Colfax County, New Mexico: hazard risk
FEMA rates Colfax County's overall risk Relatively Low (score 58.5 of 100, higher than 58% of rated U.S. counties); 2 of its 15 hazards are rated Relatively High or Very High, led by lightning, winter weather. Its storm record holds 1,904 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 | 87.2 | $639K |
| Winter Weather | Relatively High | 85.8 | $182K |
| Wildfire | Relatively Moderate | 97.5 | $5.7M |
| Landslide | Relatively Low | 75.3 | $6K |
| Riverine Flooding | Relatively Low | 58.6 | $5.4M |
| Hail | Relatively Low | 40.2 | $112K |
| Drought | Relatively Low | 39.8 | $40K |
| Cold Wave | Relatively Low | 26.5 | $220K |
| Strong Wind | Relatively Low | 17.0 | $92K |
| Avalanche | Very Low | 37.7 | $126 |
| Earthquake | Very Low | 35.6 | $72K |
| Heat Wave | Very Low | 18.9 | $35K |
| Tornado | Very Low | 16.1 | $100K |
| Ice Storm | Very Low | 3.7 | $939 |
| Volcanic Activity | 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. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Winter storms | 530 | 2 | $385K | 7th of 33 | 1738th of 3,077 |
| Drought | 486 | 0 | – | 14th of 33 | 1083rd of 3,063 |
| High wind and dust storms | 405 | 1 | $5.3M | 9th of 33 | 623rd of 3,080 |
| Hail | 302 | 0 | $11M | 10th of 33 | 2419th of 3,080 |
| Severe thunderstorm wind | 54 | 0 | $263K | 16th of 33 | 2826th of 3,080 |
| Floods | 38 | 2 | $3.2M | 18th of 33 | 2733rd of 3,080 |
| Tornadoes | 22 | 1 | $6.2M | 13th of 33 | 2651st of 3,080 |
| Wildfires | 18 | 0 | $151M | 11th of 33 | 545th of 2,972 |
| Extreme cold | 17 | 0 | – | 9th of 33 | 2588th of 3,076 |
| Heat | 7 | 0 | – | 14th of 33 | 2341st of 3,076 |
| Landslides and avalanches | 5 | 2 | $2K | 3rd of 33 | 311th of 2,278 |
| Lightning | 3 | 1 | – | 10th of 33 | 2304th of 3,080 |
| Heavy rain | 1 | 0 | – | 29th of 33 | 2374th 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 Colfax County record: every hazard by year and month, the deadliest events and FEMA's declarations.