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Wind in Lincoln County, New Mexico
36 damaging wind events in the NCEI Storm Events record, 1950 to 2026. Event types counted: Thunderstorm Wind, High Wind, Strong Wind.
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. Storm records through 30 Jun 2026.
Lincoln County, New Mexico, has 36 wind events in the NCEI record since 1950, with at least one in 15 different years.
July is the busiest month, with 14 of the recorded events. The last 20 years account for 34 events against 2 in the 20 years before, a change that reflects reporting practice as much as weather.
The county holds 0.6% of the 6,514 wind events recorded in New Mexico; its 0.7 per 100 square miles compares with 5.4 statewide.
27 wind reports with a measured or estimated speed reached the 58 mph severe threshold, and 6 reached hurricane force (74 mph).
Compared with New Mexico
| Measure | Lincoln County | New Mexico | US |
|---|---|---|---|
| Wind events since 1950 | 36 | 6,514 | 701,953 |
| Per 100 square miles | 0.7 | 5.4 | 19.9 |
| Per 10,000 residents | 17.6 | 30.8 | 21.1 |
| Deaths recorded | 0 | 18 | 2,166 |
| Busiest month | July | April | June |
By year
Seasonality
0Feb
0Mar
0Apr
0May
7Jun
7Jul
14Aug
3Sep
3Oct
1Nov
0Dec
1
Magnitude distribution
NWS wind thresholds
- under 58 mph
- below severe threshold
- 58–73 mph
- severe
- 74–95 mph
- hurricane-force
- 96 mph and over
- extreme
Wind speed converted from the knots NCEI records; estimated and measured gusts are combined. Events without a speed are not binned.
Recorded events
All 36 events, most recent first. Magnitude is hail size, tornado rating or wind speed as recorded.
| Date | Event type | Magnitude | Property damage | Crop damage | Deaths | Injuries | Geography |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 22 Sep 2025 | Thunderstorm Wind | 62 mph | — | — | — | — | County |
| 8 Jul 2025 | Thunderstorm Wind | 62 mph | — | — | — | — | County |
| 8 Jul 2025 | Thunderstorm Wind | 61 mph | — | — | — | — | County |
| 17 May 2025 | Thunderstorm Wind | 58 mph | — | — | — | — | County |
| 22 Jul 2024 | Thunderstorm Wind | 62 mph | — | — | — | — | County |
| 23 Dec 2023 | Thunderstorm Wind | 58 mph | $10K | — | — | — | County |
| 15 Jul 2023 | Thunderstorm Wind | 63 mph | — | — | — | — | County |
| 13 Jul 2023 | Thunderstorm Wind | 62 mph | — | — | — | — | County |
| 23 Jun 2020 | Thunderstorm Wind | 63 mph | — | — | — | — | County |
| 26 May 2019 | Thunderstorm Wind | 60 mph | — | — | — | — | County |
| 26 May 2019 | Thunderstorm Wind | 74 mph | — | — | — | — | County |
| 14 May 2019 | Thunderstorm Wind | 64 mph | — | — | — | — | County |
| 31 Jul 2018 | Thunderstorm Wind | 70 mph | — | — | — | — | County |
| 5 Oct 2017 | Thunderstorm Wind | 59 mph | — | — | — | — | County |
| 5 Jul 2017 | Thunderstorm Wind | 61 mph | — | — | — | — | County |
| 13 Jun 2015 | Thunderstorm Wind | 59 mph | — | — | — | — | County |
| 19 May 2015 | Thunderstorm Wind | 58 mph | — | — | — | — | County |
| 18 May 2015 | Thunderstorm Wind | 60 mph | — | — | — | — | County |
| 29 Sep 2014 | Thunderstorm Wind | 59 mph | — | — | — | — | County |
| 29 Sep 2014 | Thunderstorm Wind | 59 mph | — | — | — | — | County |
| 17 Jul 2014 | Thunderstorm Wind | 76 mph | — | — | — | — | County |
| 10 Jul 2014 | Thunderstorm Wind | 58 mph | — | — | — | — | County |
| 10 Jul 2014 | Thunderstorm Wind | 67 mph | — | — | — | — | County |
| 24 Jul 2013 | Thunderstorm Wind | 77 mph | — | — | — | — | County |
| 2 Jul 2013 | Thunderstorm Wind | 64 mph | — | — | — | — | County |
| 30 Jun 2013 | Thunderstorm Wind | 58 mph | — | — | — | — | County |
| 30 Jun 2013 | Thunderstorm Wind | 76 mph | — | — | — | — | County |
| 23 Aug 2012 | Thunderstorm Wind | 58 mph | — | — | — | — | County |
| 18 Aug 2012 | Thunderstorm Wind | 87 mph | — | — | — | — | County |
| 30 Jun 2012 | Thunderstorm Wind | 58 mph | — | — | — | — | County |
| 13 May 2012 | Thunderstorm Wind | 75 mph | — | — | — | — | County |
| 3 Jul 2011 | Thunderstorm Wind | 77 mph | — | — | — | — | County |
| 1 Jun 2011 | Thunderstorm Wind | 60 mph | — | — | — | — | County |
| 17 Aug 2008 | Thunderstorm Wind | 72 mph | — | — | — | — | County |
| 25 Jun 1995 | Thunderstorm Wind | 0 mph | — | — | — | — | County |
| 15 Jul 1989 | Thunderstorm Wind | 0 mph | — | — | — | — | County |
Questions and answers
How many wind events has Lincoln County had?
36 events in the NCEI Storm Events record between 1950 and 2026. Reporting of damaging wind became far more complete after 1996, so early decades undercount.
When was the last recorded wind event in Lincoln County?
22 Sep 2025 (Thunderstorm Wind, 62 mph). Records reach NCEI about 120 days after the month ends.
What was the most damaging wind event recorded in Lincoln County?
The thunderstorm wind of 23 Dec 2023, with property damage estimated by NCEI at $10K.
How does Lincoln County compare with New Mexico for wind?
0.7 events per 100 square miles against 5.4 statewide; the county holds 36 of the state's 6,514 recorded events.
Provenance
NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database, yearly details files through 30 Jun 2026, public domain. County-recorded events plus zone-recorded events whose forecast zone is named for the county (marked "Forecast zone"). Population and area from the US Census Bureau (2021). Built 1 Oct 2026. See the methodology, the Wind hub and the county page.