States › New Mexico › Valencia County
Valencia 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.
The NCEI record lists 105 events for Valencia County, New Mexico, between 1950 and 2026; damaging wind account for the largest share.
That is 9.8 events per 100 square miles, below the New Mexico figure of 20.4, and 13.6 per 10,000 residents against 116.9 statewide.
4 events fall in the 12 months to 30 Jun 2026. NCEI attributes 1 death and 10 injuries to events in the county, with property damage estimated at $13M and crop damage at $301K.
FEMA has designated the county in 15 federal disaster declarations since 1953; the most recent is Severe Storms, Flooding, And Landslides (emergency, 10 Jul 2025).
National Flood Insurance Program policyholders in the county filed 125 claims since 1978, of which 57 were paid, totalling $982K (about $17K per paid claim). FEMA counts 2,142 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" ($38M a year across 18 hazards).
Compared with New Mexico and the United States
| Measure | Valencia County | New Mexico | US |
|---|---|---|---|
| Recorded events since 1950 | 105 | 24,740 | 1,977,440 |
| Events per 100 square miles | 9.8 | 20.4 | 56.0 |
| Events per 10,000 residents | 13.6 | 116.9 | 59.6 |
| Events in the last 12 months | 4 | 942 | 62,008 |
| Deaths recorded by NCEI | 1 | 191 | 26,435 |
| Property damage (NCEI estimates) | $13M | $3.2B | $575B |
| NFIP claims per 1,000 residents | 1.6 | 0.9 | 8.1 |
| Average paid NFIP claim | $17K | $37K | $43K |
| Claims per 100 policies in force, last 10 years | 2.0 | 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: 67 events in the 20 years to 2025 against 26 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 10 Oct 1974 | Tornado | Tornado | F2 | $250K | — | 1 | 8 | County |
| 24 May 1999 | Thunderstorm Wind | Wind | 81 mph | $1.2M | — | — | 2 | County |
| 29 Sep 2017 | Flash Flood | Flood | — | $7.5M | — | — | — | County |
| 17 Aug 2008 | Hail | Hail | 1.75 in | $1.0M | — | — | — | County |
| 6 Jul 2021 | Flash Flood | Flood | — | $500K | $250K | — | — | County |
| 31 Jul 2006 | Flash Flood | Flood | — | $500K | — | — | — | County |
| 5 Oct 2004 | Hail | Hail | 1.75 in | $300K | — | — | — | County |
| 25 Jun 2026 | Tornado | Tornado | EF0 | $300K | — | — | — | County |
| 5 Oct 2004 | Hail | Hail | 1.75 in | $200K | — | — | — | County |
| 13 Sep 2013 | Flood | Flood | — | $200K | — | — | — | County |
| 5 Jul 2018 | Flash Flood | Flood | — | $200K | — | — | — | County |
| 30 Sep 1998 | Hail | Hail | 4.50 in | $150K | — | — | — | County |
| 30 Sep 1998 | Thunderstorm Wind | Wind | 70 mph | $100K | — | — | — | County |
| 30 Sep 1998 | Thunderstorm Wind | Wind | 70 mph | $100K | — | — | — | County |
| 22 Jul 2008 | 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 10 Jul 2025 | EM-3628 | Emergency | Flood | Severe Storms, Flooding, And Landslides | Public assistance |
| 22 Jun 2025 | FM-5594 | Fire management assistance | Fire | Cotton 2 Fire | Public assistance |
| 21 Jun 2025 | FM-5593 | Fire management assistance | Fire | Desert Willow Fire Complex | Public assistance |
| 18 Apr 2025 | FM-5579 | Fire management assistance | Fire | Rio Grande Fire | Public assistance |
| 4 May 2022 | DR-4652 | Major disaster | Fire | Wildfires, Straight-Line Winds, Flooding, Mudflows, And Debris Flows | Individual assistance, Public assistance |
| 11 Apr 2022 | FM-5430 | Fire management assistance | Fire | Big Hole 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 Mar 2019 | FM-5281 | Fire management assistance | Fire | Ironworks Fire | Public assistance |
| 24 Feb 2007 | FM-2682 | Fire management assistance | Fire | Belen Fire | Public assistance |
| 30 Aug 2006 | DR-1659 | Major disaster | Severe Storm | Severe Storms And Flooding | 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 |
| 20 Apr 2000 | FM-2295 | Fire management assistance | Fire | Rio Grande Fire Complex | Public assistance |
| 11 May 1973 | DR-380 | Major disaster | Flood | Severe Storms, Snow Melt & 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 | 2 | 0 | $0 | — |
| 2024 | 2 | 0 | $0 | — |
| 2023 | 1 | 0 | $0 | — |
| 2021 | 17 | 12 | $419,850 | $34,988 |
| 2020 | 1 | 1 | $29,914 | $29,914 |
| 2019 | 2 | 0 | $0 | — |
| 2018 | 4 | 2 | $24,435 | $12,217 |
| 2017 | 13 | 3 | $161,216 | $53,739 |
| 2016 | 1 | 0 | $0 | — |
| 2015 | 2 | 2 | $8,859 | $4,429 |
| 2014 | 1 | 0 | $0 | — |
| 2013 | 8 | 2 | $38,306 | $19,153 |
| 2012 | 3 | 1 | $14,375 | $14,375 |
| 2011 | 1 | 1 | $7,563 | $7,563 |
| 2010 | 1 | 0 | $0 | — |
| 2009 | 2 | 1 | $8,234 | $8,234 |
| 2008 | 8 | 4 | $46,601 | $11,650 |
| 2007 | 1 | 1 | $1,202 | $1,202 |
| 2006 | 22 | 15 | $156,313 | $10,421 |
| 2005 | 4 | 1 | $3,219 | $3,219 |
| 2004 | 4 | 1 | $4,845 | $4,845 |
| 2003 | 1 | 0 | $0 | — |
| 2002 | 2 | 1 | $3,434 | $3,434 |
| 2000 | 2 | 1 | $311 | $311 |
| 1999 | 5 | 3 | $34,790 | $11,597 |
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 | $29,527,045 | |
| Earthquake | $4,395,554 | |
| Lightning | $912,505 | |
| Wildfire | $727,480 | |
| Heat wave | $724,130 | |
| Hail | $348,456 | |
| Strong wind | $209,372 | |
| Winter weather | $189,808 | |
| Tornado | $174,776 | |
| Drought | $173,675 | |
| Cold wave | $130,474 | |
| Ice storm | $5,774 | |
| Landslide | $19 | |
| Avalanche | $16 | |
| Volcanic activity | $0 |
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
No HURDAT2 track at tropical-storm strength passes within 100 miles of the county's centre point (through the 2025 season).
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 Valencia County, NM?
NCEI records 32 hail events in Valencia County since 1950, in 16 different years; that is about 0.4 recorded events a year. 10 reports were golf-ball size (1.75 in) or larger.
Has Valencia County had a tornado?
Yes. NCEI records 8 tornadoes in Valencia County since 1950, 2 of them rated (E)F2 or stronger. Tornado deaths recorded: 1.
When was the last federal disaster declaration for Valencia County?
10 Jul 2025: Severe Storms, Flooding, And Landslides, a emergency declaration for flood. The county appears in 15 declarations since 1953.
How many flood insurance claims have been filed in Valencia County, and how much was paid?
125 NFIP claims since 1978, 57 of them paid, for $982K in total. FEMA publishes these figures redacted and aggregated; individual properties are not identified.
Is Valencia 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 Valencia County compare with the rest of New Mexico?
9.8 recorded events per 100 square miles against 20.4 statewide, and 1.6 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.