New Mexico tornadoes
Every recorded tornado since 1950 · 31 counties with a record
New Mexico has recorded 679 tornadoes from 1950 through 2025, about 9.2 a year since 2000, with 4 rated F3/EF3 or stronger (NOAA Storm Prediction Center). The deadliest was the March 23, 2007 Clovis tornado (2 deaths in New Mexico). New Mexico ranks 29th of 52 states and territories by count and 40th of 51 per square mile.
Tornadoes in New Mexico, 1950 to 2025
Tornadoes per year (SPC; a tornado that crossed a state line counts in each state it touched).
- recorded, no damage figure
- under $1 million
- $1 million or more
- $10 million or more
- $100 million or more, or 10 deaths
- $1 billion or more, or 100 deaths
- a year's colour: its recorded damage or deaths
- a year with a death
- 1996: tornado reports rose with NEXRAD Doppler radar, mid-1990s (SPC)
- Tornadoes
- 6791950 to 2025
- A year since 2000
- 9.2average
- Deaths
- 4163 injuries
- F3/EF3 or stronger
- 41% of tornadoes
- Busiest year
- 199131 tornadoes
Source: NOAA Storm Prediction Center tornado database, 1950-2025 (state segments). SPC severe weather database.
Are tornadoes common in New Mexico?
New Mexico averages about 9.2 tornadoes a year since 2000, 29th of 52 states and territories by count. The busiest year on record was 1991 (31). Per 10,000 square miles of land, New Mexico records 56 tornadoes since 1950, 40th of 51 states and territories by that measure.
Source: NOAA SPC, tornadoes 1950-2025, per 10,000 square miles of land area (Census Bureau 2024 Gazetteer; places under 1,000 square miles not ranked). Damage colours: Storm Events damage, 2025 dollars.
Which counties in New Mexico have the most tornadoes?
Per square mile, Curry County leads New Mexico: 44 days with a tornado record since 1950, 31.3 per 1,000 square miles of land. By raw count, Lea County has the most tornado records (97 since 1950); large counties collect more records simply by covering more ground, so the ranking counts days with a record per unit of area (a storm filed for several forecast zones adds several records but one day).
Source: NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database, days with a record in the county since 1950 per 1,000 square miles of land (Census Bureau 2024 Gazetteer); in brackets, the count of records.
When is tornado season in New Mexico?
58% of its tornadoes since 1950 fell in May and June. The busiest month is May (207 tornadoes).
The values, month by month
Jan 1 · Feb 1 · Mar 20 · Apr 44 · May 207 · Jun 190 · Jul 82 · Aug 61 · Sep 42 · Oct 26 · Nov 2 · Dec 3 (records).
Source: NOAA Storm Prediction Center tornado database, state segments by the month they began, 1950-2025.
What were the deadliest tornadoes in New Mexico?
| Date | Counties | Rating | Path in state | Killed | Injured |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2007-03-23 | Clovis · Roosevelt, Curry | EF2 | 12.45 mi | 2 | 33 |
| 1974-10-10 | Bernalillo | F2 | 2 mi | 1 | 8 |
| 1964-05-29 | Maxwell · Colfax | F3 | 3 mi | 1 | 8 |
Source: NOAA Storm Prediction Center tornado database (state segments: deaths and path inside New Mexico), 1950-2025; counties are the first four the SPC lists for the segment. SPC severe weather database.
Where have the strongest tornadoes tracked in New Mexico?
- F2/EF2
- F3/EF3
- F4/EF4
- F5/EF5
- no end point filed
Source: NOAA Storm Prediction Center tornado database, 1950-2025, start and end points of each track; county lines: Census Bureau cartographic boundaries (2017), via us-atlas. SPC severe weather database. Census cartographic boundary files.
The strongest tornadoes in New Mexico
| Date | Counties | Rating | Path in state | Width | Killed |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1964-05-29 | Maxwell · Colfax | F3 | 3 mi | 10 yd | 1 |
| 1957-10-12 | Hurley · Grant | F3 | 8.2 mi | 50 yd | 0 |
| 1954-05-17 | Lovington · Lea | F3 | 0.1 mi | 10 yd | 0 |
| 1977-05-14 | Harding | F3 | 0.1 mi | 10 yd | 0 |
| 2007-03-23 | Clovis · Roosevelt, Curry | EF2 | 12.45 mi | 350 yd | 2 |
| 1974-10-10 | Bernalillo | F2 | 2 mi | 100 yd | 1 |
| 1970-04-17 | House · Quay | F2 | 39.8 mi | 50 yd | 0 |
| 1957-05-24 | Melrose · Curry | F2 | 36.5 mi | 37 yd | 0 |
| 1991-06-06 | Nadine · Lea | F2 | 17.5 mi | 150 yd | 0 |
| 2010-05-23 | Union | EF2 | 15.95 mi | 440 yd | 0 |
Source: NOAA Storm Prediction Center tornado database; F scale before February 1, 2007, EF scale after.
The longest tornado paths in New Mexico
| Date | Tornado and counties | Rating | Path in state | Width | Killed |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1970-04-17 | House · Quay | F2 | 39.8 mi | 50 yd | 0 |
| 1957-05-24 | Melrose · Curry | F2 | 36.5 mi | 37 yd | 0 |
| 2019-05-26 | Union | EF0 | 21.74 mi | 75 yd | 0 |
| 1992-04-14 | Curry | F1 | 18 mi | 50 yd | 0 |
| 1991-06-06 | Nadine · Lea | F2 | 17.5 mi | 150 yd | 0 |
| 2010-05-23 | Union | EF2 | 15.95 mi | 440 yd | 0 |
| 1956-05-25 | Santa Fe | F0 | 15.8 mi | 50 yd | 0 |
| 1962-05-17 | Union | F1 | 15.3 mi | 10 yd | 0 |
| 2019-03-12 | Dexter · Chaves | EF2 | 15.19 mi | 350 yd | 0 |
| 2019-03-12 | Malaga · Eddy | EF2 | 14.7 mi | 880 yd | 0 |
Source: NOAA Storm Prediction Center tornado database, state segments: path length and width inside the state. SPC severe weather database.
Tornadoes in every New Mexico county
All 31 counties: tornadoes whose track touched each, and the strongest
| County | Tornadoes | Strongest |
|---|---|---|
| Lea County | 96 | F/EF3 |
| Roosevelt County | 63 | F/EF2 |
| Eddy County | 60 | F/EF2 |
| Curry County | 57 | F/EF2 |
| Chaves County | 53 | F/EF2 |
| Union County | 47 | F/EF2 |
| Quay County | 41 | F/EF2 |
| Santa Fe County | 27 | F/EF1 |
| Lincoln County | 23 | F/EF1 |
| Colfax County | 22 | F/EF3 |
| Otero County | 18 | F/EF2 |
| Torrance County | 18 | F/EF0 |
| Bernalillo County | 16 | F/EF2 |
| San Miguel County | 16 | F/EF2 |
| Doña Ana County | 13 | F/EF1 |
| Guadalupe County | 13 | F/EF2 |
| Sandoval County | 13 | F/EF1 |
| Mora County | 12 | F/EF1 |
| San Juan County | 11 | F/EF2 |
| De Baca County | 10 | F/EF1 |
| Socorro County | 10 | F/EF1 |
| Harding County | 8 | F/EF3 |
| Grant County | 7 | F/EF3 |
| Valencia County | 7 | F/EF2 |
| McKinley County | 5 | F/EF0 |
| Sierra County | 5 | F/EF1 |
| Luna County | 4 | F/EF1 |
| Hidalgo County | 3 | F/EF1 |
| Cibola County | 2 | F/EF0 |
| Rio Arriba County | 2 | F/EF1 |
| Taos County | 2 | F/EF0 |
Source: NOAA Storm Prediction Center tornado database: whole tornadoes whose track touched the county (any state segment listing it). SPC severe weather database.
The costliest tornadoes in New Mexico
| Date | Record | Character | Killed | Injured | Damage |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2007-03-23 | TornadoClovis Hillcrest Arp, Curry County A tornado that developed in Roosevelt County continued north northwest into Curry County for about 3.5 miles then tracked north northeast an additional 4.6 miles into southern and east central sections of Clovis. Intensity of the tornado appeared to wane from EF2 120 mph in Roosevelt County to EF1 100 mph as it moved ... | EF2 8.02 mi x 350 yd | 2 | 33 | $23M |
| 2007-03-23 | TornadoLogan, Quay County A small and possibly elevated landspout type tornado developed on the far east end of a rear flank outflow that swung south through east over Logan as a storm centered about 5 miles to the west moved north over Ute Lake. Damage along the track as it moved over the west side of Logan was intermittent with damage ... | EF1 2.67 mi x 200 yd | 0 | 12 | $5.0M |
| 2007-03-23 | TornadoCameo, Roosevelt County Tornado with estimated peak winds of near 120 mph severely damaged the Portales City water well facility on State Road 202 about 5 miles east of Highway 70. The tornado moved north northwest destroying a new dairy before continuing northwest into Curry County. No injuries reported but storm debris briefly trapped a ... | EF2 4.43 mi x 350 yd | 0 | 0 | $3.9M |
| 1996-07-25 | TornadoCimarron, Colfax County A tornado destroyed 11 homes and 7 business in Cimarron. Another 43 structures were damaged. Among the building destroyed was the Post Office which was sliced by the air-borne frame of a mobile home. Of the 5 injuries, 2 were serious, requiring hospitalization. All injuries occurred in mobile homes or portable ... | F2 2 mi x 50 yd | 0 | 5 | $3.2M |
| 2019-05-26 | TornadoDora, Roosevelt County The NWS surveyed damage from a strong tornado that impacted parts of southern Roosevelt County during the early evening of Sunday, May 26, 2019. The tornado lasted nearly 30 minutes and tracked about 10 miles over predominately rural ranch/farmland in southern Roosevelt County. No injuries were reported. Two known ... | EF2 9.5 mi x 200 yd | 0 | 0 | $2.3M |
| 2019-03-12 | TornadoLake Arthur, Chaves County Just before 6 pm MDT on Tuesday, March 12, 2019, a tornado touched down in Chaves County, about 15 miles south southwest of Dexter. The tornado moved north northeast for approximately 15 minutes before dissipating about one half mile northeast of the community of Dexter. Six people suffered minor injuries, and six ... | EF2 15.19 mi x 350 yd | 0 | 6 | $2.3M |
| 2010-05-23 | TornadoSedan, Union County There was damage to agricultural equipment. A single wide mobile home that had tie down straps was completely destroyed and the undercarriage was carried approximately 40 yards. No injuries reported. | EF2 8.82 mi x 440 yd | 0 | 0 | $440K |
| 2018-08-09 | TornadoIdlewild, Colfax County A landspout tornado produced a narrow swath of damage near Eagle Nest. This is the first documented tornado in the Moreno Valley since at least 1950. The landspout tornado also exhibited anti-cyclonic rotation during its entire lifecycle. It had a classically narrow condensation funnel cloud and formed in a vast open ... | EF0 2.27 mi x 80 yd | 0 | 0 | $353K |
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 $25M, in the dollars of the day) holds: May 27, 1982 (tornado, Lea County).
Source: NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database: property and crop damage as estimated by the National Weather Service, in 2025 dollars.
Are tornadoes becoming more frequent in New Mexico?
New Mexico's count per decade against the whole country's, and its share. The Storm Prediction Center notes that tornado reports rose especially around the installation of the NEXRAD Doppler radar network in the mid-1990s, so a rising count is partly better detection; the share of the national total is the fairer comparison across decades.
| Decade | New Mexico | United States | New Mexico's share |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1950s | 57 | 4,837 | 1.2% |
| 1960s | 98 | 6,863 | 1.4% |
| 1970s | 78 | 8,633 | 0.9% |
| 1980s | 70 | 8,250 | 0.8% |
| 1990s | 138 | 12,205 | 1.1% |
| 2000s | 81 | 12,892 | 0.6% |
| 2010s | 93 | 12,232 | 0.8% |
| 2020-25 | 64 | 8,234 | 0.8% |
Source: NOAA Storm Prediction Center tornado database, state segments.
The most recent tornadoes in New Mexico
| Date | Record | Character | Killed | Injured | Damage |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026-06-25 | TornadoLos Lunas, Valencia County | EF0 1.2 mi x 60 yd | 0 | 0 | $300K |
| 2026-04-11 | TornadoVaughn, Guadalupe County | EFU 0.77 mi x 30 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2025-08-19 | TornadoSandia Pueblo, Sandoval County | EFU 0.67 mi x 40 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2025-08-18 | TornadoLas Vegas Airport, San Miguel County | EFU 0.05 mi x 10 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2025-07-30 | TornadoAlbuquerque International Airport, Bernalillo County | EFU 0.18 mi x 10 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2025-06-05 | TornadoLingo, Roosevelt County | EFU 1.1 mi x 50 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2025-06-05 | TornadoLingo, Roosevelt County | EFU 0.85 mi x 50 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2025-06-05 | TornadoCausey, Roosevelt County | EFU 0.55 mi x 50 yd | 0 | 0 | $60K |
| 2025-06-05 | TornadoRogers, Roosevelt County | EFU 0.36 mi x 50 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2025-06-05 | TornadoLingo, Roosevelt County | EFU 0.49 mi x 50 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2025-06-05 | TornadoRogers, Roosevelt County | EFU 0.28 mi x 50 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2025-05-26 | TornadoMontezuma, San Miguel County | EF0 1.25 mi x 50 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
Source: NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database, records through June 30, 2026; the newest months are revised by NCEI as reports arrive. Search the record at NCEI.
Federal disaster declarations for tornadoes in New Mexico
FEMA has declared 1 disaster in New Mexico for tornadoes, counting its incident type and declarations that name tornado in the title (FEMA files most storm disasters under Severe Storm); one was a major disaster, the latest on April 2, 2007.
| Declared | Number | Title | Areas named |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2007-04-02 | DR-1690 | Severe Storms and Tornadoes | 2 |
Source: FEMA OpenFEMA Disaster Declarations Summaries (v2), through October 2, 2026. OpenFEMA dataset page.
Next
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