Harding County, New Mexico
County storm and disaster record · FIPS 35021 · population 656 · 2,125 sq mi
NOAA's Storm Events Database holds 445 records for Harding County, New Mexico from 1950 through June 30, 2026, on 374 days; the most frequent are hail reports (143 records). 257 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 most damaging was the May 5, 1995 thunderstorm wind ($387,000 in 2025 dollars). FEMA has issued 8 declarations naming the county since 1973, 6 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
- 445on 374 days, 1950 to June 30, 2026
- Deaths recorded
- 011 injuries
- Damage, 2025 dollars
- $875Kas filed (scale steps before 1993)
- Tornadoes
- 8strongest F3
- FEMA declarations
- 8latest 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 Harding County most?
The most frequent records are hail reports: 143 since 1959. 69% of its hail reports since 1959 fell in May and June. 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Hail | 143 | 93 | 1959-2026 | 0 | 8 | $102K | 11 of 33 |
| Drought | 142 | 142 | 1996-2026 | 0 | 0 | – | 7 of 33 |
| Winter storms | 58 | 58 | 1996-2024 | 0 | 0 | – | 16 of 33 |
| High wind and dust storms | 45 | 44 | 1996-2026 | 0 | 0 | $11K | 24 of 33 |
| Severe thunderstorm wind | 25 | 23 | 1982-2026 | 0 | 0 | $396K | 19 of 33 |
| Tornadoes | 8 | 8 | 1962-2017 | 0 | 3 | $366K | 17 of 33 |
| Extreme cold | 6 | 6 | 1996-2026 | 0 | 0 | – | 8 of 33 |
| Floods | 6 | 5 | 2000-2025 | 0 | 0 | – | 33 of 33 |
| Heat | 3 | 3 | 1998-2000 | 0 | 0 | – | 9 of 33 |
| Heavy rain | 3 | 2 | 2014-2019 | 0 | 0 | – | 13 of 33 |
| Fog, smoke and funnel clouds | 3 | 3 | 1999-2012 | 0 | 0 | – | 18 of 33 |
| Wildfires | 2 | 2 | 2020-2026 | 0 | 0 | – | 21 of 33 |
| Lightning | 1 | 1 | 1996-1996 | 0 | 0 | – | 14 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 Harding County had?
NOAA records 8 tornadoes in Harding County from 1962 to 2017, the strongest rated F3, with 0 deaths and 3 injuries recorded in the county. That is 17th of 33 New Mexico counties by days with tornadoes per 1,000 square miles since 1950. 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 8 tornadoes whose track touched Harding County since 1950 (NOAA's county records number 8, the same count); along their whole tracks they killed 0 people.
| Date | Tornado | Rating | Path | Killed |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1977-05-14 01:30, as SPC files it | Unnamed | F3 | 0.1 mi | 0 |
Map of the strongest tornado tracks in New Mexico.
Every tornado record filed for Harding County (8)
| Date | Place | Character | Killed | Injured | Damage |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2017-05-08 | Roy, Harding County | EF0 0.2 mi x 40 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2009-08-18 | Mills, Harding County | EF0 0.2 mi x 20 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2005-05-30 | Mosquero, Harding County | F0 1 mi x 200 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 1996-06-03 | Rosebud, Harding County | F0 2 mi x 100 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 1995-06-02 | Rosebud (29, Harding County | F0 0.1 mi x 25 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 1987-08-27 | Harding County | F0 0.2 mi x 10 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 1977-05-14 | Harding County | F3 | 0 | 2 | $25K step |
| 1962-05-17 | Harding County | F2 10.8 mi x 33 yd | 0 | 1 | $25K step |
A damage figure marked "step" is a record from before 1993: NOAA then filed damage by category, and the figure is the category as entered, in the dollars of that year, not an estimate of the loss.
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 Harding County?
The most recent record with damage, injuries or deaths is the June 23, 2025 hail ($5,000 in damage in 2025 dollars).
| Date | Record | Character | Killed | Injured | Damage |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026-06-12 | Thunderstorm WindRosebud, Harding County | 56 kt wind | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2026-06-12 | HailRoy, Harding County | 1.25 in hail | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2026-06-01 | DroughtHarding County · forecast zone Harding County | 0 | 0 | – | |
| 2026-05-01 | DroughtHarding County · forecast zone Harding County | 0 | 0 | – | |
| 2026-04-01 | DroughtHarding County · forecast zone Harding County | 0 | 0 | – | |
| 2026-03-15 | High WindHarding County · forecast zone Harding County | 50 kt wind | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2026-02-17 | WildfireHarding County · forecast zone Harding County | 0 | 0 | – | |
| 2026-02-17 | High WindHarding County · forecast zone Harding County | 50 kt wind | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2026-01-26 | Extreme Cold/Wind ChillHarding County · forecast zone Harding County | 0 | 0 | – | |
| 2025-08-29 | Thunderstorm WindMills, Harding County | 61 kt wind | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2025-07-16 | Flash FloodMosquero, Harding County | 0 | 0 | – | |
| 2025-06-23 | HailRosebud, Harding County | 1.00 in hail | 0 | 0 | $5K |
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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1992-06-26 | HailHarding County | 1.75 in hail | 0 | 4 | – |
| 1992-06-26 | HailHarding County | 1.50 in hail | 0 | 4 | – |
| 1977-05-14 | TornadoHarding County | F3 | 0 | 2 | $25K step |
| 1962-05-17 | TornadoHarding County | F2 10.8 mi x 33 yd | 0 | 1 | $25K step |
A damage figure marked "step" is a record from before 1993: NOAA then filed damage by category, and the figure is the category as entered, in the dollars of that year, not an estimate of the loss.
| Date | Record | Character | Killed | Injured | Damage |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1995-05-05 | Thunderstorm WindRoy, Harding County | 0 | 0 | $387K | |
| 2025-06-23 | HailRosebud, Harding County | 1.00 in hail | 0 | 0 | $5K |
Before 1993 NOAA filed damage by category, not amount, so the list above starts in 1993. The highest category filed here before then (entered as $25K, in the dollars of the day) holds: May 14, 1977 (tornado, Harding County); May 17, 1962 (tornado, Harding County).
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 Harding 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Hail | 1 | 0 | 1 | 6 | 17 | 49 | 37 | 32 |
| Drought | – | – | – | – | 6 | 27 | 59 | 50 |
| Winter storms | – | – | – | – | 8 | 20 | 22 | 8 |
| High wind and dust storms | – | – | – | – | 3 | 13 | 11 | 18 |
| Severe thunderstorm wind | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 2 | 4 | 11 | 7 |
Source: NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database, records per calendar decade; zone records from the CZ_TYPE field (Z).
What time of year?
69% of its hail reports since 1959 fell in May and June. The two busiest months are in violet.
The values, month by month
Jan 30 · Feb 31 · Mar 30 · Apr 36 · May 62 · Jun 94 · Jul 36 · Aug 33 · Sep 27 · Oct 14 · Nov 20 · Dec 32 (records).
Source: NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database, records by the month they began.
Federal disaster declarations for Harding County
FEMA's register lists 8 declarations that include Harding County: 4 major disasters, 4 emergencies and 0 fire management assistance declarations. Most were for biological (2) and flood (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 |
| 2006-08-30 | DR-1659 | Severe Storm | Severe Storms and Flooding |
| 2005-09-07 | EM-3229 | Hurricane | Hurricane Katrina Evacuation |
| 2000-05-10 | EM-3154 | Fire | Severe Fire Threats |
| 1977-03-02 | EM-3034 | Drought | Drought |
| 1973-05-11 | DR-380 | Flood | Severe Storms, Snow Melt & Flooding |
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.
FEMA's modeled risk for Harding County
FEMA's National Risk Index rates Harding County Very Low overall, with an expected annual loss of $593,000. 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Wildfire | Relatively Low | $121K | once in about 388 years (modeled) |
| Drought | Very Low | $6K | 109 modeled event-days a year |
| Landslide | Very Low | $103 | once in about 3 years (modeled) |
| Winter Weather | Very Low | $14K | 12 a year (modeled) |
| Avalanche | Very Low | $4 | once in about 100 years (modeled) |
| Cold Wave | Very Low | $15K | once in about 2 years (modeled) |
| Heat Wave | Very Low | $5K | 0.5 modeled event-days a year |
| Earthquake | Very Low | $4K | once in about 1,815 years (modeled) |
Source: FEMA National Risk Index, county table, December 2025 release. FEMA's National Risk Index map.
Counties that share a border with Harding 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
- Hail in New MexicoThe state's hail reports, 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 Harding CountyThe hazard risk calculator: 18 hazards beside the county's record
- Download Harding County's FEMA declarations (CSV)8 rows: every declaration that named the county, for your own analysis