Sierra County, New Mexico severe weather history spans 149 recorded events between 1957 and 2025. The dominant hazard is flash flood, accounting for 40.9% of all recorded events. It ranks #2,711 nationally and #24 in New Mexico.
149
Recorded events
2
Direct deaths
0
Direct injuries
$6.6M
Property damage
The record
What the Sierra County, New Mexico severe weather history record shows
Across the archive, Sierra County, New Mexico severe weather history averages 2.2 recorded events a year. The busiest stretch on record is the 2010s, with 48 events logged in that decade alone. Roughly 23 events fall before 1990 and 126 from 1990 onward — a gap that reflects the expansion of NOAA reporting practice as much as the weather itself.
The deadliest hazard in the Sierra County, New Mexico record is flash flood, responsible for 1 direct deaths. The costliest is flash flood, with $5.2M in reported property damage. In total, 7 distinct hazard types appear in this county archive, each listed with its own dated record below.
By hazard type
Every hazard type recorded in Sierra County
| Hazard | Events | Deaths | Damage | Max | Span |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flash Flood | 61 | 1 | $5.2M | 0 | 1996–2025 |
| Hail | 41 | 1 | $15K | 2.5 | 1957–2020 |
| Thunderstorm Wind | 34 | 0 | $1.3M | 74 | 1960–2025 |
| Tornado | 5 | 0 | $3K | F1 | 1958–1982 |
| Heavy Rain | 5 | 0 | $0 | 0 | 2004–2025 |
| Flood | 2 | 0 | $0 | 0 | 2006–2006 |
| High Wind | 1 | 0 | $0 | 50 | 2014–2014 |
Decade by decade
Sierra County, New Mexico severe weather history by decade
Reporting practice changed over time — early decades are undercounted, not calmer.
Tornado tracks
Paths crossing this county
6 mapped tornado paths intersect this county: 5 touched down inside it and 1 crossed in from a neighbouring county. This comes from path geometry, not county-tagged reports.
| Date | Scale | Deaths | Injuries | Path length | Origin |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1971-09-16 | EF1 | 0 | 0 | 0.1 mi | Touched down here |
| 1987-07-22 | EF0 | 0 | 0 | 5.0 mi | Crossed in |
| 1982-06-20 | EF0 | 0 | 0 | 0.1 mi | Touched down here |
| 1970-07-24 | EF0 | 0 | 0 | 0.1 mi | Touched down here |
| 1960-06-11 | EF0 | 0 | 0 | 0.1 mi | Touched down here |
| 1958-05-16 | EF0 | 0 | 0 | 0.3 mi | Touched down here |
Significant events
Deadliest events on record in Sierra County
| Date | Type | Location | Deaths | Injuries | Damage |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sep 13, 2013 | Flash Flood | (TCS)TRUTH/CONSQNCES | 1 | 0 | $500K |
| Aug 4, 1998 | Hail | KINGSTON | 1 | 0 | $0 |
From the record
What the reports say
Written by National Weather Service staff at the time of the event · public domain
The Sierra County Emergency Manager reported several bridges washed out and evacuations taking place around Truth or Consequences. A total of 3.35 inches of rain was reported at the New Mexico State Veterans Home. One death was reported by State Police in Ash Canyon near Elephant Butte Dam. A newspaper report said several dams were breached and over 200 homes were evacuated. Several roads were closed and bridges washed out due to flooding including along Highway 187.
There was extensive flash flooding of roads and buildings around Truth or Consequences and Williamsburg. Near-zero visibility was reported in the heavy rain along with pea sized hail. A trained spotter reported 4.10 inches of rain in about one hour. A car was washed off the road. Multiple homes were evacuated around the two towns. The Rio Grande was threatening to exit its banks, therefore causing Elephant Butte Dam having to be closed.
Storm survey revealed numerous boats damaged at Marina Del Sur on the south end of Elephant Butte Lake. A couple of metal roofs covering the boats were torn off and/or collapsed and concrete slabs anchoring down the structures were pulled out of the water. An eyewitness described a downburst lasting 15 minutes with torrential rainfall and zero visibility. Property damage was in excess of $1 million.
Context
Risk, population and federal disasters
Relatively Low
FEMA NRI risk rating
11,500
Population (ACS)
$153K
Median home value
13
Federal declarations
| Declared | Incident | Title | Type |
|---|---|---|---|
| Apr 5, 2020 | Biological | COVID-19 PANDEMIC | DR |
| Mar 13, 2020 | Biological | COVID-19 | EM |
| Oct 29, 2014 | Severe Storm | SEVERE STORMS AND FLOODING | DR |
| Oct 29, 2013 | Flood | SEVERE STORMS, FLOODING, AND MUDSLIDES | DR |
| Sep 30, 2013 | Severe Storm | SEVERE STORMS AND FLOODING | DR |
| Mar 24, 2011 | Severe Storm | SEVERE WINTER STORM AND EXTREME COLD TEMPERATURES | DR |
Quick answers
Frequently asked
How many severe weather events have been recorded in Sierra County, New Mexico?
149 events are on record between 1957 and 2025, causing 2 direct deaths and $6.6M in property damage.
What is the most common severe weather hazard in Sierra County?
Flash Flood, with 61 recorded events — 40.9% of everything in the archive for this county.
How many tornadoes have crossed Sierra County?
6 mapped tornado paths intersect the county boundary; 5 of them touched down inside it. This is derived from path geometry, not county-tagged reports.
How many federal disaster declarations cover Sierra County?
13 federal disaster declarations from FEMA include Sierra County, each tied to a specific incident period.
How risky is Sierra County compared with the rest of the country?
FEMA's National Risk Index rates Sierra County as relatively low risk, placing it in the 56 percentile of its state for expected annual loss.
Where does the Sierra County, New Mexico severe weather history data come from?
Every figure is drawn from United States federal public-domain records: NOAA/NCEI Storm Events for the event archive, NOAA SPC SVRGIS for mapped tornado paths, FEMA for disaster declarations and risk ratings, and the U.S. Census for population context. Dates are shown in UTC and recent entries may still be revised by NOAA.
Nearby
Neighbouring counties
- Santa Fe County 344
- Socorro County 188
- San Miguel County 417
- Taos County 49
- San Juan County 154
- Torrance County 245
Cite this page
“Sierra County, New Mexico.” Severe Weather History. severeweatherhistory.com/county/new-mexico/sierra-county/ · Data: NOAA/NCEI, FEMA, U.S. Census — public domain.