Union County, New Mexico: hazard risk
FEMA rates Union County's overall risk Very Low (score 12.1 of 100, higher than 12% of rated U.S. counties); 1 of its 15 hazards are rated Relatively High or Very High, led by drought. Its storm record holds 1,412 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Drought | Relatively High | 92.2 | $1.3M |
| Winter Weather | Relatively Moderate | 70.3 | $88K |
| Wildfire | Relatively Low | 88.8 | $759K |
| Hail | Relatively Low | 65.4 | $308K |
| Lightning | Relatively Low | 45.9 | $136K |
| Landslide | Very Low | 19.9 | $77 |
| Cold Wave | Very Low | 19.3 | $142K |
| Earthquake | Very Low | 17.5 | $15K |
| Tornado | Very Low | 12.4 | $66K |
| Ice Storm | Very Low | 11.6 | $4K |
| Heat Wave | Very Low | 10.9 | $14K |
| Strong Wind | Very Low | 8.7 | $42K |
| Riverine Flooding | Very Low | 7.1 | $666K |
| Avalanche | Very Low | 3.2 | $1 |
| 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. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Hail | 419 | 0 | $5.2M | 9th of 33 | 2352nd of 3,080 |
| Drought | 276 | 0 | – | 17th of 33 | 1180th of 3,063 |
| High wind and dust storms | 260 | 0 | $1.8M | 13th of 33 | 942nd of 3,080 |
| Winter storms | 222 | 0 | $4.1M | 12th of 33 | 2372nd of 3,077 |
| Severe thunderstorm wind | 112 | 0 | $174K | 11th of 33 | 2729th of 3,080 |
| Tornadoes | 48 | 0 | $1.7M | 8th of 33 | 2476th of 3,080 |
| Floods | 32 | 0 | $328K | 22nd of 33 | 2821st of 3,080 |
| Extreme cold | 10 | 0 | – | 12th of 33 | 2671st of 3,076 |
| Heat | 7 | 0 | – | 15th of 33 | 2343rd of 3,076 |
| Wildfires | 3 | 0 | $3.5M | 22nd of 33 | 1186th of 2,972 |
| Heavy rain | 1 | 0 | – | 30th of 33 | 2376th 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 Union County record: every hazard by year and month, the deadliest events and FEMA's declarations.