Cibola County, New Mexico
County storm and disaster record · FIPS 35006 · population 27,085 · 4,540 sq mi
NOAA's Storm Events Database holds 763 records for Cibola County, New Mexico from 1950 through June 30, 2026, on 455 days; the most frequent are drought records (343 records). 669 of them are forecast-zone records, which the National Weather Service files once per zone: a county covered by several zones receives each one, so a single storm can add several records on the same day. The deadliest single record is the January 27, 2001 winter storm, filed for the forecast zone Westcentral Mountains, which covers the county: 2 deaths. FEMA has issued 9 declarations naming the county since 2000, 7 of them for natural hazards; the latest for a natural hazard was “Severe Storms, Flooding, and Mudslides” on October 29, 2013.
The record, 1950 to 2026
Storm records filed for the county each year (2026 to June 30, 2026). Before 1996 NOAA recorded only tornadoes (from 1950), thunderstorm wind and hail (from 1955).
- recorded, no damage figure
- under $100,000
- $100,000 or more
- $1 million or more
- $10 million or more, or a death
- $100 million or more, or 10 deaths
- a year's colour: its recorded damage or deaths
- a year with a death
- 1955: wind and hail recorded from 1955
- 1996: all 48 event types from 1996
- Storm records
- 763on 455 days, 1950 to June 30, 2026
- Deaths recorded
- 1366 injuries
- Damage, 2025 dollars
- $9.6Mas filed (scale steps before 1993)
- Tornadoes
- 2strongest EF0
- FEMA declarations
- 9latest 2020
Source: NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database, records through June 30, 2026 (file revision 20260918); damage converted to 2025 dollars with the BLS CPI-U. Search the record at NCEI. BLS consumer price index.
What hazards hit Cibola County most?
The most frequent records are drought records: 343 since 1996. The rank column places the county among New Mexico's counties by days with a record per 1,000 square miles of land over each hazard's complete period.
| Hazard | Records | Days | First, last | Killed | Injured | Damage | Rank in state |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Drought | 343 | 165 | 1996-2026 | 0 | 0 | – | 18 of 33 |
| Winter storms | 152 | 115 | 1996-2026 | 8 | 8 | $167K | 17 of 33 |
| High wind and dust storms | 151 | 112 | 1996-2026 | 0 | 53 | $1.2M | 21 of 33 |
| Floods | 37 | 30 | 1999-2025 | 0 | 0 | $2.3M | 27 of 33 |
| Hail | 33 | 24 | 1969-2024 | 0 | 3 | – | 29 of 33 |
| Severe thunderstorm wind | 14 | 14 | 1964-2026 | 0 | 0 | $3K | 32 of 33 |
| Extreme cold | 11 | 7 | 1997-2025 | 5 | 0 | – | 16 of 33 |
| Wildfires | 7 | 7 | 2022-2026 | 0 | 2 | $5.8M | 20 of 33 |
| Fog, smoke and funnel clouds | 6 | 3 | 2013-2018 | 0 | 0 | – | 23 of 33 |
| Heat | 5 | 4 | 1998-2017 | 0 | 0 | – | 18 of 33 |
| Heavy rain | 2 | 2 | 1997-2013 | 0 | 0 | $184K | 21 of 33 |
| Tornadoes | 2 | 2 | 2017-2018 | 0 | 0 | – | 30 of 33 |
Source: NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database (county and forecast-zone records attributed to the county; a zone record shows its own totals on each county it covers). Days: dates with at least one record of the hazard in the county. Ranks: days with a record per 1,000 square miles of land (Census Bureau 2024 Gazetteer), since 1950 for tornadoes, 1955 for hail and thunderstorm wind, 1996 for the rest.
How many tornadoes has Cibola County had?
NOAA records 2 tornadoes in Cibola County from 2017 to 2018, the strongest rated EF0, with 0 deaths and 0 injuries recorded in the county. A tornado that crossed a county line is counted in each county it touched, with the length of its path inside the county.
Counted as whole tornadoes rather than county records, the Storm Prediction Center's database holds 2 tornadoes whose track touched Cibola County since 1950 (NOAA's county records number 2, the same count); along their whole tracks they killed 0 people.
Map of the strongest tornado tracks in New Mexico.
Every tornado record filed for Cibola County (2)
| Date | Place | Character | Killed | Injured | Damage |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2018-06-03 | Acoma Pueblo, Cibola County | EF0 2.35 mi x 50 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2017-09-30 | Correo, Cibola County | EF0 2.45 mi x 30 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
Source: NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database, tornado records by county (path length in the county, maximum width); ratings as published: F scale before February 1, 2007, EF scale after. Whole-track figures: NOAA Storm Prediction Center tornado database (1950-2025). SPC severe weather database.
When was the last damaging storm in Cibola County?
The most recent record with damage, injuries or deaths is the March 27, 2026 high wind.
| Date | Record | Character | Killed | Injured | Damage |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026-06-28 | High WindCatron County and 2 more · forecast zone West Central Plateau | 54 kt wind | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2026-06-27 | High WindCatron County and 2 more · forecast zone West Central Plateau | 56 kt wind | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2026-06-09 | High WindCatron County and 2 more · forecast zone West Central Plateau | 54 kt wind | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2026-06-01 | DroughtBernalillo County and 4 more · forecast zone Middle Rio Grande Valley/Albuquerque Metro Area | 0 | 0 | – | |
| 2026-06-01 | DroughtBernalillo County and 5 more · forecast zone West Central Highlands | 0 | 0 | – | |
| 2026-06-01 | DroughtCatron County and 4 more · forecast zone West Central Mountains | 0 | 0 | – | |
| 2026-06-01 | DroughtCatron County and 2 more · forecast zone West Central Plateau | 0 | 0 | – | |
| 2026-05-13 | Thunderstorm WindCorreo, Cibola County | 52 kt wind | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2026-05-01 | DroughtBernalillo County and 5 more · forecast zone West Central Highlands | 0 | 0 | – | |
| 2026-05-01 | DroughtCatron County and 4 more · forecast zone West Central Mountains | 0 | 0 | – | |
| 2026-05-01 | DroughtCatron County and 2 more · forecast zone West Central Plateau | 0 | 0 | – | |
| 2026-04-26 | High WindBernalillo County and 4 more · forecast zone Middle Rio Grande Valley/Albuquerque Metro Area | 62 kt wind | 0 | 0 | – |
Source: NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database; every record of 2025-2026 is listed, earlier ones when they caused deaths, injuries or $250,000 of damage (2025 dollars), and every tornado.
The deadliest and costliest records
| Date | Record | Character | Killed | Injured | Damage |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2001-01-27 | Winter StormCatron County and 3 more · forecast zone Westcentral Mountains A slow-moving winter storm howled into northern and central New Mexico with gusty winds, heavy snow which closed state highways and many rural roads and contributed to two deaths from exposure. Tribal police found one body just north of Gallup and another near Bluewater. Details were not released. The storm produced ... | 2 | 0 | – | |
| 2010-02-04 | Winter WeatherCatron County and 2 more · forecast zone West Central Plateau A family from California was headed east on I-40 when they hit a patch of ice around 930 am in Gallup. Their pickup truck slid into the westbound lanes where it struck a second pickup truck head on. Martha R. Toscano, 45, died in the crash. Moreno G. Toscano, 51 and their 4 month old child, Emmuel as well as James T. ... | 1 | 3 | – | |
| 2009-12-30 | Winter WeatherBernalillo County and 4 more · forecast zone West Central Highlands Though snow amounts were generally 2 inches or less, it was enough to create slick roads. Luis Segovia-Cabrera, age 39, sustained massive head injuries after he lost control of his SUV and crossed the median on Interstate 40 near exit 96 and crashed into a commercial tractor-trailer head-on. It is suspected he was ... | 1 | 3 | – | |
| 2009-03-30 | Winter WeatherCatron County and 3 more · forecast zone Westcentral Mountains An Illinois man died when two vehicles crashed on Interstate 40, 12 miles west of Gallup. The freeway was coated with slush and ice from an overnight light snow event. A full sized van lost control on eastbound I-40 at mile marker 9, crossed the median and crashed into a SUV that was heading west at 800 am MDT. The ... | 1 | 2 | – | |
| 2011-02-09 | Cold/Wind ChillCatron County and 2 more · forecast zone West Central Plateau A 69 year-old man from Fort Defiance was found in a wind swept field about 150 years east of North Ninth Street in Gallup. The low temperature in Gallup that morning was only 9 degrees. | 1 | 0 | – | |
| 2010-12-16 | Heavy SnowBernalillo County and 4 more · forecast zone West Central Highlands Around Tohajiillee, 6 to 7 inches of snow was reported. Just west of Grants, a man driving too fast for the wintry conditions on Interstate 40, loss control and veered off the highway. The 65-year old man died when the vehicle struck lava rocks and overturned. | 1 | 0 | – | |
| 2010-11-30 | Extreme Cold/Wind ChillCatron County and 2 more · forecast zone West Central Plateau A Native American man between 55 and 60 years old was found in a lot near the corner of Aztec Avenue and Patton Drive. | 1 | 0 | – | |
| 2010-03-14 | Winter WeatherCatron County and 2 more · forecast zone West Central Plateau Approximately 1 to 3 inches of snow created slick and hazardous roadways across the West Central Plateau. A man, age 60, was killed after losing control of his SUV on Interstate 40 near Gallup around 645 am MST. His wife and grandchildren were also in the vehicle, but survived with only minor injuries. Almost 30 ... | 1 | 0 | – |
| Date | Record | Character | Killed | Injured | Damage |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025-06-21 | WildfireBernalillo County and 4 more · forecast zone Middle Rio Grande Valley/Albuquerque Metro Area | 0 | 0 | $4.0M | |
| 2025-04-17 | WildfireBernalillo County and 4 more · forecast zone Middle Rio Grande Valley/Albuquerque Metro Area | 0 | 0 | $1.0M | |
| 2013-09-13 | FloodGrants Municipal Airport, Cibola County | 0 | 0 | $633K | |
| 2011-12-01 | High WindBernalillo County and 4 more · forecast zone West Central Highlands | 65 kt wind | 0 | 0 | $525K |
| 2025-04-27 | WildfireBernalillo County and 5 more · forecast zone West Central Highlands | 0 | 2 | $500K | |
| 2013-09-12 | FloodCorreo, Cibola County | 0 | 0 | $317K | |
| 2015-07-04 | Flash FloodEl Morro, Cibola County | 0 | 0 | $311K | |
| 2015-10-04 | Flash FloodGrants, Cibola County | 0 | 0 | $311K |
Source: NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database: deaths and injuries direct and indirect; damage is property plus crops as estimated by the National Weather Service, converted to 2025 dollars.
Is it getting more frequent?
Records per decade for Cibola County's most frequent hazards. Counts rose everywhere after 1996, when NOAA began recording every event type, so compare decades within a hazard's complete period only (the shaded cells come before it).
| Hazard | 1950s | 1960s | 1970s | 1980s | 1990s | 2000s | 2010s | 2020-26 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Drought | – | – | – | – | 6 | 27 | 168 z | 142 |
| Winter storms | – | – | – | – | 15 | 37 | 64 | 36 |
| High wind and dust storms | – | – | – | – | 7 | 18 | 50 | 76 |
| Floods | – | – | – | – | 1 | 11 | 17 | 8 |
| Hail | 0 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 8 | 4 | 16 | 3 |
| Severe thunderstorm wind | 0 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 5 | 3 |
Drought in the 2010s: 168 records against 27 in the decade before, 168 of them forecast-zone records. Cells marked z rose mostly through zone records. The local National Weather Service office files these once per forecast zone, so a change in how it draws its zones or splits a storm into records moves this count as much as the weather does; read it beside the Cibola County days with a record above.
Source: NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database, records per calendar decade; zone records from the CZ_TYPE field (Z).
What time of year?
Records by month in Cibola County. The two busiest months are in violet.
The values, month by month
Jan 73 · Feb 82 · Mar 76 · Apr 93 · May 61 · Jun 74 · Jul 44 · Aug 57 · Sep 43 · Oct 46 · Nov 43 · Dec 71 (records).
Source: NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database, records by the month they began.
Federal disaster declarations for Cibola County
FEMA's register lists 9 declarations that include Cibola County: 6 major disasters, 3 emergencies and 0 fire management assistance declarations. Most were for flood (3) and biological (2).
| Declared | Number | Type | Title |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2020-04-05 | DR-4529 | Biological | Covid-19 Pandemic |
| 2020-03-13 | EM-3460 | Biological | Covid-19 |
| 2013-10-29 | DR-4152 | Flood | Severe Storms, Flooding, and Mudslides |
| 2011-11-23 | DR-4047 | Flood | Flooding |
| 2010-09-13 | DR-1936 | Flood | Severe Storms and Flooding |
| 2006-08-30 | DR-1659 | Severe Storm | Severe Storms and Flooding |
| 2005-09-07 | EM-3229 | Hurricane | Hurricane Katrina Evacuation |
| 2000-05-13 | DR-1329 | Fire | Severe Forest Fire |
| 2000-05-10 | EM-3154 | Fire | Severe Fire Threats |
Source: FEMA OpenFEMA Disaster Declarations Summaries (v2), declarations through October 2, 2026; one declaration is counted once however many areas it names. OpenFEMA dataset page.
How many floods has Cibola County had?
NOAA's Storm Events Database holds 37 flood or flash flood records for Cibola County from 1999 to 2025, on 30 days, with 0 deaths. By flood insurance claims since 1978 (OpenFEMA, as of September 8, 2026), Cibola County ranks 1944th of 2,942 U.S. counties.
The National Flood Insurance Program has paid $611,000 on 28 claims filed in Cibola County; the most in one year was 11 in 2005. Claims count insured losses only: uninsured flood damage is not in this file.
The values, year by year
1978: 1 · 1983: 1 · 1992: 1 · 1993: 1 · 2002: 1 · 2004: 1 · 2005: 11 · 2006: 1 · 2007: 5 · 2015: 1 · 2024: 4; the other years: 0.
Source: FEMA OpenFEMA NFIP Redacted Claims, as of September 8, 2026; claims by year of loss, payments in the dollars of the year paid. OpenFEMA dataset page.
FEMA's modeled risk for Cibola County
FEMA's National Risk Index rates Cibola County Relatively Low overall, with an expected annual loss of $11.5 million. These are FEMA's model estimates of future loss from 18 hazards, not a count of what happened; they can differ from the record above.
| Hazard | Risk rating | Expected annual loss | Modeled frequency |
|---|---|---|---|
| Lightning | Relatively High | $769K | 61 a year (modeled) |
| Winter Weather | Relatively Moderate | $113K | 15 a year (modeled) |
| Riverine Flooding | Relatively Moderate | $8.6M | about once a year (modeled) |
| Landslide | Relatively Low | $15K | 1.2 a year (modeled) |
| Wildfire | Relatively Low | $332K | once in about 832 years (modeled) |
| Earthquake | Relatively Low | $475K | once in about 328 years (modeled) |
| Cold Wave | Relatively Low | $996K | once in about 19 years (modeled) |
| Volcanic Activity | Very Low | $54 | once in about 5,000 years (modeled) |
Source: FEMA National Risk Index, county table, December 2025 release. FEMA's National Risk Index map.
Counties that share a border with Cibola County
Source: U.S. Census Bureau county adjacency file; NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database, records since 1950. The Census Bureau's adjacency file.
Next
- Tornadoes in New MexicoEvery New Mexico tornado since 1950 and the counties with the most per square mile
- Drought in New MexicoThe state's drought records, by county, year and month
- The New Mexico recordEvery hazard in the state, its deadliest events and its federal declarations
- FEMA's risk rating for each hazard in Cibola CountyThe hazard risk calculator: 18 hazards beside the county's record
- Download Cibola County's FEMA declarations (CSV)9 rows: every declaration that named the county, for your own analysis