Union County, New Mexico
County storm and disaster record · FIPS 35059 · population 4,072 · 3,825 sq mi
NOAA's Storm Events Database holds 1,412 records for Union County, New Mexico from 1950 through June 30, 2026, on 821 days; the most frequent are hail reports (419 records). 782 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 most damaging was the May 24, 2023 hail ($4.8 million in 2025 dollars). FEMA has issued 7 declarations naming the county since 1973, 5 of them for natural hazards; the latest for a natural hazard was “Hurricane Katrina Evacuation” on September 7, 2005.
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
- 1,412on 821 days, 1950 to June 30, 2026
- Deaths recorded
- 04 injuries
- Damage, 2025 dollars
- $17Mas filed (scale steps before 1993)
- Tornadoes
- 48strongest EF2
- FEMA declarations
- 7latest 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 Union County most?
The most frequent records are hail reports: 419 since 1956. 58% of its hail reports since 1956 fell in May and June. 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Hail | 419 | 220 | 1956-2026 | 0 | 1 | $5.2M | 9 of 33 |
| Drought | 276 | 144 | 1996-2026 | 0 | 0 | – | 17 of 33 |
| High wind and dust storms | 260 | 179 | 1996-2026 | 0 | 0 | $1.8M | 13 of 33 |
| Winter storms | 222 | 157 | 1996-2026 | 0 | 3 | $4.1M | 12 of 33 |
| Severe thunderstorm wind | 112 | 92 | 1968-2026 | 0 | 0 | $174K | 11 of 33 |
| Tornadoes | 48 | 33 | 1951-2024 | 0 | 0 | $1.7M | 8 of 33 |
| Floods | 32 | 28 | 1996-2025 | 0 | 0 | $328K | 22 of 33 |
| Fog, smoke and funnel clouds | 22 | 18 | 1996-2023 | 0 | 0 | – | 4 of 33 |
| Extreme cold | 10 | 7 | 1996-2025 | 0 | 0 | – | 12 of 33 |
| Heat | 7 | 4 | 1998-2017 | 0 | 0 | – | 15 of 33 |
| Wildfires | 3 | 3 | 2009-2018 | 0 | 0 | $3.5M | 22 of 33 |
| Heavy rain | 1 | 1 | 2019-2019 | 0 | 0 | – | 30 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 Union County had?
NOAA records 48 tornadoes in Union County from 1951 to 2024, the strongest rated EF2, with 0 deaths and 0 injuries recorded in the county. That is 8th 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 47 tornadoes whose track touched Union County since 1950 (NOAA's county records number 48: they file a crossing tornado once per county segment, and the two databases differ on some tracks); along their whole tracks they killed 0 people.
Map of the strongest tornado tracks in New Mexico.
Every tornado record filed for Union County (48)
| Date | Place | Character | Killed | Injured | Damage |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2024-05-28 | Mt Dora, Union County | EFU 3.5 mi x 50 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2021-05-30 | Moses, Union County | EF0 0.44 mi x 50 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2020-07-04 | Sofia, Union County | EF0 0.04 mi x 30 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2019-07-05 | Mt Dora, Union County | EF0 2.14 mi x 50 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2019-05-26 | Clayton Airport, Union County | EF0 2.62 mi x 50 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2019-05-26 | Pasamonte, Union County | EF0 21.74 mi x 75 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2018-09-09 | Gladstone, Union County | EF0 0.2 mi x 50 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2018-06-22 | Mt Dora, Union County | EF0 0.58 mi x 40 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2016-08-13 | Capulin, Union County | EF0 0.01 mi x 50 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2014-06-07 | Clapham, Union County | EF0 0.1 mi x 20 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2010-05-23 | Clayton Airport, Union County | EF0 2.53 mi x 100 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2010-05-23 | Sedan, Union County | EF1 9.33 mi x 175 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2010-05-23 | Amistad, Union County | EF1 5.67 mi x 175 yd | 0 | 0 | $14K |
| 2010-05-23 | Sedan, Union County | EF1 4.2 mi x 100 yd | 0 | 0 | $169K |
| 2010-05-23 | Sedan, Union County | EF2 8.82 mi x 440 yd | 0 | 0 | $440K |
| 2010-05-23 | Clayton Airport, Union County | EF2 15.95 mi x 440 yd | 0 | 0 | $338K |
| 2008-06-19 | Gladstone, Union County | EF0 0.05 mi x 10 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2004-06-21 | Hayden, Union County | F0 0.1 mi x 100 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2001-08-13 | Capulin, Union County | F0 50 mi x 30 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 1996-09-02 | Grenville, Union County | F0 0.1 mi x 20 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 1996-07-26 | Capulin, Union County | F0 0.1 mi x 20 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 1996-07-12 | Gladstone, Union County | F0 0.2 mi x 50 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 1996-06-03 | Amistad, Union County | F0 1 mi x 50 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 1996-06-03 | Clayton, Union County | F0 2 mi x 100 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 1996-05-25 | Sedan, Union County | F0 0.5 mi x 50 yd | 0 | 0 | $28K |
| 1996-05-25 | Amistad, Union County | F0 0.2 mi x 50 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 1995-08-14 | Hobbs, Union County | F0 0.4 mi x 40 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 1984-07-05 | Union County | F0 | 0 | 0 | – |
| 1979-06-07 | Union County | F0 | 0 | 0 | $30 step |
| 1979-05-15 | Union County | 0 | 0 | $250 step | |
| 1977-04-19 | Union County | F1 0.8 mi x 20 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 1972-05-10 | Union County | F2 2.5 mi x 660 yd | 0 | 0 | $25K step |
| 1972-05-10 | Union County | F1 3.6 mi x 33 yd | 0 | 0 | $3K step |
| 1972-05-10 | Union County | F0 | 0 | 0 | – |
| 1972-05-10 | Union County | F0 | 0 | 0 | – |
| 1972-05-10 | Union County | F0 | 0 | 0 | – |
| 1969-06-03 | Union County | F0 | 0 | 0 | $30 step |
| 1967-07-03 | Union County | F0 | 0 | 0 | – |
| 1967-07-03 | Union County | F0 | 0 | 0 | – |
| 1967-07-03 | Union County | F0 | 0 | 0 | – |
| 1965-09-18 | Union County | F2 5.1 mi x 100 yd | 0 | 0 | $25K step |
| 1965-06-03 | Union County | F0 | 0 | 0 | – |
| 1962-05-17 | Union County | F1 15.3 mi x 33 yd | 0 | 0 | $25K step |
| 1962-05-17 | Union County | F0 | 0 | 0 | $250 step |
| 1961-06-07 | Union County | F0 | 0 | 0 | – |
| 1961-06-05 | Union County | 0 | 0 | $30 step | |
| 1954-06-29 | Union County | F0 3.8 mi x 300 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 1951-08-10 | Union County | F0 12.2 mi x 30 yd | 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 Union County?
The most recent record with damage, injuries or deaths is the August 2, 2025 hail ($21,000 in damage in 2025 dollars).
| Date | Record | Character | Killed | Injured | Damage |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026-06-25 | HailCapulin, Union County | 1.00 in hail | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2026-06-01 | DroughtUnion County · forecast zone Union County | 0 | 0 | – | |
| 2026-06-01 | DroughtColfax County and Union County · forecast zone Johnson And Bartlett Mesas Including Raton Pass | 0 | 0 | – | |
| 2026-05-28 | HailDes Moines, Union County | 1.25 in hail | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2026-05-28 | HailDes Moines, Union County | 1.50 in hail | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2026-05-15 | Thunderstorm WindClayton Airport, Union County | 52 kt wind | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2026-05-14 | Thunderstorm WindClayton Airport, Union County | 50 kt wind | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2026-05-01 | DroughtUnion County · forecast zone Union County | 0 | 0 | – | |
| 2026-05-01 | DroughtColfax County and Union County · forecast zone Johnson And Bartlett Mesas Including Raton Pass | 0 | 0 | – | |
| 2026-04-11 | Thunderstorm WindClapham, Union County | 50 kt wind | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2026-04-11 | Thunderstorm WindClayton Airport, Union County | 57 kt wind | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2026-04-01 | DroughtUnion County · forecast zone Union County | 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2011-12-19 | BlizzardUnion County · forecast zone Union County One to two feet of snow blanketed Union County. Approximately 18 inches of snow fell in Clayton, while 12 inches fell in Pasamonte. In far northern portions of the county, up to 24 inches of snow was reported. Meanwhile, sustained winds of 35 to 45 mph with gusts over 60 mph caused unbelievable blowing and drifting ... | 0 | 2 | – | |
| 2024-11-07 | BlizzardUnion County · forecast zone Union County Whiteout conditions due to blowing snow along with snow drifts were observed across U.S. Highways 64/87, and U.S. Highway 56/412 beginning late Thursday morning. Wind gusts across western and central Union County from various mesonet stations and the Clayton Municipal Airpark ASOS peaked at around 40 mph during this ... | 0 | 1 | $3.8M | |
| 2018-06-21 | HailClapham, Union County A severe thunderstorm with quarter size hail and strong winds busted out the windows of a home 11 miles west of Sedan. A resident inside the home was injured by flying glass and required stitches. | 1.00 in hail | 0 | 1 | $6K |
| Date | Record | Character | Killed | Injured | Damage |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2023-05-24 | HailDes Moines, Union County | 1.75 in hail | 0 | 0 | $4.8M |
| 2024-11-07 | BlizzardUnion County · forecast zone Union County | 0 | 1 | $3.8M | |
| 2011-06-12 | WildfireColfax County and Union County · forecast zone Raton Ridge/Johnson Mesa | 0 | 0 | $3.3M | |
| 2012-04-02 | High WindColfax County and Union County · forecast zone Raton Ridge/Johnson Mesa | 61 kt wind | 0 | 0 | $482K |
| 2010-05-23 | TornadoSedan, Union County | EF2 8.82 mi x 440 yd | 0 | 0 | $440K |
| 2010-05-23 | TornadoClayton Airport, Union County | EF2 15.95 mi x 440 yd | 0 | 0 | $338K |
| 2010-05-23 | TornadoSedan, Union County | EF1 4.2 mi x 100 yd | 0 | 0 | $169K |
| 2023-06-11 | HailClapham, Union County | 2.50 in hail | 0 | 0 | $77K |
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 $25K, in the dollars of the day) holds: May 17, 1962 (tornado, Union County); September 18, 1965 (tornado, Union County); May 10, 1972 (tornado, Union 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 Union 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Hail | 1 | 7 | 9 | 13 | 43 | 135 | 139 | 72 |
| Drought | – | – | – | – | 12 | 54 | 129 | 81 |
| High wind and dust storms | – | – | – | – | 18 | 73 | 79 | 90 |
| Winter storms | – | – | – | – | 35 | 75 | 73 | 39 |
| Severe thunderstorm wind | 0 | 1 | 4 | 7 | 10 | 11 | 44 | 35 |
| Tornadoes | 2 | 10 | 8 | 1 | 8 | 3 | 13 | 3 |
Source: NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database, records per calendar decade; zone records from the CZ_TYPE field (Z).
What time of year?
58% of its hail reports since 1956 fell in May and June. The two busiest months are in violet.
The values, month by month
Jan 84 · Feb 112 · Mar 126 · Apr 129 · May 204 · Jun 228 · Jul 122 · Aug 154 · Sep 49 · Oct 51 · Nov 68 · Dec 85 (records).
Source: NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database, records by the month they began.
Federal disaster declarations for Union County
FEMA's register lists 7 declarations that include Union County: 3 major disasters, 4 emergencies and 0 fire management assistance declarations. Most were for biological (2) and hurricane (1).
| Declared | Number | Type | Title |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2020-04-05 | DR-4529 | Biological | Covid-19 Pandemic |
| 2020-03-13 | EM-3460 | Biological | Covid-19 |
| 2005-09-07 | EM-3229 | Hurricane | Hurricane Katrina Evacuation |
| 2000-05-10 | EM-3154 | Fire | Severe Fire Threats |
| 1998-01-29 | DR-1202 | Severe Storm | Severe Winter Storm |
| 1977-03-02 | EM-3034 | Drought | Drought |
| 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.
FEMA's modeled risk for Union County
FEMA's National Risk Index rates Union County Very Low overall, with an expected annual loss of $3.6 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 High | $1.3M | 160 modeled event-days a year |
| Winter Weather | Relatively Moderate | $88K | 15 a year (modeled) |
| Wildfire | Relatively Low | $759K | once in about 181 years (modeled) |
| Hail | Relatively Low | $308K | 2.2 a year (modeled) |
| Lightning | Relatively Low | $136K | 55 a year (modeled) |
| Landslide | Very Low | $77 | about once a year (modeled) |
| Cold Wave | Very Low | $142K | about once a year (modeled) |
| Earthquake | Very Low | $15K | once in about 1,595 years (modeled) |
Source: FEMA National Risk Index, county table, December 2025 release. FEMA's National Risk Index map.
Counties that share a border with Union 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
- Hail in New MexicoThe state's hail reports, 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 Union CountyThe hazard risk calculator: 18 hazards beside the county's record
- Download Union County's FEMA declarations (CSV)7 rows: every declaration that named the county, for your own analysis