Sandoval County, New Mexico: hazard risk
FEMA rates Sandoval County's overall risk Relatively Low (score 77.0 of 100, higher than 76% of rated U.S. counties); 1 of its 15 hazards are rated Relatively High or Very High, led by lightning. Its storm record holds 1,791 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 | 90.3 | $1.1M |
| Landslide | Relatively Moderate | 94.1 | $90K |
| Wildfire | Relatively Moderate | 93.6 | $2.2M |
| Riverine Flooding | Relatively Moderate | 84.3 | $21M |
| Heat Wave | Relatively Moderate | 79.9 | $1.3M |
| Winter Weather | Relatively Moderate | 79.3 | $172K |
| Hail | Relatively Moderate | 74.4 | $582K |
| Drought | Relatively Moderate | 72.9 | $528K |
| Earthquake | Relatively Low | 88.7 | $3.7M |
| Strong Wind | Relatively Low | 39.6 | $353K |
| Cold Wave | Relatively Low | 24.0 | $262K |
| Avalanche | Very Low | 36.1 | $147 |
| Tornado | Very Low | 23.8 | $283K |
| Ice Storm | Very Low | 17.7 | $11K |
| Volcanic Activity | Very Low | 8.8 | $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 | 672 | 0 | – | 12th of 33 | 979th of 3,063 |
| Winter storms | 438 | 20 | $1.6M | 9th of 33 | 2039th of 3,077 |
| High wind and dust storms | 367 | 4 | $10M | 11th of 33 | 718th of 3,080 |
| Floods | 98 | 1 | $25M | 9th of 33 | 2379th of 3,080 |
| Hail | 95 | 0 | $4.3M | 21st of 33 | 2770th of 3,080 |
| Wildfires | 38 | 0 | $56M | 5th of 33 | 277th of 2,972 |
| Severe thunderstorm wind | 28 | 0 | $218K | 28th of 33 | 2926th of 3,080 |
| Heat | 18 | 2 | – | 4th of 33 | 2173rd of 3,076 |
| Extreme cold | 13 | 0 | – | 18th of 33 | 2725th of 3,076 |
| Tornadoes | 11 | 0 | $647K | 20th of 33 | 2743rd of 3,080 |
| Lightning | 4 | 1 | $167K | 6th of 33 | 2226th of 3,080 |
| Heavy rain | 3 | 2 | – | 17th of 33 | 2285th of 3,080 |
| Landslides and avalanches | 1 | 0 | $50K | 9th of 33 | 425th of 2,278 |
Source: NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database, 1950 to 2026-06-30; damage in 2025 dollars. Search the record at NCEI.
The full Sandoval County record: every hazard by year and month, the deadliest events and FEMA's declarations.