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Flood in McKinley County, New Mexico
63 floods and flash floods events in the NCEI Storm Events record, 1950 to 2026. Event types counted: Flood, Flash Flood, Coastal Flood, Lakeshore Flood.
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.
NCEI records 63 flood events in McKinley County, New Mexico, between 1950 and 2026, spread over 20 years.
August is the busiest month, with 23 of the recorded events. The last 20 years account for 54 events against 9 in the 20 years before, a change that reflects reporting practice as much as weather.
The county holds 3.4% of the 1,880 flood events recorded in New Mexico; its 1.2 per 100 square miles compares with 1.5 statewide.
NCEI attributes 12 deaths in the county to floods and flash floods.
Compared with New Mexico
| Measure | McKinley County | New Mexico | US |
|---|---|---|---|
| Flood events since 1950 | 63 | 1,880 | 183,559 |
| Per 100 square miles | 1.2 | 1.5 | 5.2 |
| Per 10,000 residents | 8.8 | 8.9 | 5.5 |
| Deaths recorded | 12 | 51 | 2,961 |
| Busiest month | August | July | June |
By year
Seasonality
0Feb
0Mar
0Apr
0May
0Jun
0Jul
20Aug
23Sep
20Oct
0Nov
0Dec
0
Recorded events
All 63 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 28 Sep 2025 | Flash Flood | — | — | — | 1 | — | County |
| 27 Sep 2025 | Flash Flood | — | $10K | — | — | — | County |
| 16 Aug 2022 | Flash Flood | — | — | — | — | — | County |
| 16 Aug 2022 | Flash Flood | — | $50K | — | — | — | County |
| 16 Aug 2022 | Flash Flood | — | — | — | — | — | County |
| 29 Jul 2022 | Flash Flood | — | — | — | — | — | County |
| 29 Jul 2022 | Flash Flood | — | — | — | — | — | County |
| 29 Jul 2022 | Flash Flood | — | $25K | — | — | — | County |
| 27 Jul 2022 | Flash Flood | — | $10K | — | — | — | County |
| 25 Jul 2022 | Flash Flood | — | — | — | — | — | County |
| 4 Jul 2022 | Flash Flood | — | $25K | — | — | — | County |
| 25 Jul 2019 | Flash Flood | — | — | — | — | — | County |
| 15 Jul 2018 | Flash Flood | — | — | — | — | — | County |
| 13 Jul 2018 | Flash Flood | — | $5K | — | — | — | County |
| 31 Jul 2017 | Flash Flood | — | — | — | — | — | County |
| 30 Jul 2017 | Flash Flood | — | — | — | — | — | County |
| 29 Jul 2017 | Flash Flood | — | — | — | — | — | County |
| 20 Jul 2017 | Flash Flood | — | — | — | — | — | County |
| 2 Sep 2016 | Flash Flood | — | — | — | 2 | — | County |
| 7 Aug 2016 | Flash Flood | — | — | — | — | — | County |
| 5 Aug 2016 | Flash Flood | — | — | — | — | — | County |
| 4 Aug 2016 | Flash Flood | — | — | — | — | — | County |
| 13 Jul 2015 | Flash Flood | — | $15K | — | 1 | — | County |
| 4 Jul 2015 | Flash Flood | — | $300K | — | 1 | — | County |
| 3 Aug 2014 | Flash Flood | — | $100K | — | — | — | County |
| 13 Sep 2013 | Flash Flood | — | — | — | — | — | County |
| 13 Sep 2013 | Flash Flood | — | — | — | — | — | County |
| 13 Sep 2013 | Flash Flood | — | $50K | — | — | — | County |
| 13 Sep 2013 | Flood | — | $100K | — | — | — | County |
| 10 Sep 2013 | Flash Flood | — | $5K | — | — | — | County |
| 22 Aug 2013 | Flash Flood | — | $50K | — | — | — | County |
| 22 Aug 2013 | Flash Flood | — | — | — | — | — | County |
| 22 Aug 2013 | Flash Flood | — | $50K | — | — | — | County |
| 5 Aug 2012 | Flash Flood | — | $150K | — | — | — | County |
| 13 Aug 2011 | Flash Flood | — | $5K | — | — | — | County |
| 23 Aug 2010 | Flash Flood | — | $40K | — | — | — | County |
| 2 Aug 2010 | Flash Flood | — | $50K | — | — | — | County |
| 2 Aug 2010 | Flash Flood | — | $120K | — | — | — | County |
| 2 Aug 2010 | Flash Flood | — | $20K | — | — | — | County |
| 1 Aug 2010 | Flash Flood | — | $87K | — | — | — | County |
| 1 Aug 2010 | Flash Flood | — | $8K | — | — | — | County |
| 31 Jul 2010 | Flash Flood | — | $50K | — | — | — | County |
| 31 Jul 2010 | Flash Flood | — | $20K | — | — | — | County |
| 31 Jul 2010 | Flash Flood | — | $120K | — | — | — | County |
| 5 Sep 2009 | Flash Flood | — | $5K | — | — | — | County |
| 5 Sep 2009 | Flash Flood | — | — | — | — | — | County |
| 5 Sep 2009 | Flash Flood | — | $5K | — | — | — | County |
| 5 Sep 2009 | Flash Flood | — | $25K | — | — | — | County |
| 5 Sep 2009 | Flash Flood | — | — | — | — | — | County |
| 6 Aug 2008 | Flash Flood | — | $500 | — | — | — | County |
| 6 Aug 2008 | Flash Flood | — | $5K | — | — | — | County |
| 11 Jul 2008 | Flash Flood | — | $40K | — | 3 | — | County |
| 4 Aug 2007 | Flash Flood | — | $7K | — | — | — | County |
| 4 Aug 2007 | Flash Flood | — | $21K | — | — | — | County |
| 2 Sep 2006 | Flash Flood | — | — | — | — | — | County |
| 2 Sep 2006 | Flash Flood | — | — | — | — | — | County |
| 24 Aug 2006 | Flash Flood | — | — | — | 2 | — | County |
| 8 Sep 2005 | Flash Flood | — | — | — | — | — | County |
| 9 Sep 2003 | Flash Flood | — | — | — | — | — | County |
| 22 Jul 2002 | Flash Flood | — | $100K | — | — | — | County |
| 21 Sep 1997 | Flash Flood | — | — | — | 1 | 1 | County |
| 20 Sep 1997 | Flash Flood | — | — | — | — | — | County |
| 13 Sep 1997 | Flash Flood | — | — | — | 1 | — | County |
Questions and answers
How many flood events has McKinley County had?
63 events in the NCEI Storm Events record between 1950 and 2026. Reporting of floods and flash floods became far more complete after 1996, so early decades undercount.
When was the last recorded flood event in McKinley County?
28 Sep 2025 (Flash Flood). Records reach NCEI about 120 days after the month ends.
What was the most damaging flood event recorded in McKinley County?
The flash flood of 4 Jul 2015, with property damage estimated by NCEI at $300K; 1 death recorded.
How does McKinley County compare with New Mexico for flood?
1.2 events per 100 square miles against 1.5 statewide; the county holds 63 of the state's 1,880 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 Flood hub and the county page.