States › New Mexico › Otero County
Otero 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 315 storm events in Otero County, New Mexico, led by hail.
That is 4.8 events per 100 square miles, below the New Mexico figure of 20.4, and 46.0 per 10,000 residents against 116.9 statewide.
20 events fall in the 12 months to 30 Jun 2026. NCEI attributes 0 deaths and 5 injuries to events in the county, with property damage estimated at $7.2M and crop damage at $30K.
FEMA has designated the county in 24 federal disaster declarations since 1953; the most recent is Severe Storms, Flooding, And Landslides (major disaster, 22 Jul 2025).
National Flood Insurance Program policyholders in the county filed 130 claims since 1978, of which 77 were paid, totalling $1.5M (about $20K per paid claim). FEMA counts 757 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" ($43M 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 | Otero County | New Mexico | US |
|---|---|---|---|
| Recorded events since 1950 | 315 | 24,740 | 1,977,440 |
| Events per 100 square miles | 4.8 | 20.4 | 56.0 |
| Events per 10,000 residents | 46.0 | 116.9 | 59.6 |
| Events in the last 12 months | 20 | 942 | 62,008 |
| Deaths recorded by NCEI | 0 | 191 | 26,435 |
| Property damage (NCEI estimates) | $7.2M | $3.2B | $575B |
| NFIP claims per 1,000 residents | 1.9 | 0.9 | 8.1 |
| Average paid NFIP claim | $20K | $37K | $43K |
| Claims per 100 policies in force, last 10 years | 1.8 | 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: 222 events in the 20 years to 2025 against 52 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 6 Jun 2010 | Thunderstorm Wind | Wind | 82 mph | $1K | — | — | 4 | County |
| 4 Jun 2019 | Tornado | Tornado | EF1 | $250K | — | — | 1 | County |
| 28 May 2008 | Hail | Hail | 2.50 in | $2.5M | $20K | — | — | County |
| 22 Jun 2006 | Flash Flood | Flood | — | $1.3M | — | — | — | County |
| 16 Aug 2006 | Flash Flood | Flood | — | $600K | — | — | — | County |
| 1 Aug 2006 | Flash Flood | Flood | — | $400K | — | — | — | County |
| 28 May 2008 | Thunderstorm Wind | Wind | 81 mph | $360K | $10K | — | — | County |
| 13 Aug 2006 | Flash Flood | Flood | — | $300K | — | — | — | County |
| 27 May 1982 | Tornado | Tornado | F2 | $250K | — | — | — | County |
| 17 Jul 2008 | Flash Flood | Flood | — | $200K | — | — | — | County |
| 23 Jun 2009 | Flash Flood | Flood | — | $200K | — | — | — | County |
| 27 Jul 2008 | Flash Flood | Flood | — | $100K | — | — | — | County |
| 15 Sep 2013 | Flash Flood | Flood | — | $100K | — | — | — | County |
| 1 Aug 2014 | Flash Flood | Flood | — | $100K | — | — | — | 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 22 Jul 2025 | DR-4886 | Major disaster | Flood | Severe Storms, Flooding, And Landslides | Public assistance |
| 10 Jul 2025 | EM-3628 | Emergency | Flood | Severe Storms, Flooding, And Landslides | Public assistance |
| 20 Jun 2024 | DR-4795 | Major disaster | Fire | South Fork Fire, Salt Fire, And Flooding | Individual assistance, Public assistance |
| 18 Jun 2024 | FM-5498 | Fire management assistance | Fire | Salt Fire | Public assistance |
| 17 Jun 2024 | FM-5497 | Fire management assistance | Fire | South Fork Fire | Public assistance |
| 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 |
| 8 Jun 2018 | FM-5240 | Fire management assistance | Fire | Soldier Canyon Fire | Public assistance |
| 14 Jul 2016 | FM-5134 | Fire management assistance | Fire | Timberon Fire | Public assistance |
| 29 Oct 2014 | DR-4199 | Major disaster | Severe Storm | Severe Storms And Flooding | Public assistance |
| 6 Oct 2014 | DR-4197 | Major disaster | Severe Storm | Severe Storms And Flooding | Public assistance |
| 29 Oct 2013 | DR-4152 | Major disaster | Flood | Severe Storms, Flooding, And Mudslides | Public assistance |
| 29 Jun 2011 | FM-2934 | Fire management assistance | Fire | Little Lewis Fire | Public assistance |
| 24 Mar 2011 | DR-1962 | Major disaster | Severe Storm | Severe Winter Storm And Extreme Cold Temperatures | Public assistance |
| 7 May 2009 | FM-2818 | Fire management assistance | Fire | Buckwood Fire | Public assistance |
| 14 Aug 2008 | DR-1783 | Major disaster | Severe Storm | Severe Storms And Flooding | Public assistance |
| 30 Aug 2006 | DR-1659 | Major disaster | Severe Storm | Severe Storms And Flooding | Individual assistance, Public assistance |
| 7 Sep 2005 | EM-3229 | Emergency | Hurricane | Hurricane Katrina Evacuation | Public assistance |
| 1 May 2002 | FM-2402 | Fire management assistance | Fire | Nm - Penasco Fire - 05-01-02 | Public assistance |
| 3 Jun 2001 | FM-2364 | Fire management assistance | Fire | Nm -Trap And Skeet Fire - 06/02/2001 | Public assistance |
| 14 May 2000 | FM-2297 | Fire management assistance | Fire | Scott Able Fire | Public assistance |
| 13 May 2000 | DR-1329 | Major disaster | Fire | Severe Forest Fire | Individual assistance, Public assistance |
| 10 May 2000 | EM-3154 | Emergency | Fire | Severe Fire Threats | Public assistance |
| 6 Sep 1984 | DR-722 | Major disaster | Flood | Severe Storms & Flooding | 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 | 1 | 0 | $0 | — |
| 2024 | 1 | 0 | $0 | — |
| 2022 | 3 | 0 | $0 | — |
| 2021 | 2 | 2 | $21,243 | $10,621 |
| 2020 | 1 | 0 | $0 | — |
| 2019 | 2 | 2 | $93,428 | $46,714 |
| 2017 | 4 | 3 | $40,609 | $13,536 |
| 2016 | 3 | 1 | $13,776 | $13,776 |
| 2015 | 2 | 0 | $0 | — |
| 2014 | 17 | 8 | $123,394 | $15,424 |
| 2012 | 1 | 0 | $0 | — |
| 2011 | 4 | 0 | $0 | — |
| 2010 | 5 | 5 | $250,075 | $50,015 |
| 2009 | 1 | 0 | $0 | — |
| 2008 | 4 | 1 | $2,581 | $2,581 |
| 2007 | 3 | 0 | $0 | — |
| 2006 | 52 | 40 | $808,404 | $20,210 |
| 2005 | 4 | 4 | $17,700 | $4,425 |
| 2004 | 1 | 1 | $1,489 | $1,489 |
| 2002 | 2 | 1 | $437 | $437 |
| 2001 | 1 | 1 | $15,151 | $15,151 |
| 2000 | 1 | 1 | $92,167 | $92,167 |
| 1999 | 10 | 6 | $49,931 | $8,322 |
| 1996 | 2 | 1 | $8,981 | $8,981 |
| 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 | $26,845,397 | |
| Wildfire | $11,817,934 | |
| Lightning | $1,134,250 | |
| Heat wave | $689,963 | |
| Drought | $586,987 | |
| Hail | $557,836 | |
| Winter weather | $414,227 | |
| Strong wind | $314,168 | |
| Ice storm | $299,593 | |
| Earthquake | $297,043 | |
| Cold wave | $256,375 | |
| Tornado | $63,956 | |
| Hurricane | $6,625 | |
| Landslide | $4,209 | |
| Avalanche | $162 | |
| Volcanic activity | $9 |
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 | 1929 | 71 mi | 46 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
- 88310 120
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 Otero County, NM?
NCEI records 123 hail events in Otero County since 1950, in 38 different years; that is about 1.6 recorded events a year. 23 reports were golf-ball size (1.75 in) or larger.
Has Otero County had a tornado?
Yes. NCEI records 18 tornadoes in Otero County since 1950, 1 of them rated (E)F2 or stronger. Tornado deaths recorded: 0.
When was the last federal disaster declaration for Otero County?
22 Jul 2025: Severe Storms, Flooding, And Landslides, a major disaster declaration for flood. The county appears in 24 declarations since 1953.
How many flood insurance claims have been filed in Otero County, and how much was paid?
130 NFIP claims since 1978, 77 of them paid, for $1.5M in total. FEMA publishes these figures redacted and aggregated; individual properties are not identified.
Is Otero 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 Otero County compare with the rest of New Mexico?
4.8 recorded events per 100 square miles against 20.4 statewide, and 1.9 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.