McKinley County, New Mexico: hazard risk
FEMA rates McKinley County's overall risk Relatively Low (score 78.2 of 100, higher than 78% of rated U.S. counties); 2 of its 16 hazards are rated Relatively High or Very High, led by lightning, winter weather. Its storm record holds 1,313 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 | 94.5 | $938K |
| Winter Weather | Relatively High | 90.8 | $230K |
| Cold Wave | Relatively Moderate | 87.6 | $3.1M |
| Landslide | Relatively Moderate | 87.3 | $22K |
| Riverine Flooding | Relatively Moderate | 86.8 | $15M |
| Wildfire | Relatively Low | 78.7 | $191K |
| Earthquake | Relatively Low | 77.6 | $717K |
| Heat Wave | Relatively Low | 39.5 | $119K |
| Volcanic Activity | Very Low | 52.4 | $9 |
| Avalanche | Very Low | 27.3 | $45 |
| Ice Storm | Very Low | 20.6 | $9K |
| Hail | Very Low | 9.0 | $14K |
| Strong Wind | Very Low | 6.9 | $25K |
| Tornado | Very Low | 4.5 | $8K |
| Drought | No Rating | 0.0 | $0 |
| 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 | 667 | 0 | – | 22nd of 33 | 1279th of 3,063 |
| Winter storms | 319 | 16 | $189K | 13th of 33 | 2466th of 3,077 |
| High wind and dust storms | 168 | 0 | $705K | 23rd of 33 | 1701st of 3,080 |
| Floods | 65 | 12 | $2.3M | 21st of 33 | 2795th of 3,080 |
| Severe thunderstorm wind | 34 | 0 | $235K | 27th of 33 | 2925th of 3,080 |
| Extreme cold | 16 | 10 | – | 10th of 33 | 2634th of 3,076 |
| Heat | 12 | 0 | – | 17th of 33 | 2372nd of 3,076 |
| Hail | 10 | 0 | – | 32nd of 33 | 3000th of 3,080 |
| Wildfires | 9 | 0 | $2.9M | 18th of 33 | 972nd of 2,972 |
| Tornadoes | 5 | 0 | – | 27th of 33 | 2916th of 3,080 |
| Heavy rain | 2 | 0 | $23K | 24th of 33 | 2361st of 3,080 |
| Lightning | 1 | 0 | – | 21st of 33 | 2417th 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 McKinley County record: every hazard by year and month, the deadliest events and FEMA's declarations.