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Lea 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 1,022 storm events in Lea County, New Mexico, led by hail.
That is 23.3 events per 100 square miles, in line with the New Mexico figure of 20.4, and 140.0 per 10,000 residents against 116.9 statewide.
14 events fall in the 12 months to 30 Jun 2026. NCEI attributes 2 deaths and 11 injuries to events in the county, with property damage estimated at $69M and crop damage at $12M.
FEMA has designated the county in 7 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 208 claims since 1978, of which 140 were paid, totalling $931K (about $7K per paid claim). FEMA counts 715 residential flood policies in force.
FEMA's National Risk Index rates the county's overall risk as "Relatively Moderate" and its expected annual loss as "Relatively Low" ($45M a year across 18 hazards).
1 tropical storm or hurricane track in the HURDAT2 record passed within 100 miles of the county's centre at tropical-storm strength or more, 0 of them within 50 miles at hurricane strength.
Compared with New Mexico and the United States
| Measure | Lea County | New Mexico | US |
|---|---|---|---|
| Recorded events since 1950 | 1,022 | 24,740 | 1,977,440 |
| Events per 100 square miles | 23.3 | 20.4 | 56.0 |
| Events per 10,000 residents | 140.0 | 116.9 | 59.6 |
| Events in the last 12 months | 14 | 942 | 62,008 |
| Deaths recorded by NCEI | 2 | 191 | 26,435 |
| Property damage (NCEI estimates) | $69M | $3.2B | $575B |
| NFIP claims per 1,000 residents | 2.8 | 0.9 | 8.1 |
| Average paid NFIP claim | $7K | $37K | $43K |
| Claims per 100 policies in force, last 10 years | 1.4 | 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: 449 events in the 20 years to 2025 against 453 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 8 Aug 1996 | Lightning | Lightning | — | — | — | 2 | — | County |
| 6 Jun 1991 | Tornado | Tornado | F2 | $250K | — | — | 5 | County |
| 20 Jun 1992 | Thunderstorm Wind | Wind | 0 mph | — | — | — | 3 | County |
| 28 May 1997 | Hail | Hail | 2.50 in | $27M | — | — | — | County |
| 27 May 1982 | Tornado | Tornado | F2 | $25M | — | — | — | County |
| 10 Apr 1969 | Tornado | Tornado | F1 | $25K | — | — | 2 | County |
| 1 Dec 1998 | Drought | Drought | — | — | $12M | — | — | Forecast zone |
| 20 May 1988 | Tornado | Tornado | F0 | $250K | — | — | 1 | County |
| 17 Sep 2016 | Hail | Hail | 2.50 in | $3.5M | — | — | — | County |
| 31 May 2024 | Thunderstorm Wind | Wind | 100 mph | $2.0M | — | — | — | County |
| 6 Jun 2005 | Hail | Hail | 2.75 in | $1.3M | — | — | — | County |
| 14 Jun 2009 | Thunderstorm Wind | Wind | 90 mph | $800K | — | — | — | County |
| 25 May 2013 | Thunderstorm Wind | Wind | 60 mph | $500K | — | — | — | County |
| 31 May 2023 | Thunderstorm Wind | Wind | 110 mph | $500K | — | — | — | County |
| 16 Jun 1997 | High Wind | Wind | 70 mph | $300K | — | — | — | Forecast zone |
| 25 May 2013 | Thunderstorm Wind | Wind | 60 mph | $300K | — | — | — | County |
| 13 Sep 1977 | Tornado | Tornado | F0 | $250K | — | — | — | County |
| 19 May 1985 | Tornado | Tornado | F0 | $250K | — | — | — | County |
| 6 Jun 1991 | Tornado | Tornado | F2 | $250K | — | — | — | County |
| 6 Jun 1991 | Tornado | Tornado | F2 | $250K | — | — | — | 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 |
| 29 Oct 2014 | DR-4199 | Major disaster | Severe Storm | Severe Storms And Flooding | Public assistance |
| 2 Jan 2006 | FM-2600 | Fire management assistance | Fire | Southeast New Mexico Fire Complex | Public assistance |
| 7 Sep 2005 | EM-3229 | Emergency | Hurricane | Hurricane Katrina Evacuation | Public assistance |
| 10 May 2000 | EM-3154 | Emergency | Fire | Severe Fire Threats | Public assistance |
| 18 Jun 1992 | DR-945 | Major disaster | Flood | Thunderstorms, Hail & Flooding | Individual assistance, 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 | 1 | 0 | $0 | — |
| 2024 | 1 | 1 | $4,546 | $4,546 |
| 2023 | 1 | 0 | $0 | — |
| 2022 | 2 | 2 | $15,000 | $7,500 |
| 2021 | 1 | 1 | $4,445 | $4,445 |
| 2019 | 3 | 2 | $11,753 | $5,876 |
| 2018 | 1 | 0 | $0 | — |
| 2016 | 13 | 10 | $107,642 | $10,764 |
| 2015 | 2 | 1 | $16,610 | $16,610 |
| 2014 | 2 | 0 | $0 | — |
| 2010 | 2 | 1 | $2,038 | $2,038 |
| 2008 | 1 | 0 | $0 | — |
| 2007 | 1 | 1 | $14,020 | $14,020 |
| 2006 | 2 | 0 | $0 | — |
| 2005 | 1 | 0 | $0 | — |
| 2004 | 5 | 3 | $14,497 | $4,832 |
| 2003 | 2 | 1 | $3,939 | $3,939 |
| 2002 | 1 | 1 | $449 | $449 |
| 2000 | 1 | 0 | $0 | — |
| 1996 | 3 | 0 | $0 | — |
| 1995 | 17 | 16 | $83,097 | $5,194 |
| 1994 | 3 | 2 | $5,244 | $2,622 |
| 1992 | 75 | 54 | $548,002 | $10,148 |
| 1991 | 3 | 1 | $1,974 | $1,974 |
| 1990 | 3 | 1 | $421 | $421 |
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 | $25,137,290 | |
| Wildfire | $9,920,251 | |
| Cold wave | $2,452,248 | |
| Hail | $2,053,200 | |
| Tornado | $1,094,113 | |
| Strong wind | $1,088,551 | |
| Heat wave | $1,009,127 | |
| Lightning | $999,360 | |
| Drought | $992,866 | |
| Winter weather | $293,557 | |
| Ice storm | $123,140 | |
| Earthquake | $51,983 | |
| Hurricane | $21,753 | |
| Landslide | $1 |
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
| Storm | Year | Closest approach | Max wind while within 100 mi |
|---|---|---|---|
| Unnamed Atlantic storm | 1942 | 43 mi | 40 mph |
HURDAT2 best-track positions at tropical-storm strength (34 kt) or more, measured from the county's Census centre point; through the 2025 season. Distance from a track is not the same as the extent of the storm's wind, rain or surge.
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 Lea County, NM?
NCEI records 514 hail events in Lea County since 1950, in 53 different years; that is about 6.7 recorded events a year. 186 reports were golf-ball size (1.75 in) or larger.
Has Lea County had a tornado?
Yes. NCEI records 97 tornadoes in Lea County since 1950, 9 of them rated (E)F2 or stronger. Tornado deaths recorded: 0.
When was the last federal disaster declaration for Lea County?
5 Apr 2020: Covid-19 Pandemic, a major disaster declaration for biological. The county appears in 7 declarations since 1953.
How many flood insurance claims have been filed in Lea County, and how much was paid?
208 NFIP claims since 1978, 140 of them paid, for $931K in total. FEMA publishes these figures redacted and aggregated; individual properties are not identified.
Is Lea County in the National Risk Index's high-risk band?
FEMA's National Risk Index (December 2025) rates the county "Relatively Moderate" for overall risk, "Relatively Low" for expected annual loss, "Relatively High" for social vulnerability and "Very Low" for community resilience. These ratings are FEMA's relative comparison across all US counties.
How does Lea County compare with the rest of New Mexico?
23.3 recorded events per 100 square miles against 20.4 statewide, and 2.8 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.