FEMA Records
5
Total declarations
New Mexico · FEMA + NOAA + National Risk Index
San Miguel County, NM
5 FEMA disaster declarations (2013–2023), with a FEMA National Risk Index rating of Relatively Low. Most common hazard: Fire.
- 5
- FEMA declarations
- 1
- Major disasters
- 75
- NRI risk · Relatively Low
- Fire
- Top hazard
The verdict
San Miguel County ranks in the riskiest 25% of U.S. counties for FEMA-modeled hazard risk, with more federally declared disasters than 71% of the 2,791 counties FEMA tracks. FEMA rates the county's overall risk as Relatively Low, based on 5 federal disaster declarations recorded since 2013, most often fire, 30% above the national county average of 4.
- Riskiest 25%
- of U.S. counties for FEMA National Risk Index score
- Relatively Low
- FEMA National Risk Index rating
- 5
- FEMA declarations vs 4 national county avg
- 5
- fire declarations, the most common hazard here
FEMA's National Risk Index score reflects expected annual loss, social vulnerability, and community resilience; the declaration count above reflects only Presidentially declared disasters, not every hazard event.
How does San Miguel County compare?
San Miguel County vs. every U.S. county
FEMA disaster declarations, all-time
5 Top 29% higher than 71% of 2,791 counties
Each bar is a band; taller bars hold more counties. The dashed line + filled bar mark this entry. Hover or tap any bar for its full count, share, and where it sits relative to this entry.
Source FEMA Disaster Declarations Summaries v2 · 2026-07-20
San Miguel County's FEMA Risk Index score
FEMA National Risk Index composite score vs. the New Mexico county average
How disaster-prone is San Miguel County?
Declaration frequency
San Miguel County, New Mexico has recorded 5 FEMA disaster declarations between 2013 and 2023, of which 1 were classified as Major Disaster declarations (DR) requiring federal individual and public assistance. That puts the county's average at 0.5 declarations per year across a 10-year record, or roughly 63% above the New Mexico county average of 3.1 and 30% above the national county average of 3.8. The dominant disaster type on record is Fire, with 5 of 5 declarations falling under this category.
FEMA National Risk Index
This county carries a high composite score on FEMA's National Risk Index, 74.6/100, rated Relatively Low. Its Expected Annual Loss rating is Relatively Low (roughly $20.9M in annualized losses), and a Very High social-vulnerability profile combined with Very 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.
Flood exposure & the bottom line
Taken together, these indicators put San Miguel County at a moderate relative risk level, not the calmest county on record, but not among the most disaster-prone either.
Risk Assessment
Risk Level
Moderate
vs. New Mexico Avg
+63%
State avg: 3.1
vs. National Avg
+30%
National avg: 3.8
Avg Per Year
0.5
Over 10 years
FEMA NRI 8-hazard radar - San Miguel County
How to read this radar
The radar plots San Miguel 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
35047
NM state code
Source: FEMA National Risk Index FEMA National Risk Index Per-county per-hazard ratings, 2023 release
Disaster Types
Fire 5
Declaration Types
What DR / EM / FM mean
FEMA categorizes declarations as Major Disasters (DR), Emergencies (EM), or Fire Management Assistance (FM).
Fire Management - 4 80.0%
of all 5 declarations
Major Disaster - 1 20.0%
of all 5 declarations
FEMA Declarations Timeline
| Year | Declarations | |
|---|---|---|
| 2023 | 1 | |
| 2022 | 3 | |
| 2013 | 1 | |
Disaster Declarations
| DR# | Title | Type | Incident | Date |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 5465 | LAS TUSAS FIRE | FM | Fire | 2023-05-10 |
| 4652 | WILDFIRES, STRAIGHT-LINE WINDS, FLOODING, MUDFLOWS, AND DEBRIS FLOWS | DR | Fire | 2022-05-04 |
| 5438 | CALF CANYON FIRE | FM | Fire | 2022-04-30 |
| 5431 | HERMIT'S PEAK FIRE | FM | Fire | 2022-04-12 |
| 5026 | TRES LAGUNAS FIRE | FM | Fire | 2013-06-05 |
Storm Events in New Mexico
| Storm Type | Events | Fatalities | Injuries | Property Damage |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Drought | 4,303 | 0 | 0 | $0 |
| High Wind | 2,915 | 0 | 3 | $19.8M |
| Hail | 1,892 | 1 | 24 | $18.3M |
| Thunderstorm Wind | 1,122 | 1 | 13 | $25.4M |
| Heavy Snow | 1,101 | 9 | 75 | $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: 74.6/100
Expected Annual Loss
Relatively Low
$20.9M/year
Social Vulnerability
Very High
Community Resilience
Very Low
Hazard Risk Breakdown
Wildfire Relatively Moderate
Winter Weather Relatively Moderate
Landslide Relatively Low
Lightning Relatively Moderate
Drought Relatively Low
Earthquake Very Low
Hail Relatively Low
Cold Wave Relatively Low
Avalanche Very Low
Strong Wind Relatively Low
Tornado Very Low
Heat Wave 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 San Miguel County, New Mexico had?
San Miguel County, New Mexico has received 5 FEMA disaster declarations from 2013 to 2023. Of these, 1 were major disaster declarations.
What is the most common disaster type in San Miguel County?
The most common disaster type in San Miguel County is Fire, with 5 declarations.
How does San Miguel County's disaster risk compare to the New Mexico average?
San Miguel County has 5 disaster declarations, which is 63% higher than the New Mexico county average of 3.1 declarations. Compared to the national county average of 3.8, it is 30% higher.
How many major FEMA disaster declarations has San Miguel County received?
San Miguel County has received 1 major disaster declaration, representing 20% of all 5 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 (4,303 events), High Wind (2,915 events), Hail (1,892 events). NOAA storm event data covers severe weather from 2015 to 2025.
What was the worst year for disasters in San Miguel County?
The most active year for disaster declarations in San Miguel County was 2022, with 3 declarations. The county has FEMA disaster data spanning 2013 to 2023.
What is the overall disaster risk level for San Miguel County?
With 5 FEMA disaster declarations on record, San Miguel County lands in the moderate-risk band, not unusually disaster-prone, but not spared either.
What is the FEMA National Risk Index score for San Miguel County?
According to the FEMA National Risk Index, San Miguel County, New Mexico has an overall risk score of 74.6 out of 100 (Relatively Low). The county's social vulnerability rating is Very High and community resilience is Very Low. The Expected Annual Loss (EAL) score is Relatively Low, representing $20.9M in annualized losses.
Which natural hazard poses the greatest risk to San Miguel County?
Based on FEMA NRI data, the highest-risk natural hazard in San Miguel County is Wildfire (risk rating: Relatively Moderate). Other significant hazards include Winter Weather (Relatively Moderate) and Landslide (Relatively Low). 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 San Miguel County
San Miguel County, NM runs 63% above the New Mexico county average for federal disaster declarations (5 vs 3), a moderate historical load overall.
- Its most common federal declaration type is fire management (4 of 5) - 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.
According to the Federal Emergency Management Agency, this profile draws on 2,791 tracked U.S. counties in FEMA's Disaster Declarations Summaries dataset, refreshed as of 2026-07-20. 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.