Valencia County, New Mexico: hazard risk
FEMA rates Valencia County's overall risk Relatively Moderate (score 82.3 of 100, higher than 82% of rated U.S. counties); 1 of its 15 hazards are rated Relatively High or Very High, led by lightning. Its storm record holds 811 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 | 89.6 | $913K |
| Earthquake | Relatively Moderate | 90.4 | $4.4M |
| Riverine Flooding | Relatively Moderate | 89.6 | $30M |
| Winter Weather | Relatively Moderate | 83.0 | $190K |
| Wildfire | Relatively Low | 87.4 | $727K |
| Heat Wave | Relatively Low | 70.2 | $724K |
| Hail | Relatively Low | 64.5 | $348K |
| Drought | Relatively Low | 56.2 | $174K |
| Strong Wind | Relatively Low | 27.6 | $209K |
| Tornado | Very Low | 19.2 | $175K |
| Volcanic Activity | Very Low | 17.9 | $0 |
| Avalanche | Very Low | 16.5 | $16 |
| Cold Wave | Very Low | 16.2 | $130K |
| Ice Storm | Very Low | 12.9 | $6K |
| Landslide | Very Low | 9.4 | $19 |
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 | 266 | 0 | – | 2nd of 33 | 130th of 3,063 |
| High wind and dust storms | 265 | 3 | $9.0M | 3rd of 33 | 168th of 3,080 |
| Winter storms | 138 | 6 | $969K | 6th of 33 | 1508th of 3,077 |
| Severe thunderstorm wind | 36 | 0 | $2.7M | 7th of 33 | 2686th of 3,080 |
| Hail | 32 | 0 | $2.5M | 18th of 33 | 2735th of 3,080 |
| Floods | 24 | 0 | $11M | 10th of 33 | 2390th of 3,080 |
| Wildfires | 19 | 0 | $23M | 3rd of 33 | 161st of 2,972 |
| Heat | 12 | 2 | – | 1st of 33 | 1664th of 3,076 |
| Tornadoes | 8 | 1 | $1.9M | 9th of 33 | 2522nd of 3,080 |
| Extreme cold | 7 | 0 | – | 5th of 33 | 2435th of 3,076 |
| Heavy rain | 1 | 0 | – | 14th of 33 | 2248th of 3,080 |
| Lightning | 1 | 0 | $633 | 7th of 33 | 2264th 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 Valencia County record: every hazard by year and month, the deadliest events and FEMA's declarations.