (through the 2025 season).
ZIP codes with flood claims
ZIP codes whose NFIP claims carry this county's code, with the number of claims. Five or more claims are needed for a ZIP page to be indexed.
Questions and answers
How often does it hail in Bernalillo County, NM?
NCEI records 187 hail events in Bernalillo County since 1950, in 38 different years; that is about 2.4 recorded events a year. 17 reports were golf-ball size (1.75 in) or larger.
Has Bernalillo County had a tornado?
Yes. NCEI records 17 tornadoes in Bernalillo County since 1950, 0 of them rated (E)F2 or stronger. Tornado deaths recorded: 0.
When was the last federal disaster declaration for Bernalillo County?
5 Apr 2020: Covid-19 Pandemic, a major disaster declaration for biological. The county appears in 11 declarations since 1953.
How many flood insurance claims have been filed in Bernalillo County, and how much was paid?
173 NFIP claims since 1978, 82 of them paid, for $1.4M in total. FEMA publishes these figures redacted and aggregated; individual properties are not identified.
Is Bernalillo County in the National Risk Index's high-risk band?
FEMA's National Risk Index (December 2025) rates the county "Relatively High" for overall risk, "Relatively Moderate" for expected annual loss, "Relatively Moderate" for social vulnerability and "Relatively Moderate" for community resilience. These ratings are FEMA's relative comparison across all US counties.
How does Bernalillo County compare with the rest of New Mexico?
39.7 recorded events per 100 square miles against 20.4 statewide, and 0.3 NFIP claims per 1,000 residents against 0.9. The comparison table on this page shows each measure beside the state and national figures.
Provenance
Storm events: NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database, yearly details files through 30 Jun 2026 (public domain). Declarations: OpenFEMA DisasterDeclarationsSummaries v2, refreshed 29 Sep 2026. Flood claims: OpenFEMA NfipClaims v3 as of 8 Sep 2026; NfipMultipleLossProperties v1 (2 Aug 2026); NfipResidentialPenetrationRates v1 (3 Aug 2026). Risk index: FEMA National Risk Index, December 2025. Hurricane tracks: NHC HURDAT2 through 2025. Population and area: US Census Bureau, 2021 vintage. Built 30 Sep 2026; see the methodology and corrections pages. Hazard hubs: Hail · Tornado · Flood · Wind · Winter.