FEMA Records
3
Total declarations
New Mexico · FEMA + NOAA + National Risk Index
Colfax County, NM
3 FEMA disaster declarations (2018–2022), with a FEMA National Risk Index rating of Relatively Low. Most common hazard: Fire.
- 3
- FEMA declarations
- 1
- Major disasters
- 58
- NRI risk · Relatively Low
- Fire
- Top hazard
FEMA's National Risk Index places Colfax County in the top 42% of U.S. counties for overall natural-hazard risk, and its FEMA disaster-declaration count is higher than 42% of all 2,729 counties tracked.
How does Colfax County compare?
- Colfax County
- 3
- New Mexico county avg
- 3.1
- National county avg
- 3.7
How disaster-prone is Colfax County?
Colfax County, New Mexico has recorded 3 FEMA disaster declarations between 2018 and 2022, of which 1 were classified as Major Disaster declarations (DR) requiring federal individual and public assistance. That puts the county's average at 0.8 declarations per year across a 4-year record, or roughly 2% below the New Mexico county average of 3.1 and 20% below the national county average of 3.7.
The dominant disaster type on record is Fire, with 3 of 3 declarations falling under this category. This county carries a high composite score on FEMA's National Risk Index, 58.5/100, rated Relatively Low. Its Expected Annual Loss rating is Very Low (roughly $12.6M in annualized losses), and a Very High social-vulnerability profile combined with Relatively Low community resilience shapes how much of that raw exposure becomes realized harm. Among the 18 modeled hazards, Wildfire carries the county's highest rating, a mid-range Relatively Moderate.
Taken together, Colfax County reads as low relative risk on this historical lens, fewer federally recognized disasters than a typical U.S. county.
Risk Assessment
Risk Level
Low
vs. New Mexico Avg
-2%
State avg: 3.1
vs. National Avg
-20%
National avg: 3.7
Avg Per Year
0.8
Over 4 years
FEMA NRI 8-hazard radar - Colfax County
How to read this radar
The radar plots Colfax County's relative exposure to the eight headline natural hazards used by the FEMA National Risk Index. Each axis is the qualitative NRI risk rating (Very Low through Very High) re-expressed on a 0-100 scale so that the polygon shape lets you compare a county against another at a glance. A rounder polygon means broad multi-hazard exposure; a spiky polygon means one or two dominant hazards drive most of the modeled risk.
NRI Source
FEMA 2023
Latest NRI release
County FIPS
35007
NM state code
Source: FEMA National Risk Index FEMA National Risk Index Per-county per-hazard ratings, 2023 release
Disaster Types
Fire 3
Declaration Types
What DR / EM / FM mean
FEMA categorizes declarations as Major Disasters (DR), Emergencies (EM), or Fire Management Assistance (FM).
Fire Management - 2 66.7%
of all 3 declarations
Major Disaster - 1 33.3%
of all 3 declarations
FEMA Declarations Timeline
| Year | Declarations | |
|---|---|---|
| 2022 | 2 | |
| 2018 | 1 | |
Disaster Declarations
| DR# | Title | Type | Incident | Date |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 4652 | WILDFIRES, STRAIGHT-LINE WINDS, FLOODING, MUDFLOWS, AND DEBRIS FLOWS | DR | Fire | 2022-05-04 |
| 5437 | COOK'S PEAK FIRE | FM | Fire | 2022-04-28 |
| 5239 | UTE PARK FIRE | FM | Fire | 2018-06-01 |
Storm Events in New Mexico
| Storm Type | Events | Fatalities | Injuries | Property Damage |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Drought | 3,782 | 0 | 0 | $0 |
| High Wind | 2,657 | 0 | 3 | $19.4M |
| Hail | 1,833 | 1 | 24 | $17.7M |
| Thunderstorm Wind | 1,067 | 1 | 13 | $25.3M |
| Heavy Snow | 1,026 | 6 | 72 | $4.0M |
Source: NOAA Storm Events Database NOAA Storm Events Database State-level aggregated data, 2015–2025
FEMA National Risk Index
Overall Risk
Relatively Low
Score: 58.5/100
Expected Annual Loss
Very Low
$12.6M/year
Social Vulnerability
Very High
Community Resilience
Relatively Low
Hazard Risk Breakdown
Wildfire Relatively Moderate
Lightning Relatively High
Winter Weather Relatively High
Landslide Relatively Low
Hail Relatively Low
Drought Relatively Low
Avalanche Very Low
Earthquake Very Low
Cold Wave Relatively Low
Heat Wave Very Low
Strong Wind Relatively Low
Tornado Very Low
Ice Storm Very Low
Volcanic Activity No Rating
Source: FEMA National Risk Index (NRI) FEMA National Risk Index (NRI) Ratings reflect relative scores among all US counties. Data: hazards.fema.gov/nri
Counties with Similar Risk in New Mexico
Disaster Preparedness Guides
Related
Frequently Asked Questions
How many natural disasters has Colfax County, New Mexico had?
Colfax County, New Mexico has received 3 FEMA disaster declarations from 2018 to 2022. Of these, 1 were major disaster declarations.
What is the most common disaster type in Colfax County?
The most common disaster type in Colfax County is Fire, with 3 declarations.
How does Colfax County's disaster risk compare to the New Mexico average?
Colfax County has 3 disaster declarations, which is 2% lower than the New Mexico county average of 3.1 declarations. Compared to the national county average of 3.7, it is 20% lower.
How many major FEMA disaster declarations has Colfax County received?
Colfax County has received 1 major disaster declaration, representing 33% of all 3 disaster declarations. Major disaster declarations typically involve significant damage requiring federal assistance.
What types of storms are most common in New Mexico?
The most common storm types in New Mexico include Drought (3,782 events), High Wind (2,657 events), Hail (1,833 events). NOAA storm event data covers severe weather from 2015 to 2025.
What was the worst year for disasters in Colfax County?
The most active year for disaster declarations in Colfax County was 2022, with 2 declarations. The county has FEMA disaster data spanning 2018 to 2022.
What is the overall disaster risk level for Colfax County?
Colfax County's 3 FEMA disaster declarations put it in the low-risk band, fewer federally recognized disasters than a typical U.S. county over the same span.
What is the FEMA National Risk Index score for Colfax County?
According to the FEMA National Risk Index, Colfax County, New Mexico has an overall risk score of 58.5 out of 100 (Relatively Low). The county's social vulnerability rating is Very High and community resilience is Relatively Low. The Expected Annual Loss (EAL) score is Very Low, representing $12.6M in annualized losses.
Which natural hazard poses the greatest risk to Colfax County?
Based on FEMA NRI data, the highest-risk natural hazard in Colfax County is Wildfire (risk rating: Relatively Moderate). Other significant hazards include Lightning (Relatively High) and Winter Weather (Relatively High). These scores are based on FEMA's analysis of historical event frequency, exposed assets, and community vulnerability.
Data Sources & Methodology
Disaster declaration data comes from the FEMA OpenFEMA Disaster Declarations Summaries v2 API, which includes all federally declared disasters, emergencies, and fire management assistance grants.
Storm event data is sourced from the NOAA Storm Events Database (2015–2025), which tracks significant weather events including thunderstorms, tornadoes, floods, and winter storms.
This data is provided for informational purposes only. FEMA disaster declarations represent federal response actions and may not capture all local emergencies or weather events.
What this means for Colfax County
Colfax County, NM has 3 FEMA disaster declarations on record, a low historical disaster load, 2% below the New Mexico county average.
- Its most common federal declaration type is fire management (2 of 3) - know the hazards most likely here before they happen. New Mexico overview
- See how this county ranks against the rest of the country for disaster frequency. Most-disaster rankings
- Read how to read FEMA declarations, NRI risk scores, and what they do and don't tell you. Disaster-data guide
Historical declaration counts describe past federal response, not a forecast. For current threats, follow the National Weather Service and local officials; in an emergency call 911.
Read our methodology - how this data is sourced, computed, and verified.
All federal data sources used on this page
- FEMA OpenFEMA, Disaster Declarations Summaries v2 - all federally-declared disasters for this county. fema.gov/openfema/disaster-declarations
- FEMA National Risk Index (NRI) - per-county per-hazard risk ratings and expected annual loss. hazards.fema.gov/nri
- NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database - state-level storm/severe-weather event records, 2015–2025. ncdc.noaa.gov/stormevents
Data sourced from official public datasets. See our methodology for details. Retrieved and formatted by PlainHazard Editorial
Verify with FEMA → · Verify with FEMA NRI → · Verify with NOAA →
Every figure on PlainHazard is rendered directly from FEMA federal disaster data, no number is typed in by an editor. This page draws directly on FEMA federal disaster data, no figure is typed in by an editor. See our editorial standards & corrections policy, the methodology behind these numbers, or report a data error.