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Flood in Taos County, New Mexico

12 floods and flash floods events in the NCEI Storm Events record, 1950 to 2026. Event types counted: Flood, Flash Flood, Coastal Flood, Lakeshore Flood.

12 events · 0 deaths recorded · peak month July · county share of state 0.6%

2022-08-22: Flood2022-08-12: Flood2021-08-15: Flood2021-07-21: Flood2018-08-09: Flood2018-07-05: Flood2017-08-25: Flood2017-07-31: Flood2015-07-08: Flood2015-07-02: Flood2014-07-31: Flood2013-09-13: Flood
Flood event locations in and around Taos County. Dots: Flood event locations in the kept record. Boundaries: US Census Bureau.

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.

Taos County, New Mexico, has 12 flood events in the NCEI record since 1950, with at least one in 7 different years.

July is the busiest month, with 6 of the recorded events. The last 20 years account for 12 events against 0 in the 20 years before, a change that reflects reporting practice as much as weather.

The county holds 0.6% of the 1,880 flood events recorded in New Mexico; its 0.5 per 100 square miles compares with 1.5 statewide.

Compared with New Mexico

MeasureTaos CountyNew MexicoUS
Flood events since 1950121,880183,559
Per 100 square miles0.51.55.2
Per 10,000 residents3.58.95.5
Deaths recorded0512,961
Busiest monthJulyJulyJune

By year

195019882026
Flood events recorded in Taos County per year, 1950 to 2026 (2026 is partial).

Seasonality

Jan
0
Feb
0
Mar
0
Apr
0
May
0
Jun
0
Jul
6
Aug
5
Sep
1
Oct
0
Nov
0
Dec
0
Flood events in Taos County by month of occurrence, all years.

Recorded events

All 12 events, most recent first. Magnitude is hail size, tornado rating or wind speed as recorded.

DateEvent typeMagnitudeProperty damageCrop damageDeathsInjuriesGeography
22 Aug 2022Flash Flood—$75K———County
12 Aug 2022Flash Flood—$70K———County
15 Aug 2021Flash Flood—$25K———County
21 Jul 2021Flash Flood—$500K———County
9 Aug 2018Flash Flood—————County
5 Jul 2018Flash Flood—————County
25 Aug 2017Flash Flood—————County
31 Jul 2017Flash Flood—————County
8 Jul 2015Flash Flood—$5K———County
2 Jul 2015Flash Flood—$25K———County
31 Jul 2014Flash Flood—$2K———County
13 Sep 2013Flood—$50K———County

Questions and answers

How many flood events has Taos County had?

12 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 Taos County?

22 Aug 2022 (Flash Flood). Records reach NCEI about 120 days after the month ends.

What was the most damaging flood event recorded in Taos County?

The flash flood of 21 Jul 2021, with property damage estimated by NCEI at $500K.

How does Taos County compare with New Mexico for flood?

0.5 events per 100 square miles against 1.5 statewide; the county holds 12 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.