Catron County, New Mexico: hazard risk
FEMA rates Catron County's overall risk Very Low (score 36.6 of 100, higher than 36% of rated U.S. counties); 1 of its 16 hazards are rated Relatively High or Very High, led by lightning. Its storm record holds 1,012 events since 1950.
FEMA's rating for each hazard
These are FEMA's county-wide model ratings and this county's storm record. They are not an assessment of any property, address or building, and not insurance advice: a property's risk depends on its own elevation, construction and location.
FEMA gives each hazard its own rating, and a rating does not follow the score from one hazard to the next: a hazard with a higher score can carry a lower rating than another. The table sorts by FEMA's rating, then by score (0 to 100, the county against every other county for that hazard).
| Hazard | Risk rating | Score | Expected annual loss |
|---|---|---|---|
| Lightning | Relatively High | 82.8 | $490K |
| Wildfire | Relatively Moderate | 96.3 | $3.1M |
| Landslide | Relatively Moderate | 93.8 | $59K |
| Riverine Flooding | Relatively Low | 41.1 | $3.0M |
| Winter Weather | Relatively Low | 34.9 | $22K |
| Avalanche | Very Low | 51.3 | $368 |
| Volcanic Activity | Very Low | 37.8 | $3 |
| Drought | Very Low | 24.3 | $6K |
| Earthquake | Very Low | 22.9 | $21K |
| Cold Wave | Very Low | 16.7 | $103K |
| Heat Wave | Very Low | 8.3 | $7K |
| Hail | Very Low | 3.0 | $3K |
| Ice Storm | Very Low | 2.4 | $546 |
| Tornado | Very Low | 1.4 | $774 |
| Strong Wind | Very Low | 1.3 | $2K |
| Hurricane | No Rating | 0.0 | $0 |
Source: FEMA National Risk Index, December 2025 release. A model of future loss, not a count of past events. FEMA's National Risk Index map.
What the record holds
| Hazard | Records | Deaths | Damage | Rank in state | Rank in U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Drought | 528 | 0 | – | 29th of 33 | 1493rd of 3,063 |
| Winter storms | 204 | 6 | $101K | 23rd of 33 | 2713th of 3,077 |
| High wind and dust storms | 177 | 0 | $461K | 28th of 33 | 1885th of 3,080 |
| Floods | 41 | 1 | $4.6M | 31st of 33 | 2931st of 3,080 |
| Wildfires | 20 | 0 | $6.3M | 14th of 33 | 716th of 2,972 |
| Hail | 14 | 0 | $5K | 33rd of 33 | 3020th of 3,080 |
| Extreme cold | 10 | 5 | – | 21st of 33 | 2777th of 3,076 |
| Heat | 6 | 0 | – | 24th of 33 | 2437th of 3,076 |
| Severe thunderstorm wind | 5 | 0 | $71K | 33rd of 33 | 3032nd of 3,080 |
| Heavy rain | 4 | 0 | – | 22nd of 33 | 2353rd of 3,080 |
| Lightning | 1 | 1 | $1K | 22nd of 33 | 2421st of 3,080 |
Source: NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database, 1950 to 2026-06-30; damage in 2025 dollars. Search the record at NCEI.
The full Catron County record: every hazard by year and month, the deadliest events and FEMA's declarations.