Socorro County, New Mexico severe weather history spans 188 recorded events between 1950 and 2025. The dominant hazard is hail, accounting for 32.4% of all recorded events. It ranks #2,516 nationally and #20 in New Mexico.
188
Recorded events
0
Direct deaths
1
Direct injuries
$44.7M
Property damage
The record
What the Socorro County, New Mexico severe weather history record shows
Across the archive, Socorro County, New Mexico severe weather history averages 2.5 recorded events a year. The busiest stretch on record is the 2010s, with 70 events logged in that decade alone. Roughly 4 events fall before 1990 and 184 from 1990 onward — a gap that reflects the expansion of NOAA reporting practice as much as the weather itself.
The costliest is hail, with $40.1M in reported property damage. In total, 9 distinct hazard types appear in this county archive, each listed with its own dated record below.
By hazard type
Every hazard type recorded in Socorro County
| Hazard | Events | Deaths | Damage | Max | Span |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Hail | 61 | 0 | $40.1M | 3 | 1978–2025 |
| Thunderstorm Wind | 55 | 0 | $88K | 72 | 1994–2025 |
| Flash Flood | 51 | 0 | $2.9M | 0 | 1996–2025 |
| Tornado | 10 | 0 | $26K | F1 | 1950–2021 |
| Flood | 4 | 0 | $1.3M | 0 | 2013–2013 |
| Lightning | 2 | 0 | $30K | 0 | 2008–2017 |
| Funnel Cloud | 2 | 0 | $0 | 0 | 1998–2012 |
| Heavy Rain | 2 | 0 | $205K | 0 | 1997–1998 |
| Wildfire | 1 | 0 | $0 | 0 | 1996–1996 |
Decade by decade
Socorro 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
11 mapped tornado paths intersect this county: 10 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2012-05-13 | EF1 | 0 | 0 | 1.2 mi | Touched down here |
| 1950-08-02 | EF1 | 0 | 0 | 7.9 mi | Touched down here |
| 2021-05-17 | EF0 | 0 | 0 | 0.7 mi | Touched down here |
| 2021-05-31 | EF0 | 0 | 0 | 0.9 mi | Touched down here |
| 2021-05-31 | EF0 | 0 | 0 | 0.9 mi | Touched down here |
| 2020-07-15 | EF0 | 0 | 0 | 0.4 mi | Touched down here |
| 2012-07-05 | EF0 | 0 | 0 | 0.1 mi | Touched down here |
| 2005-04-17 | EF0 | 0 | 0 | 0.1 mi | Touched down here |
| 1965-08-02 | EF0 | 0 | 0 | 0.1 mi | Touched down here |
| 1954-05-17 | EF0 | 0 | 0 | 0.1 mi | Touched down here |
Significant events
Deadliest events on record in Socorro County
| Date | Type | Location | Deaths | Injuries | Damage |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sep 19, 1992 | Hail | 0 | 1 | $0 |
From the record
What the reports say
Written by National Weather Service staff at the time of the event · public domain
The initial round of intense rainfall on the 10th and 11th flooded numerous roadways and homes then subsequent heavy rainfall through the 15th created extreme flooding. County emergency management indicated a total of at least 16 roads were washed out and damaged severely across the county, including NM 408 and CR 91 between Escondida and Lemitar, and NM 1 between San Antonio and Luis Lopez. The Rio Puerco and Rio Grande rivers both flooded into nearby low lying areas and threatened nearby communities. A breach in a levee on the Rio Puerco flooded several homes and the community of San Francisco was evacuated. The US 380 bridge east of San Antonio was overtopped. US 60 was closed at mile marker 166.
Very strong thunderstorms with heavy rainfall of 2 to 4 inches severely impacted the Socorro area as well as areas north of the city into the early morning hours of July 7th. The Socorro County emergency manager reported that irrigation ditches throughout Socorro County were impacted with overtopping and washing out due to the flood waters. The La Joya Acequia sustained significant damage with several feet of concrete-lined ditches lost and culverts exposed. The Sabinal Fire Station in northern Socorro County was flooded, and numerous homes in low-lying areas in the County had water surrounding them. Numerous country roads and arroyos were flooded and washed out. The BNSF Railroad was also significantly impacted as all trains had to be stopped due to silt and rock debris covering the railroad tracks that go through Socorro County. Damages are estimated.
Strong thunderstorms that moved southwest through Socorro County brought heavy rain with reports of one to two inches. This resulted in widespread flooding across central Socorro County. The La Joya area was especially impacted with additional damage to the La Joya Acequia. A large section of the concrete ditch system north of La Joya was severely damaged, and several ditches and drains were filled with silt. All of the arroyos in the La Joya area flooded which washed away several of the arroyo banks and caused additional damage. The Rio Puerco River created to 17.75 feet Friday evening which was its highest level since 2013. Homes in the Contreras area were surrounded by flood water. Damages are estimated.
Context
Risk, population and federal disasters
Relatively Low
FEMA NRI risk rating
16,200
Population (ACS)
$138K
Median home value
12
Federal declarations
| Declared | Incident | Title | Type |
|---|---|---|---|
| Apr 5, 2020 | Biological | COVID-19 PANDEMIC | DR |
| Mar 13, 2020 | Biological | COVID-19 | EM |
| 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 |
| Sep 13, 2010 | Flood | SEVERE STORMS AND FLOODING | DR |
Quick answers
Frequently asked
How many severe weather events have been recorded in Socorro County, New Mexico?
188 events are on record between 1950 and 2025, causing 0 direct deaths and $44.7M in property damage.
What is the most common severe weather hazard in Socorro County?
Hail, with 61 recorded events — 32.4% of everything in the archive for this county.
How many tornadoes have crossed Socorro County?
11 mapped tornado paths intersect the county boundary; 10 of them touched down inside it. This is derived from path geometry, not county-tagged reports.
How many federal disaster declarations cover Socorro County?
12 federal disaster declarations from FEMA include Socorro County, each tied to a specific incident period.
How risky is Socorro County compared with the rest of the country?
FEMA's National Risk Index rates Socorro County as relatively low risk, placing it in the 61 percentile of its state for expected annual loss.
Where does the Socorro 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
- Sierra County 149
- Taos County 49
- Santa Fe County 344
- Torrance County 245
- San Miguel County 417
- Union County 625
Cite this page
“Socorro County, New Mexico.” Severe Weather History. severeweatherhistory.com/county/new-mexico/socorro-county/ · Data: NOAA/NCEI, FEMA, U.S. Census — public domain.