Taos County, New Mexico
County storm and disaster record · FIPS 35055 · population 34,371 · 2,202 sq mi
NOAA's Storm Events Database holds 1,243 records for Taos County, New Mexico from 1950 through June 30, 2026, on 574 days; the most frequent are winter storm records (551 records). 1,191 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 January 17, 2019 avalanche, filed for the forecast zone Northern Sangre De Cristo Mountains Above 9500 Feet/Red River, which covers the county: 2 deaths. FEMA has issued 10 declarations naming the county since 1973, 8 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
- 1,243on 574 days, 1950 to June 30, 2026
- Deaths recorded
- 84 injuries
- Damage, 2025 dollars
- $15Mas filed (scale steps before 1993)
- Tornadoes
- 2strongest EF0
- 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 Taos County most?
The most frequent records are winter storm records: 551 since 1996. 40% of its winter storm records since 1996 fell in December and January. 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Winter storms | 551 | 291 | 1996-2026 | 4 | 2 | $157K | 4 of 33 |
| Drought | 498 | 144 | 1996-2026 | 0 | 0 | – | 8 of 33 |
| High wind and dust storms | 111 | 92 | 1996-2026 | 0 | 0 | $3.5M | 15 of 33 |
| Hail | 17 | 15 | 1961-2026 | 0 | 0 | – | 26 of 33 |
| Wildfires | 14 | 12 | 1996-2026 | 0 | 0 | $5.1M | 7 of 33 |
| Floods | 13 | 13 | 2005-2022 | 1 | 0 | $867K | 30 of 33 |
| Severe thunderstorm wind | 13 | 11 | 1997-2026 | 0 | 0 | $5.5M | 29 of 33 |
| Extreme cold | 11 | 7 | 1996-2025 | 1 | 0 | $63K | 7 of 33 |
| Landslides and avalanches | 7 | 7 | 2006-2025 | 2 | 1 | $52K | 1 of 33 |
| Heat | 3 | 3 | 1998-2000 | 0 | 0 | – | 10 of 33 |
| Fog, smoke and funnel clouds | 2 | 2 | 2013-2016 | 0 | 0 | – | 22 of 33 |
| Tornadoes | 2 | 2 | 2009-2018 | 0 | 0 | $14K | 28 of 33 |
| Lightning | 1 | 1 | 1999-1999 | 0 | 1 | – | 15 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 Taos County had?
NOAA records 2 tornadoes in Taos County from 2009 to 2018, the strongest rated EF0, 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 2 tornadoes whose track touched Taos County since 1950 (NOAA's county records number 2, 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 Taos County (2)
| Date | Place | Character | Killed | Injured | Damage |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2018-09-01 | Sunshine Valley, Taos County | EF0 0.33 mi x 20 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2009-07-13 | Tres Piedras, Taos County | EF0 0.1 mi x 10 yd | 0 | 0 | $14K |
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 Taos County?
The most recent record with damage, injuries or deaths is the June 15, 2026 thunderstorm wind ($10,000 in damage in 2025 dollars).
| Date | Record | Character | Killed | Injured | Damage |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026-06-26 | WildfireRio Arriba County and Taos County · forecast zone Tusas Mountains Including Chama | 0 | 0 | – | |
| 2026-06-15 | Thunderstorm WindEl Prado, Taos County | 52 kt wind | 0 | 0 | $10K |
| 2026-06-15 | HailEl Prado, Taos County | 0.88 in hail | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2026-06-09 | Thunderstorm WindLama, Taos County | 50 kt wind | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2026-06-01 | DroughtRio Arriba County and Taos County · forecast zone Upper Rio Grande Valley | 0 | 0 | – | |
| 2026-06-01 | DroughtColfax County and 5 more · forecast zone Southern Sangre De Cristo Mountains | 0 | 0 | – | |
| 2026-06-01 | DroughtColfax County and Taos County · forecast zone Northern Sangre De Cristo Mountains | 0 | 0 | – | |
| 2026-06-01 | DroughtRio Arriba County and Taos County · forecast zone Tusas Mountains Including Chama | 0 | 0 | – | |
| 2026-05-01 | DroughtRio Arriba County and Taos County · forecast zone Upper Rio Grande Valley | 0 | 0 | – | |
| 2026-05-01 | DroughtColfax County and Taos County · forecast zone Northern Sangre De Cristo Mountains | 0 | 0 | – | |
| 2026-05-01 | DroughtRio Arriba County and Taos County · forecast zone Tusas Mountains Including Chama | 0 | 0 | – | |
| 2026-04-24 | WildfireRio Arriba County and 2 more · forecast zone Espanola Valley | 0 | 0 | $500K |
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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2019-01-17 | AvalancheColfax County and Taos County · forecast zone Northern Sangre De Cristo Mountains Above 9500 Feet/Red River An avalanche at Taos Ski Valley at 11:30 am on January 17, 2019 took the lives of two skiers. 26-year old Matthew Zonghetti died at a hospital in Taos, NM later in the day on January 17, 2019 and 22-year old Corey Borg died at the UNM Medical Center in Albuquerque, NM on January 21, 2019. | 2 | 0 | – | |
| 2010-12-29 | Heavy SnowRio Arriba County and 3 more · forecast zone West Slopes Of The Sangre De Cristo Mountains The Sipapu Ski area picked up around 15 inches of snow while areas near Tererro received around one foot. Areas east of Taos were also hit hard with heavy snow. A volunteer firefighter was killed just after 9 am on the 30th, when he lost control on an icy U.S. 64 around a sharp curve. | 1 | 0 | – | |
| 2009-12-07 | Heavy SnowRio Arriba County and 3 more · forecast zone West Slopes Of The Sangre De Cristo Mountains In general, 8 to 16 inches of snow fell across the west slopes of the Sangre De Cristo Mountains. Some reported amounts include 14 inches in Tererro and around 8 inches at Sipapu Ski Area. The heavy snow resulted in one death in the Santa Fe Foothills. Gail Patterson, a 57-year old woman from Dallas, TX was trying to ... | 1 | 0 | – | |
| 2007-11-23 | Heavy SnowColfax County and 4 more · forecast zone Sangre De Cristo Mountains Eleven reports were received, mostly from co-op observers, ranging from 2 to 13 inches of snow. | 1 | 0 | – | |
| 2005-05-23 | FloodColfax County and 4 more · forecast zone Sangre De Cristo Mountains Some of the highest water levels in years were recorded on northern New Mexico streams and rivers as near record temperatures sent a wave of snow melt runoff into the watersheds of the upper Rio Grande and Pecos Rivers while heavy snowmelt from Colorado filled the Animas River at Farmington. This season's heavier snow ... | 1 | 0 | $45K | |
| 1997-12-28 | Cold/Wind ChillTaos County A 62 year old Taos woman was found dead in the side yard of her home. The death appeared to be an accidental fall and exposure to subzero temperatures. | 1 | 0 | – | |
| 1997-01-11 | Winter StormColfax County and 4 more · forecast zone Sangre De Cristo Mountains The second winter storm in less than a week dumped another 20 to 45 inches of fresh snow across northern New Mexico in a period of 48 to 72 hours. Storm totals included 29 inches at Chama, 30 inches at Brazos Lodge, and nearly 4 feet of new snow at the ski resorts in Taos county. One man died of exposure near Embudo ... | 1 | 0 | – | |
| 2020-09-08 | Winter StormRio Arriba County and Taos County · forecast zone Tusas Mountains Including Chama Local media reported that fire and rescue teams evacuated around 50 campers at the Rio Chama RV park around 100 am due to falling tree branches. The weight of heavy snow on fully leafed out trees along with strong winds toppled dozens of large branches. At least one recreational vehicle was destroyed and another one ... | 0 | 2 | $57K |
| Date | Record | Character | Killed | Injured | Damage |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2021-12-15 | Thunderstorm WindTaos County | 78 kt wind | 0 | 0 | $5.4M |
| 1996-05-06 | WildfireLama, Taos County | 0 | 0 | $2.8M | |
| 2021-12-15 | High WindColfax County and Taos County · forecast zone Northern Sangre De Cristo Mountains | 90 kt wind | 0 | 0 | $2.7M |
| 2013-06-01 | WildfireRio Arriba County and 3 more · forecast zone West Slopes Of The Sangre De Cristo Mountains | 0 | 0 | $1.3M | |
| 2021-07-21 | Flash FloodVadito, Taos County | 0 | 0 | $545K | |
| 2026-04-24 | WildfireRio Arriba County and 2 more · forecast zone Espanola Valley | 0 | 0 | $500K | |
| 2012-03-25 | WildfireRio Arriba County and 2 more · forecast zone Lower Chama River Valley | 0 | 0 | $386K | |
| 1996-12-05 | High WindColfax County and 4 more · forecast zone Sangre De Cristo Mountains | 0 | 0 | $282K |
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 Taos 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Winter storms | – | – | – | – | 41 | 67 | 298 z | 145 |
| Drought | – | – | – | – | 6 | 27 | 239 z | 226 |
| High wind and dust storms | – | – | – | – | 6 | 7 | 51 z | 47 |
| Hail | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 5 | 7 | 2 |
| Wildfires | – | – | – | – | 1 | 0 | 9 | 4 |
| Floods | – | – | – | – | 0 | 1 | 8 | 4 |
Winter storms in the 2010s: 298 records against 67 in the decade before, 298 of them forecast-zone records. Drought in the 2010s: 239 records against 27 in the decade before, 239 of them forecast-zone records. High wind and dust storms in the 2010s: 51 records against 7 in the decade before, 50 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 Taos 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?
40% of its winter storm records since 1996 fell in December and January. The two busiest months are in violet.
The values, month by month
Jan 170 · Feb 171 · Mar 162 · Apr 119 · May 89 · Jun 69 · Jul 55 · Aug 48 · Sep 36 · Oct 52 · Nov 105 · Dec 167 (records).
Source: NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database, records by the month they began.
Federal disaster declarations for Taos County
FEMA's register lists 10 declarations that include Taos County: 7 major disasters, 3 emergencies and 0 fire management assistance declarations. Most were for flood (3) and biological (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 |
| 2011-03-24 | DR-1962 | Severe Storm | Severe Winter Storm and Extreme Cold Temperatures |
| 2006-08-30 | DR-1659 | Severe Storm | Severe Storms and Flooding |
| 2005-09-07 | EM-3229 | Hurricane | Hurricane Katrina Evacuation |
| 2000-05-13 | DR-1329 | Fire | Severe Forest Fire |
| 2000-05-10 | EM-3154 | Fire | Severe Fire Threats |
| 1979-06-23 | DR-589 | Flood | Severe Storms, Snowmelt & Flooding |
| 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.
How many floods has Taos County had?
NOAA's Storm Events Database holds 13 flood or flash flood records for Taos County from 2005 to 2022, on 13 days, with 1 death. By flood insurance claims since 1978 (OpenFEMA, as of September 8, 2026), Taos County ranks 2020th of 2,942 U.S. counties.
The National Flood Insurance Program has paid $51,000 on 24 claims filed in Taos County; the most in one year was 13 in 1979. Claims count insured losses only: uninsured flood damage is not in this file.
The values, year by year
1979: 13 · 1980: 1 · 1991: 1 · 2001: 1 · 2005: 2 · 2007: 1 · 2009: 1 · 2010: 1 · 2013: 1 · 2016: 1 · 2022: 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 Taos County
FEMA's National Risk Index rates Taos County Relatively Low overall, with an expected annual loss of $21.8 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Avalanche | Relatively High | $1.9M | once in about 8 years (modeled) |
| Winter Weather | Relatively High | $340K | 25 a year (modeled) |
| Lightning | Relatively High | $696K | 70 a year (modeled) |
| Wildfire | Relatively Moderate | $3.5M | once in about 262 years (modeled) |
| Landslide | Relatively Moderate | $54K | about once a year (modeled) |
| Riverine Flooding | Relatively Moderate | $14M | once in about 2 years (modeled) |
| Drought | Relatively Low | $241K | 111 modeled event-days a year |
| Earthquake | Relatively Low | $339K | once in about 503 years (modeled) |
Source: FEMA National Risk Index, county table, December 2025 release. FEMA's National Risk Index map.
Counties that share a border with Taos 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
- Winter storms in New MexicoThe state's winter storm 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 Taos CountyThe hazard risk calculator: 18 hazards beside the county's record
- Download Taos County's FEMA declarations (CSV)10 rows: every declaration that named the county, for your own analysis