Lincoln County, New Mexico
County storm and disaster record · FIPS 35027 · population 20,041 · 4,831 sq mi
NOAA's Storm Events Database holds 1,481 records for Lincoln County, New Mexico from 1950 through June 30, 2026, on 765 days; the most frequent are high wind and dust records (503 records). 1,135 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 July 8, 2025 debris flow: 3 deaths, 2 injuries and $50.0 million in damage in 2025 dollars. FEMA has issued 35 declarations naming the county since 1965, 33 of them for natural hazards; the latest for a natural hazard was “Severe Storms, Flooding, and Landslides” on July 22, 2025.
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
- 1,481on 765 days, 1950 to June 30, 2026
- Deaths recorded
- 1231 injuries
- Damage, 2025 dollars
- $193Mas filed (scale steps before 1993)
- Tornadoes
- 23strongest EF1
- FEMA declarations
- 35latest 2025
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 Lincoln County most?
The most frequent records are high wind and dust records: 503 since 1996. 43% of its high wind and dust records since 1996 fell in March and April. 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| High wind and dust storms | 503 | 275 | 1996-2026 | 0 | 0 | $1.2M | 12 of 33 |
| Drought | 418 | 137 | 1996-2026 | 0 | 0 | – | 27 of 33 |
| Winter storms | 179 | 103 | 1996-2026 | 1 | 24 | $1.7M | 20 of 33 |
| Hail | 135 | 90 | 1962-2026 | 0 | 1 | $124K | 19 of 33 |
| Floods | 119 | 103 | 1996-2026 | 3 | 1 | $40M | 6 of 33 |
| Severe thunderstorm wind | 36 | 31 | 1989-2025 | 0 | 0 | $10K | 26 of 33 |
| Tornadoes | 23 | 21 | 1957-2024 | 0 | 0 | $170K | 14 of 33 |
| Wildfires | 23 | 20 | 1996-2026 | 4 | 0 | $90M | 13 of 33 |
| Landslides and avalanches | 12 | 10 | 2024-2025 | 3 | 2 | $60M | 2 of 33 |
| Extreme cold | 8 | 4 | 2011-2025 | 0 | 0 | – | 22 of 33 |
| Fog, smoke and funnel clouds | 8 | 7 | 2013-2018 | 0 | 0 | – | 17 of 33 |
| Heat | 7 | 4 | 1998-2017 | 0 | 0 | – | 20 of 33 |
| Heavy rain | 7 | 7 | 1997-2019 | 0 | 0 | – | 9 of 33 |
| Lightning | 3 | 3 | 1997-2015 | 1 | 3 | $34K | 12 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 Lincoln County had?
NOAA records 23 tornadoes in Lincoln County from 1957 to 2024, the strongest rated EF1, with 0 deaths and 0 injuries recorded in the county. That is 14th 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 23 tornadoes whose track touched Lincoln County since 1950 (NOAA's county records number 23, 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 Lincoln County (23)
| Date | Place | Character | Killed | Injured | Damage |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2024-07-09 | Ruidoso, Lincoln County | EFU 0.55 mi x 30 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2023-05-31 | Ramon, Lincoln County | EFU 2.9 mi x 25 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2021-05-28 | Arabela, Lincoln County | EF0 0.47 mi x 50 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2019-05-08 | Nogal, Lincoln County | EF0 0.03 mi x 20 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2018-05-23 | Picacho, Lincoln County | EF0 4.05 mi x 200 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2018-05-23 | Tinnie, Lincoln County | EFU 2.22 mi x 400 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2018-05-21 | Corona Faa Airport, Lincoln County | EF0 2.39 mi x 50 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2017-05-09 | White Oaks, Lincoln County | EF0 0.07 mi x 30 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2014-06-08 | Encinoso, Lincoln County | EF1 1.75 mi x 160 yd | 0 | 0 | $125K |
| 2014-06-07 | Corona, Lincoln County | EF0 0.1 mi x 50 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2014-06-07 | Corona, Lincoln County | EF0 0.25 mi x 50 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2010-05-14 | Ruidoso Downs, Lincoln County | EF0 0.4 mi x 120 yd | 0 | 0 | $2K |
| 2008-05-28 | Sunset, Lincoln County | EF0 0.17 mi x 15 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2007-06-04 | Capitan, Lincoln County | EF0 0.25 mi x 10 yd | 0 | 0 | $14K |
| 1994-07-09 | Lincoln County | F0 0.1 mi x 10 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 1989-06-01 | Lincoln County | F1 5 mi x 50 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 1987-05-16 | Lincoln County | F1 1 mi x 50 yd | 0 | 0 | $3K step |
| 1972-06-17 | Lincoln County | F1 6.1 mi x 100 yd | 0 | 0 | $250 step |
| 1971-09-17 | Lincoln County | F1 | 0 | 0 | $3K step |
| 1964-06-10 | Lincoln County | F1 | 0 | 0 | $30 step |
| 1964-05-18 | Lincoln County | F1 | 0 | 0 | $250 step |
| 1962-05-16 | Lincoln County | F0 | 0 | 0 | – |
| 1957-05-30 | Lincoln County | F0 | 0 | 0 | $30 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 Lincoln County?
The most recent record with damage, injuries or deaths is the September 28, 2025 flash flood ($10,000 in damage in 2025 dollars).
| Date | Record | Character | Killed | Injured | Damage |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026-06-24 | HailCapitan, Lincoln County | 0.88 in hail | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2026-06-20 | WildfireLincoln County and 3 more · forecast zone South Central Highlands | 0 | 0 | – | |
| 2026-06-03 | Flash FloodAlto, Lincoln County | 0 | 0 | – | |
| 2026-06-01 | DroughtLincoln County · forecast zone Eastern Lincoln County | 0 | 0 | – | |
| 2026-05-18 | High WindLincoln County · forecast zone South Central Mountains | 56 kt wind | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2026-05-14 | WildfireLincoln County · forecast zone South Central Mountains | 0 | 0 | – | |
| 2026-05-01 | DroughtLincoln County · forecast zone Eastern Lincoln County | 0 | 0 | – | |
| 2026-04-26 | High WindLincoln County · forecast zone South Central Mountains | 55 kt wind | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2026-04-26 | High WindLincoln County and 3 more · forecast zone South Central Highlands | 66 kt wind | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2026-04-01 | DroughtLincoln County · forecast zone Eastern Lincoln County | 0 | 0 | – | |
| 2026-03-27 | High WindLincoln County and Socorro County · forecast zone Upper Tularosa Valley | 56 kt wind | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2026-03-27 | High WindLincoln County and 3 more · forecast zone South Central Highlands | 81 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025-07-08 | Debris FlowAlto, Lincoln County Extremely heavy rainfall from slow moving thunderstorms resulted in catastrophic flash flooding and destructive debris flows on and downstream of the South Fork burn scar. Debris flows and a record rise on the Rio Ruidoso from 1.43 feet to 20.24 feet in approximately 30 minutes overtopped bridges and roads, pushed ... | 3 | 2 | $50M | |
| 2024-06-17 | WildfireLincoln County · forecast zone South Central Mountains The South Fork Fire was discovered on June 17th within tribal land along the Rio Ruidoso west of Ruidoso. It blew up in size within its first two days reaching 15,000 acres and destroying an estimated 1,400 structures. Two lives were lost, an as of yet identified person in a vehicle on Rainier Road due to the limited ... | 2 | 0 | $22M | |
| 2022-04-12 | WildfireLincoln County · forecast zone South Central Mountains The McBride Fire started on Tuesday, April 12, 2022, in Gavilan Canyon within the Village of Ruidoso and spread quickly due to 70 to 80 mph winds in the area. By Thursday, April 14th, the fire had burned more than 5,700 acres and burned 207 homes and structures while threatening 1,000 more. The wildfire prompted ... | 2 | 0 | $10M | |
| 2015-05-15 | LightningCapitan, Lincoln County Kalina Jinzo, a 40-year mother of three, was struck by lightning and killed while traveling from Albuquerque to Ruidoso on a motorcycle on the 15th. Her husband was also struck but his injuries were not life threatening. The woman died several days later in a Lubbock hospital around the 22nd. | 1 | 1 | – | |
| 2021-05-30 | Flash FloodTinnie, Lincoln County Heavy rainfall in the Hondo area caused widespread flooding of roads and low water crossings. The Lincoln County emergency manager estimated that the Rio Ruidoso rose 4 to 6 feet quickly while Alamo Canyon Road south of U.S. Highway 70 was completely inundated. One individual was in their truck at Alamo Canyon Road ... | 1 | 0 | $65K | |
| 2008-07-26 | FloodHollywood, Lincoln County Widespread, serious flooding occurred from the upper canyon of the Rio Ruidoso downstream through the towns of Ruidoso, Hollywood and Ruidoso Downs as far east as Fox Caves. Flooding also occurred along the Rio Bonito from the dam at Bonito Lake downstream to State Road 48. Flooding was extensive in Ruidoso, not only ... | 1 | 0 | $34M | |
| 1997-01-05 | Winter StormLincoln County · forecast zone Lincoln County High Plains/Hondo Valley A winter storm produced widespread heavy snow and icy roads across much of New Mexico. Icy roads were the direct cause of numerous auto mishaps as many drivers failed to reduce speed in the early hours of the storm as road conditions deteriorated very quickly. At least two fatal accidents were directly related to the ... | 1 | 0 | – | |
| 1996-10-04 | Flash FloodCapitan, Lincoln County A 19 year old woman drowned trying to drive through a flooded low water crossing on Salado Creek. Water was estimated at 2-3 feet deep over the Capitan Gap crossing. | 1 | 0 | – |
| Date | Record | Character | Killed | Injured | Damage |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025-07-08 | Debris FlowAlto, Lincoln County | 3 | 2 | $50M | |
| 2008-07-26 | FloodHollywood, Lincoln County | 1 | 0 | $34M | |
| 2012-06-04 | WildfireLincoln County · forecast zone South Central Mountains | 0 | 0 | $33M | |
| 2024-06-17 | WildfireLincoln County · forecast zone South Central Mountains | 2 | 0 | $22M | |
| 2022-04-12 | WildfireLincoln County · forecast zone South Central Mountains | 2 | 0 | $10M | |
| 2024-06-29 | Debris FlowRuidoso, Lincoln County | 0 | 0 | $9.4M | |
| 2002-03-24 | WildfireAlto, Lincoln County | 0 | 0 | $8.2M | |
| 2022-04-12 | WildfireLincoln County · forecast zone South Central Mountains | 0 | 0 | $5.0M |
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: September 17, 1971 (tornado, Lincoln County); May 16, 1987 (tornado, Lincoln 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 Lincoln 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| High wind and dust storms | – | – | – | – | 18 | 73 | 251 z | 161 |
| Drought | – | – | – | – | 12 | 53 | 197 z | 156 |
| Winter storms | – | – | – | – | 22 | 41 | 80 | 36 |
| Hail | 0 | 1 | 4 | 1 | 14 | 33 | 60 | 22 |
| Floods | – | – | – | – | 2 | 10 | 30 | 77 |
| Severe thunderstorm wind | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 24 | 9 |
High wind and dust storms in the 2010s: 251 records against 73 in the decade before, 251 of them forecast-zone records. Drought in the 2010s: 197 records against 53 in the decade before, 197 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 Lincoln 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?
43% of its high wind and dust records since 1996 fell in March and April. The two busiest months are in violet.
The values, month by month
Jan 124 · Feb 174 · Mar 164 · Apr 165 · May 140 · Jun 134 · Jul 136 · Aug 100 · Sep 66 · Oct 62 · Nov 82 · Dec 134 (records).
Source: NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database, records by the month they began.
Federal disaster declarations for Lincoln County
FEMA's register lists 35 declarations that include Lincoln County: 18 major disasters, 4 emergencies and 13 fire management assistance declarations. Most were for fire (17) and flood (9).
| Declared | Number | Type | Title |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2025-07-22 | DR-4886 | Flood | Severe Storms, Flooding, and Landslides |
| 2025-07-10 | EM-3628 | Flood | Severe Storms, Flooding, and Landslides |
| 2024-06-20 | DR-4795 | Fire | South Fork Fire, Salt Fire, and Flooding |
| 2024-06-18 | FM-5498 | Fire | Salt Fire |
| 2024-06-17 | FM-5497 | Fire | South Fork Fire |
| 2024-05-26 | FM-5492 | Fire | Blue 2 Fire |
| 2022-05-04 | DR-4652 | Fire | Wildfires, Straight-Line Winds, Flooding, Mudflows, and Debris Flows |
| 2022-04-12 | FM-5432 | Fire | McBride Fire |
| 2022-04-12 | FM-5433 | Fire | Nogal Canyon Fire |
| 2021-04-27 | FM-5386 | Fire | Three Rivers Fire |
| 2020-04-05 | DR-4529 | Biological | Covid-19 Pandemic |
| 2020-03-13 | EM-3460 | Biological | Covid-19 |
| 2014-10-29 | DR-4199 | Severe Storm | Severe Storms and Flooding |
| 2014-10-06 | DR-4197 | Severe Storm | Severe Storms and Flooding |
| 2013-10-29 | DR-4152 | Flood | Severe Storms, Flooding, and Mudslides |
| 2012-08-24 | DR-4079 | Flood | Flooding |
| 2012-06-09 | FM-2979 | Fire | Little Bear Fire |
| 2011-06-30 | FM-2935 | Fire | Donaldson Fire |
| 2011-04-03 | FM-2880 | Fire | White Fire |
| 2011-03-24 | DR-1962 | Severe Storm | Severe Winter Storm and Extreme Cold Temperatures |
| 2008-08-14 | DR-1783 | Severe Storm | Severe Storms and Flooding |
| 2006-08-30 | DR-1659 | Severe Storm | Severe Storms and Flooding |
| 2005-09-07 | EM-3229 | Hurricane | Hurricane Katrina Evacuation |
| 2004-05-25 | FM-2518 | Fire | Peppin Fire |
| 2002-03-23 | FM-2398 | Fire | Nm-Kokopelli Fire Complex-3-23-02 |
| 2001-06-03 | FM-2364 | Fire | Nm -Trap and Skeet Fire - 06/02/2001 |
| 2000-05-13 | DR-1329 | Fire | Severe Forest Fire |
| 2000-05-10 | EM-3154 | Fire | Severe Fire Threats |
| 2000-05-08 | FM-2296 | Fire | Cree Fire |
| 1998-01-29 | DR-1202 | Severe Storm | Severe Winter Storm |
| 1985-01-18 | DR-731 | Flood | Severe Storms & Flooding |
| 1984-09-06 | DR-722 | Flood | Severe Storms & Flooding |
| 1979-06-23 | DR-589 | Flood | Severe Storms, Snowmelt & Flooding |
| 1979-01-29 | DR-571 | Flood | Flooding |
| 1965-07-01 | DR-202 | Flood | Severe Storms & 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 Lincoln County had?
NOAA's Storm Events Database holds 119 flood or flash flood records for Lincoln County from 1996 to 2026, on 103 days, with 3 deaths. By flood insurance claims since 1978 (OpenFEMA, as of September 8, 2026), Lincoln County ranks 802nd of 2,942 U.S. counties.
The National Flood Insurance Program has paid $17.1 million on 269 claims filed in Lincoln County; the most in one year was 88 in 2024. Claims count insured losses only: uninsured flood damage is not in this file.
The values, year by year
1978: 2 · 1979: 1 · 1981: 1 · 1983: 1 · 1984: 5 · 1985: 3 · 1986: 4 · 1999: 1 · 2006: 2 · 2008: 50 · 2012: 2 · 2013: 4 · 2014: 1 · 2018: 1 · 2021: 15 · 2024: 88 · 2025: 88; 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 Lincoln County
FEMA's National Risk Index rates Lincoln County Relatively Low overall, with an expected annual loss of $27.8 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Wildfire | Relatively High | $15M | once in about 71 years (modeled) |
| Winter Weather | Relatively High | $204K | 8.4 a year (modeled) |
| Lightning | Relatively High | $639K | 59 a year (modeled) |
| Riverine Flooding | Relatively Moderate | $12M | 2.3 a year (modeled) |
| Ice Storm | Relatively Moderate | $140K | once in about 4 years (modeled) |
| Landslide | Relatively Low | $7K | 1.8 a year (modeled) |
| Hail | Relatively Low | $117K | once in about 2 years (modeled) |
| Volcanic Activity | Very Low | $7 | once in about 10,000 years (modeled) |
Source: FEMA National Risk Index, county table, December 2025 release. FEMA's National Risk Index map.
Counties that share a border with Lincoln 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
- High wind and dust storms in New MexicoThe state's high wind and dust 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 Lincoln CountyThe hazard risk calculator: 18 hazards beside the county's record
- Download Lincoln County's FEMA declarations (CSV)35 rows: every declaration that named the county, for your own analysis