Taos County, New Mexico: hazard risk
FEMA rates Taos County's overall risk Relatively Low (score 74.3 of 100, higher than 74% of rated U.S. counties); 3 of its 15 hazards are rated Relatively High or Very High, led by avalanche, winter weather, lightning. Its storm record holds 1,243 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Avalanche | Relatively High | 94.0 | $1.9M |
| Winter Weather | Relatively High | 92.9 | $340K |
| Lightning | Relatively High | 87.7 | $696K |
| Wildfire | Relatively Moderate | 96.2 | $3.5M |
| Landslide | Relatively Moderate | 92.6 | $54K |
| Riverine Flooding | Relatively Moderate | 81.7 | $14M |
| Drought | Relatively Low | 63.8 | $241K |
| Earthquake | Relatively Low | 62.0 | $339K |
| Cold Wave | Relatively Low | 38.4 | $413K |
| Tornado | Very Low | 21.7 | $179K |
| Hail | Very Low | 17.2 | $40K |
| Strong Wind | Very Low | 10.2 | $50K |
| Heat Wave | Very Low | 8.5 | $9K |
| Ice Storm | Very Low | 7.2 | $2K |
| 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 | 551 | 4 | $157K | 4th of 33 | 1132nd of 3,077 |
| Drought | 498 | 0 | – | 8th of 33 | 687th of 3,063 |
| High wind and dust storms | 111 | 0 | $3.5M | 15th of 33 | 1036th of 3,080 |
| Hail | 17 | 0 | – | 26th of 33 | 2869th of 3,080 |
| Wildfires | 14 | 0 | $5.1M | 7th of 33 | 479th of 2,972 |
| Floods | 13 | 1 | $867K | 30th of 33 | 2884th of 3,080 |
| Severe thunderstorm wind | 13 | 0 | $5.5M | 29th of 33 | 2939th of 3,080 |
| Extreme cold | 11 | 1 | $63K | 7th of 33 | 2519th of 3,076 |
| Landslides and avalanches | 7 | 2 | $52K | 1st of 33 | 207th of 2,278 |
| Heat | 3 | 0 | – | 10th of 33 | 2273rd of 3,076 |
| Tornadoes | 2 | 0 | $14K | 28th of 33 | 2918th of 3,080 |
| Lightning | 1 | 0 | – | 15th of 33 | 2357th 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 Taos County record: every hazard by year and month, the deadliest events and FEMA's declarations.