Torrance County, New Mexico
County storm and disaster record · FIPS 35057 · population 15,008 · 3,345 sq mi
NOAA's Storm Events Database holds 1,625 records for Torrance County, New Mexico from 1950 through June 30, 2026, on 769 days; the most frequent are high wind and dust records (579 records). 1,377 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 1, 2022 heavy snow, filed for the forecast zone Sandia/Manzano Mountains Including Edgewood, which covers the county: 2 deaths. FEMA has issued 14 declarations naming the county since 1985, 12 of them for natural hazards; the latest for a natural hazard was “Echo Ridge Fire, Nm Fmag” on April 2, 2023.
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
- 1,625on 769 days, 1950 to June 30, 2026
- Deaths recorded
- 6106 injuries
- Damage, 2025 dollars
- $41Mas filed (scale steps before 1993)
- Tornadoes
- 18strongest EF0
- FEMA declarations
- 14latest 2023
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 Torrance County most?
The most frequent records are high wind and dust records: 579 since 1996. 44% 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 | 579 | 311 | 1996-2026 | 0 | 51 | $1.8M | 6 of 33 |
| Drought | 463 | 141 | 1996-2026 | 0 | 0 | – | 15 of 33 |
| Winter storms | 301 | 160 | 1996-2026 | 4 | 39 | $4.8M | 11 of 33 |
| Hail | 132 | 83 | 1959-2026 | 0 | 10 | $1.7M | 17 of 33 |
| Severe thunderstorm wind | 51 | 44 | 1966-2026 | 0 | 0 | $502K | 15 of 33 |
| Floods | 28 | 24 | 1997-2025 | 0 | 0 | $342K | 23 of 33 |
| Tornadoes | 18 | 16 | 1957-2024 | 0 | 0 | $3K | 12 of 33 |
| Fog, smoke and funnel clouds | 15 | 15 | 1997-2018 | 2 | 0 | – | 6 of 33 |
| Wildfires | 15 | 15 | 2007-2026 | 0 | 3 | $32M | 12 of 33 |
| Extreme cold | 11 | 7 | 1996-2025 | 0 | 0 | – | 11 of 33 |
| Heat | 8 | 4 | 1998-2017 | 0 | 0 | – | 12 of 33 |
| Lightning | 3 | 3 | 2013-2020 | 0 | 3 | $14K | 9 of 33 |
| Heavy rain | 1 | 1 | 2014-2014 | 0 | 0 | – | 28 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 Torrance County had?
NOAA records 18 tornadoes in Torrance County from 1957 to 2024, the strongest rated EF0, with 0 deaths and 0 injuries recorded in the county. That is 12th 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 18 tornadoes whose track touched Torrance County since 1950 (NOAA's county records number 18, 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 Torrance County (18)
| Date | Place | Character | Killed | Injured | Damage |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2024-09-21 | Clines Corners, Torrance County | EFU 1.09 mi x 50 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2023-05-26 | Encino, Torrance County | EFU 1.7 mi x 20 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2019-06-17 | Encino, Torrance County | EF0 1.33 mi x 30 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2019-06-02 | Pinos Wells, Torrance County | EF0 4.22 mi x 50 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2018-06-03 | Progresso, Torrance County | EF0 2.61 mi x 50 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2018-05-21 | Cedarvale, Torrance County | EF0 0.28 mi x 20 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2017-05-09 | Clines Corners, Torrance County | EF0 3.68 mi x 40 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2014-06-21 | Moriarty, Torrance County | EF0 0.1 mi x 30 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 1996-07-30 | Encino, Torrance County | F0 0.1 mi x 20 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 1991-06-10 | Torrance County | F0 0.1 mi x 10 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 1991-06-06 | Torrance County | F0 0.1 mi x 10 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 1991-06-06 | Torrance County | F0 0.1 mi x 10 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 1991-06-06 | Torrance County | F0 0.1 mi x 10 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 1976-09-14 | Torrance County | F0 4.1 mi x 7 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 1965-05-30 | Torrance County | F0 | 0 | 0 | – |
| 1959-07-11 | Torrance County | F0 | 0 | 0 | $250 step |
| 1958-10-13 | Torrance County | F0 | 0 | 0 | $30 step |
| 1957-05-30 | Torrance 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 Torrance County?
The most recent record with damage, injuries or deaths is the June 12, 2026 thunderstorm wind ($20,000 in damage in 2025 dollars).
| Date | Record | Character | Killed | Injured | Damage |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026-06-29 | High WindSan Miguel County and 2 more · forecast zone Central Highlands | 52 kt wind | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2026-06-23 | WildfireSan Miguel County and 2 more · forecast zone Central Highlands | 0 | 0 | – | |
| 2026-06-20 | WildfireLincoln County and 3 more · forecast zone South Central Highlands | 0 | 0 | – | |
| 2026-06-18 | Thunderstorm WindAbo, Torrance County | 51 kt wind | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2026-06-12 | Thunderstorm WindMoriarty, Torrance County | 52 kt wind | 0 | 0 | $20K |
| 2026-06-12 | HailMoriarty, Torrance County | 1.00 in hail | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2026-06-01 | DroughtSan Miguel County and 2 more · forecast zone Central Highlands | 0 | 0 | – | |
| 2026-06-01 | DroughtBernalillo County and 2 more · forecast zone Estancia Valley | 0 | 0 | – | |
| 2026-06-01 | DroughtBernalillo County and 4 more · forecast zone Sandia/Manzano Mountains Including Edgewood | 0 | 0 | – | |
| 2026-06-01 | DroughtBernalillo County and 4 more · forecast zone Middle Rio Grande Valley/Albuquerque Metro Area | 0 | 0 | – | |
| 2026-05-01 | DroughtSan Miguel County and 2 more · forecast zone Central Highlands | 0 | 0 | – | |
| 2026-05-01 | DroughtBernalillo County and 2 more · forecast zone Estancia 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2022-02-01 | Heavy SnowBernalillo County and 2 more · forecast zone Sandia/Manzano Mountains Including Edgewood Various sources measured heavy snow totals in excess of six inches across the area. The highest snow totals were near Sandia Park where a CoCoRaHS observer measured 16.4 inches of snow while areas near Sedillo and Edgewood received 10 to 12 inches of new snow. The heavy snow resulted in snow packed and icy roads which ... | 2 | 0 | – | |
| 2011-12-02 | Freezing FogSan Miguel County and 2 more · forecast zone Central Highlands Two people were killed in separate rollover accidents on Interstate 40 near Clines Corners during the morning hours of the 2nd. The first crash occurred around 7 am near exit 218. The second occurred approximately 3 miles east a half an hour later, taking the life of a 70 year-old man. Both drivers lost control due to ... | 2 | 0 | – | |
| 2025-12-03 | Winter WeatherSan Miguel County and 2 more · forecast zone Central Highlands Local news station KOB reported a deadly semi-truck crash along I-40 just east of Clines Corners. The semi-truck lost control and rolled over with another semi-truck crashing into it, with two other trucks crashing into them. The first semi-truck is likely the one that caught fire and became engulfed in flames. There ... | 1 | 1 | $250K | |
| 2009-12-30 | Heavy SnowBernalillo County and 2 more · forecast zone Sandia/Manzano Mountains Heavy snow blasted the Sandia and Manzano Mountains with several reports of between 6 and 14 inches of new snow. Across the east mountains, where around 6 inches of snow was reported, Ken Garrison, a 77-year old man, died after trying to walk home in sub-freezing temperatures after a minor crash disabled his pickup ... | 1 | 0 | – | |
| 2024-06-19 | Dust StormBernalillo County and 4 more · forecast zone Middle Rio Grande Valley/Albuquerque Metro Area Strong outflow winds from thunderstorms along the central mountain chain resulted in a haboob moving west across Interstate 25. The lower visibility resulted in a 23 car pile up and the resultant closure of Interstate 25 between San Felipe casino and Santo Domingo Pueblo. News reports showed 51 people were taken to ... | 0 | 51 | $94K | |
| 2010-12-16 | Heavy SnowLincoln County and 2 more · forecast zone South Central Highlands Southwest of Corona, around 5 inches of snow fell. The snow packed roads caused a passenger bus to lose control on U.S. 54 15 miles south of Corona at 745 am local time. The bus collided with a cattle truck and overturned. The bus driver and 19 passengers were hospitalized, some with critical injuries. | 0 | 20 | – | |
| 2021-03-23 | Winter StormSanta Fe County and Torrance County · forecast zone Estancia Valley The combination of heavy snow and strong winds resulted in severe driving conditions along Interstate 40 east of Moriarty for several hours on March 24. The poor conditions led to a major accident involving multiple vehicles 10 miles east of Moriarty along Interstate 40. Thirty-nine vehicles were involved of which ... | 0 | 11 | $762K | |
| 2017-06-25 | HailClines Corners, Torrance County A major hail storm struck Interstate 40 at State Road 3 producing significant damage and impacts to travel. Hail up to the size of tennis balls slammed the Interstate. Numerous vehicles had windshields smashed out. Traffic was stopped for over two hours. Emergency response personnel attended to several stranded ... | 2.50 in hail | 0 | 10 | $1.2M |
| Date | Record | Character | Killed | Injured | Damage |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2016-06-14 | WildfireBernalillo County and 2 more · forecast zone Sandia/Manzano Mountains | 0 | 0 | $12M | |
| 2008-04-15 | WildfireBernalillo County and 5 more · forecast zone Sandia/Manzano Mountains | 0 | 0 | $12M | |
| 2025-06-21 | WildfireBernalillo County and 4 more · forecast zone Middle Rio Grande Valley/Albuquerque Metro Area | 0 | 0 | $4.0M | |
| 2025-04-19 | Heavy SnowSan Miguel County and 2 more · forecast zone Central Highlands | 0 | 0 | $1.5M | |
| 1997-04-24 | Winter StormSan Miguel County and 3 more · forecast zone Central High Plains/Estancia Valley County | 0 | 0 | $1.5M | |
| 2008-06-23 | WildfireBernalillo County and 5 more · forecast zone Sandia/Manzano Mountains | 0 | 0 | $1.4M | |
| 2017-06-25 | HailClines Corners, Torrance County | 2.50 in hail | 0 | 10 | $1.2M |
| 2025-04-17 | WildfireBernalillo County and 4 more · forecast zone Middle Rio Grande Valley/Albuquerque Metro Area | 0 | 0 | $1.0M |
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 $250, in the dollars of the day) holds: July 11, 1959 (tornado, Torrance 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 Torrance 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 | – | – | – | – | 19 | 72 | 264 z | 224 |
| Drought | – | – | – | – | 12 | 54 | 207 z | 190 |
| Winter storms | – | – | – | – | 41 | 63 | 126 | 71 |
| Hail | 1 | 4 | 3 | 3 | 21 | 37 | 38 | 25 |
| Severe thunderstorm wind | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 4 | 8 | 15 | 22 |
| Floods | – | – | – | – | 2 | 5 | 11 | 10 |
High wind and dust storms in the 2010s: 264 records against 72 in the decade before, 263 of them forecast-zone records. Drought in the 2010s: 207 records against 54 in the decade before, 207 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 Torrance 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?
44% 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 140 · Feb 196 · Mar 208 · Apr 217 · May 133 · Jun 151 · Jul 93 · Aug 76 · Sep 62 · Oct 76 · Nov 113 · Dec 160 (records).
Source: NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database, records by the month they began.
Federal disaster declarations for Torrance County
FEMA's register lists 14 declarations that include Torrance County: 6 major disasters, 3 emergencies and 5 fire management assistance declarations. Most were for fire (7) and biological (2).
| Declared | Number | Type | Title |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2023-04-02 | FM-5461 | Fire | Echo Ridge Fire, Nm Fmag |
| 2020-04-05 | DR-4529 | Biological | Covid-19 Pandemic |
| 2020-03-13 | EM-3460 | Biological | Covid-19 |
| 2016-06-16 | FM-5127 | Fire | Dog Head Fire |
| 2013-10-29 | DR-4152 | Flood | Severe Storms, Flooding, and Mudslides |
| 2008-06-25 | FM-2777 | Fire | Big Springs Fire |
| 2008-04-21 | FM-2762 | Fire | Trigo Fire |
| 2007-11-21 | FM-2741 | Fire | Ojo Peak Fire |
| 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 |
| 1998-01-29 | DR-1202 | Severe Storm | Severe Winter Storm |
| 1985-01-18 | DR-731 | 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 Torrance County had?
NOAA's Storm Events Database holds 28 flood or flash flood records for Torrance County from 1997 to 2025, on 24 days, with 0 deaths. By flood insurance claims since 1978 (OpenFEMA, as of September 8, 2026), Torrance County ranks 2830th of 2,942 U.S. counties.
The National Flood Insurance Program has paid $4,797 on 1 claim filed in Torrance County; the most in one year was 1 in 2015. Claims count insured losses only: uninsured flood damage is not in this file.
The values, year by year
2015: 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 Torrance County
FEMA's National Risk Index rates Torrance County Relatively Low overall, with an expected annual loss of $8.9 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 Moderate | $1.0M | once in about 577 years (modeled) |
| Drought | Relatively Moderate | $699K | 109 modeled event-days a year |
| Winter Weather | Relatively Moderate | $80K | 13 a year (modeled) |
| Hail | Relatively Low | $378K | about once a year (modeled) |
| Earthquake | Relatively Low | $339K | once in about 404 years (modeled) |
| Riverine Flooding | Relatively Low | $6.0M | about once a year (modeled) |
| Lightning | Relatively Low | $142K | 60 a year (modeled) |
| Ice Storm | Relatively Low | $37K | once in about 5 years (modeled) |
Source: FEMA National Risk Index, county table, December 2025 release. FEMA's National Risk Index map.
Counties that share a border with Torrance 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 Torrance CountyThe hazard risk calculator: 18 hazards beside the county's record
- Download Torrance County's FEMA declarations (CSV)14 rows: every declaration that named the county, for your own analysis