Lincoln County, New Mexico: hazard risk
FEMA rates Lincoln County's overall risk Relatively Low (score 79.5 of 100, higher than 79% of rated U.S. counties); 3 of its 16 hazards are rated Relatively High or Very High, led by wildfire, winter weather, lightning. Its storm record holds 1,481 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Wildfire | Relatively High | 98.8 | $15M |
| Winter Weather | Relatively High | 86.3 | $204K |
| Lightning | Relatively High | 85.2 | $639K |
| Riverine Flooding | Relatively Moderate | 77.6 | $12M |
| Ice Storm | Relatively Moderate | 68.8 | $140K |
| Landslide | Relatively Low | 76.3 | $7K |
| Hail | Relatively Low | 39.4 | $117K |
| Volcanic Activity | Very Low | 47.6 | $7 |
| Avalanche | Very Low | 37.1 | $123 |
| Earthquake | Very Low | 25.5 | $31K |
| Drought | Very Low | 17.9 | $2K |
| Strong Wind | Very Low | 16.6 | $96K |
| Hurricane | Very Low | 15.0 | $3K |
| Cold Wave | Very Low | 11.6 | $69K |
| Tornado | Very Low | 10.3 | $47K |
| Heat Wave | Very Low | 7.7 | $8K |
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. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| High wind and dust storms | 503 | 0 | $1.2M | 12th of 33 | 751st of 3,080 |
| Drought | 418 | 0 | – | 27th of 33 | 1384th of 3,063 |
| Winter storms | 179 | 1 | $1.7M | 20th of 33 | 2663rd of 3,077 |
| Hail | 135 | 0 | $124K | 19th of 33 | 2744th of 3,080 |
| Floods | 119 | 3 | $40M | 6th of 33 | 2299th of 3,080 |
| Severe thunderstorm wind | 36 | 0 | $10K | 26th of 33 | 2914th of 3,080 |
| Tornadoes | 23 | 0 | $170K | 14th of 33 | 2661st of 3,080 |
| Wildfires | 23 | 4 | $90M | 13th of 33 | 576th of 2,972 |
| Landslides and avalanches | 12 | 3 | $60M | 2nd of 33 | 264th of 2,278 |
| Extreme cold | 8 | 0 | – | 22nd of 33 | 2805th of 3,076 |
| Heat | 7 | 0 | – | 20th of 33 | 2391st of 3,076 |
| Heavy rain | 7 | 0 | – | 9th of 33 | 2102nd of 3,080 |
| Lightning | 3 | 1 | $34K | 12th of 33 | 2323rd 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 Lincoln County record: every hazard by year and month, the deadliest events and FEMA's declarations.