Chaves County, New Mexico: hazard risk
FEMA rates Chaves County's overall risk Relatively Moderate (score 87.6 of 100, higher than 87% of rated U.S. counties); 5 of its 16 hazards are rated Relatively High or Very High, led by drought, strong wind, winter weather. Its storm record holds 1,184 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Drought | Relatively High | 98.9 | $5.3M |
| Strong Wind | Relatively High | 95.5 | $2.3M |
| Winter Weather | Relatively High | 93.2 | $401K |
| Lightning | Relatively High | 87.4 | $753K |
| Ice Storm | Relatively High | 85.3 | $448K |
| Wildfire | Relatively Moderate | 92.5 | $1.5M |
| Riverine Flooding | Relatively Moderate | 92.3 | $37M |
| Heat Wave | Relatively Moderate | 90.0 | $2.2M |
| Hail | Relatively Low | 66.5 | $353K |
| Cold Wave | Relatively Low | 34.7 | $380K |
| Volcanic Activity | Very Low | 54.7 | $14 |
| Hurricane | Very Low | 39.0 | $20K |
| Earthquake | Very Low | 31.0 | $62K |
| Landslide | Very Low | 26.8 | $167 |
| Tornado | Very Low | 20.6 | $182K |
| Avalanche | Very Low | 2.9 | $1 |
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 | 296 | 0 | – | 28th of 33 | 1430th of 3,063 |
| Hail | 289 | 0 | $11M | 16th of 33 | 2669th of 3,080 |
| High wind and dust storms | 218 | 8 | $4.4M | 22nd of 33 | 1635th of 3,080 |
| Severe thunderstorm wind | 147 | 1 | $2.8M | 13th of 33 | 2762nd of 3,080 |
| Floods | 78 | 6 | $486M | 19th of 33 | 2768th of 3,080 |
| Winter storms | 71 | 1 | $137M | 29th of 33 | 2904th of 3,077 |
| Tornadoes | 53 | 0 | $6.2M | 10th of 33 | 2549th of 3,080 |
| Heat | 9 | 0 | – | 21st of 33 | 2393rd of 3,076 |
| Extreme cold | 4 | 0 | – | 30th of 33 | 2848th of 3,076 |
| Heavy rain | 2 | 0 | $4K | 26th of 33 | 2368th of 3,080 |
| Lightning | 2 | 0 | $76K | 18th of 33 | 2392nd of 3,080 |
| Wildfires | 1 | 0 | $14K | 27th of 33 | 1275th of 2,972 |
Source: NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database, 1950 to 2026-06-30; damage in 2025 dollars. Search the record at NCEI.
The full Chaves County record: every hazard by year and month, the deadliest events and FEMA's declarations.