Hidalgo County, New Mexico
County storm and disaster record · FIPS 35023 · population 4,134 · 3,439 sq mi
NOAA's Storm Events Database holds 523 records for Hidalgo County, New Mexico from 1950 through June 30, 2026, on 260 days; the most frequent are drought records (331 records). 453 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 February 27, 2025 dust storm, filed for the forecast zone Southwest Desert/Lower Gila River Valley, which covers the county: 3 deaths. FEMA has issued 10 declarations naming the county since 1972, 8 of them for natural hazards; the latest for a natural hazard was “Severe Storms and Flooding” on August 30, 2006.
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
- 523on 260 days, 1950 to June 30, 2026
- Deaths recorded
- 56 injuries
- Damage, 2025 dollars
- $1.0Mas filed (scale steps before 1993)
- Tornadoes
- 3strongest F1
- FEMA declarations
- 10latest 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 Hidalgo County most?
The most frequent records are drought records: 331 since 2011. 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 | 331 | 121 | 2011-2026 | 0 | 0 | – | 19 of 33 |
| High wind and dust storms | 83 | 64 | 1998-2026 | 4 | 5 | $8K | 27 of 33 |
| Severe thunderstorm wind | 38 | 32 | 1983-2026 | 1 | 1 | $97K | 20 of 33 |
| Winter storms | 29 | 27 | 1997-2020 | 0 | 0 | $34K | 30 of 33 |
| Hail | 17 | 14 | 1992-2018 | 0 | 0 | $96K | 31 of 33 |
| Floods | 11 | 10 | 1997-2025 | 0 | 0 | $756K | 32 of 33 |
| Extreme cold | 4 | 2 | 2011-2025 | 0 | 0 | – | 26 of 33 |
| Heat | 3 | 1 | 2023-2023 | 0 | 0 | – | 26 of 33 |
| Heavy rain | 3 | 2 | 2014-2017 | 0 | 0 | – | 19 of 33 |
| Tornadoes | 3 | 3 | 1961-2016 | 0 | 0 | $25K | 29 of 33 |
| Fog, smoke and funnel clouds | 1 | 1 | 2020-2020 | 0 | 0 | – | 26 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 Hidalgo County had?
NOAA records 3 tornadoes in Hidalgo County from 1961 to 2016, the strongest rated F1, 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 3 tornadoes whose track touched Hidalgo County since 1950 (NOAA's county records number 3, 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 Hidalgo County (3)
| Date | Place | Character | Killed | Injured | Damage |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2016-09-01 | Lordsburg, Hidalgo County | EFU 0.38 mi x 20 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2005-10-15 | Animas, Hidalgo County | F0 0.5 mi x 20 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 1961-06-15 | Hidalgo County | F1 | 0 | 0 | $3K 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 Hidalgo County?
The most recent record with damage, injuries or deaths is the February 27, 2025 dust storm (3 deaths).
Winds gusted over 50 mph at times along the Lordsburg Playa resulting in dust channels that created near zero visibilities. These visibilities affected Interstate 10 and caused an 11 vehicle accident around mile marker 10. The accident and continued reduced visibilities at times kept the interstate closed through much of the day.
National Weather Service event narrative, NOAA Storm Events Database (search the full record, event 1233415)
| Date | Record | Character | Killed | Injured | Damage |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026-06-17 | Dust StormGrant County and Hidalgo County · forecast zone Southwest Desert/Lower Gila River Valley | 0 | 0 | – | |
| 2026-06-17 | Thunderstorm WindMondel, Hidalgo County | 51 kt wind | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2026-06-17 | Dust StormGrant County and Hidalgo County · forecast zone Southwest Desert/Lower Gila River Valley | 0 | 0 | – | |
| 2026-06-01 | DroughtHidalgo County · forecast zone Uplands Of The Bootheel | 0 | 0 | – | |
| 2026-06-01 | DroughtGrant County and Hidalgo County · forecast zone Lowlands Of The Bootheel | 0 | 0 | – | |
| 2026-06-01 | DroughtGrant County and Hidalgo County · forecast zone Southwest Desert/Lower Gila River Valley | 0 | 0 | – | |
| 2026-06-01 | DroughtGrant County and Hidalgo County · forecast zone Upper Gila River Valley | 0 | 0 | – | |
| 2026-05-13 | Thunderstorm WindMondel, Hidalgo County | 70 kt wind | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2026-05-13 | Dust StormGrant County and Hidalgo County · forecast zone Southwest Desert/Lower Gila River Valley | 0 | 0 | – | |
| 2026-05-01 | DroughtHidalgo County · forecast zone Uplands Of The Bootheel | 0 | 0 | – | |
| 2026-05-01 | DroughtGrant County and Hidalgo County · forecast zone Lowlands Of The Bootheel | 0 | 0 | – | |
| 2026-05-01 | DroughtGrant County and Hidalgo County · forecast zone Southwest Desert/Lower Gila River Valley | 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025-02-27 | Dust StormGrant County and Hidalgo County · forecast zone Southwest Desert/Lower Gila River Valley Winds gusted over 50 mph at times along the Lordsburg Playa resulting in dust channels that created near zero visibilities. These visibilities affected Interstate 10 and caused an 11 vehicle accident around mile marker 10. The accident and continued reduced visibilities at times kept the interstate closed through much ... | 3 | 0 | – | |
| 2017-07-10 | Dust StormGrant County and Hidalgo County · forecast zone Southwest Desert/Lower Gila River Valley Near zero visibilities between mile markers 10 and 12 on Interstate 10 east caused a 4 car pileup. One of the passengers from the initial crash got out of vehicle, and was struck by another vehicle and died. Three others involved in the crash were also injured. | 1 | 3 | – | |
| 2017-08-09 | Thunderstorm WindMondel, Hidalgo County Power was out in Lordsburg area for over 30 hours. The wind created a dust storm with near zero visibility west of Lordsburg near mile marker 6 which caused a 2015 Dodge truck towing a travel trailer to rear end an 18 wheeler which had slowed down due to the conditions. One woman in the Dodge truck was killed and ... | 61 kt wind | 1 | 1 | $60K |
| 2021-07-11 | Dust StormGrant County and Hidalgo County · forecast zone Southwest Desert/Lower Gila River Valley Two accidents reported near mile marker 35 on Interstate 10 westbound caused by dust storm. Numerous vehicles involved including a semi. Interstate was closed for 4 to 5 hours following accident. | 0 | 2 | – |
| Date | Record | Character | Killed | Injured | Damage |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2005-02-11 | FloodGrant County and 2 more · forecast zone Southwest Mountains/Lower Gila Region / X N Hildago / Grant Except S / W Sierra | 0 | 0 | $756K | |
| 2017-08-09 | Thunderstorm WindMondel, Hidalgo County | 61 kt wind | 1 | 1 | $60K |
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 $3K, in the dollars of the day) holds: June 15, 1961 (tornado, Hidalgo 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 Hidalgo 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 | – | – | – | – | 0 | 0 | 119 | 212 |
| High wind and dust storms | – | – | – | – | 4 | 6 | 25 z | 48 |
| Severe thunderstorm wind | 0 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 5 | 2 | 6 | 22 |
| Winter storms | – | – | – | – | 3 | 14 | 11 | 1 |
| Hail | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 8 | 6 | 0 |
| Floods | – | – | – | – | 2 | 5 | 3 | 1 |
High wind and dust storms in the 2010s: 25 records against 6 in the decade before, 25 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 Hidalgo 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 Hidalgo County. The two busiest months are in violet.
The values, month by month
Jan 44 · Feb 46 · Mar 42 · Apr 51 · May 40 · Jun 48 · Jul 63 · Aug 51 · Sep 37 · Oct 32 · Nov 32 · Dec 37 (records).
Source: NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database, records by the month they began.
Federal disaster declarations for Hidalgo County
FEMA's register lists 10 declarations that include Hidalgo County: 7 major disasters, 3 emergencies and 0 fire management assistance declarations. Most were for flood (5) and biological (2).
| Declared | Number | Type | Title |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2020-04-05 | DR-4529 | Biological | Covid-19 Pandemic |
| 2020-03-13 | EM-3460 | Biological | Covid-19 |
| 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 |
| 1993-06-07 | DR-992 | Flood | Severe Storms & Flooding |
| 1985-01-18 | DR-731 | Flood | Severe Storms & Flooding |
| 1983-10-24 | DR-692 | Flood | Severe Storms and Flooding |
| 1979-01-29 | DR-571 | Flood | Flooding |
| 1972-11-20 | DR-361 | Flood | Heavy Rains & 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.
How many floods has Hidalgo County had?
NOAA's Storm Events Database holds 11 flood or flash flood records for Hidalgo County from 1997 to 2025, on 10 days, with 0 deaths. By flood insurance claims since 1978 (OpenFEMA, as of September 8, 2026), Hidalgo County ranks 2685th of 2,942 U.S. counties.
The National Flood Insurance Program has paid $28,000 on 3 claims filed in Hidalgo County; the most in one year was 2 in 2006. Claims count insured losses only: uninsured flood damage is not in this file.
The values, year by year
2006: 2 · 2008: 1; 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 Hidalgo County
FEMA's National Risk Index rates Hidalgo County Very Low overall, with an expected annual loss of $3.3 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Drought | Relatively Moderate | $864K | 125 modeled event-days a year |
| Wildfire | Relatively Low | $421K | once in about 144 years (modeled) |
| Heat Wave | Relatively Low | $367K | 2.6 modeled event-days a year |
| Lightning | Relatively Low | $131K | 54 a year (modeled) |
| Avalanche | Very Low | $101 | once in about 100 years (modeled) |
| Earthquake | Very Low | $73K | once in about 466 years (modeled) |
| Riverine Flooding | Very Low | $1.3M | once in about 4 years (modeled) |
| Winter Weather | Very Low | $7K | 3.3 a year (modeled) |
Source: FEMA National Risk Index, county table, December 2025 release. FEMA's National Risk Index map.
Counties that share a border with Hidalgo 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 Hidalgo CountyThe hazard risk calculator: 18 hazards beside the county's record
- Download Hidalgo County's FEMA declarations (CSV)10 rows: every declaration that named the county, for your own analysis