Lincoln County, New Mexico severe weather history spans 344 recorded events between 1957 and 2025. The dominant hazard is hail, accounting for 39.0% of all recorded events. It ranks #1,528 nationally and #12 in New Mexico.
344
Recorded events
7
Direct deaths
5
Direct injuries
$97.5M
Property damage
The record
What the Lincoln County, New Mexico severe weather history record shows
Across the archive, Lincoln County, New Mexico severe weather history averages 5.1 recorded events a year. The busiest stretch on record is the 2010s, with 136 events logged in that decade alone. Roughly 15 events fall before 1990 and 329 from 1990 onward — a gap that reflects the expansion of NOAA reporting practice as much as the weather itself.
The deadliest hazard in the Lincoln County, New Mexico record is debris flow, responsible for 3 direct deaths. The costliest is debris flow, with $60.5M in reported property damage. In total, 10 distinct hazard types appear in this county archive, each listed with its own dated record below.
By hazard type
Every hazard type recorded in Lincoln County
| Hazard | Events | Deaths | Damage | Max | Span |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Hail | 134 | 0 | $101K | 2.75 | 1962–2025 |
| Flash Flood | 115 | 2 | $4.7M | 0 | 1996–2025 |
| Thunderstorm Wind | 36 | 0 | $10K | 76 | 1989–2025 |
| Tornado | 23 | 0 | $112K | F1 | 1957–2024 |
| Debris Flow | 12 | 3 | $60.5M | 0 | 2024–2025 |
| Funnel Cloud | 8 | 0 | $0 | 0 | 2013–2018 |
| Heavy Rain | 7 | 0 | $0 | 0 | 1997–2019 |
| Lightning | 3 | 1 | $25K | 0 | 1997–2015 |
| Flood | 3 | 1 | $25.0M | 0 | 2008–2021 |
| Wildfire | 3 | 0 | $7.0M | 0 | 1996–2002 |
Decade by decade
Lincoln 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
23 mapped tornado paths intersect this county: 23 touched down inside it and 0 crossed in from a neighbouring county. This comes from path geometry, not county-tagged reports.
| Date | Scale | Deaths | Injuries | Path length | Origin |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2014-06-08 | EF1 | 0 | 0 | 1.8 mi | Touched down here |
| 1989-06-01 | EF1 | 0 | 0 | 5.0 mi | Touched down here |
| 1987-05-16 | EF1 | 0 | 0 | 1.0 mi | Touched down here |
| 1972-06-17 | EF1 | 0 | 0 | 6.1 mi | Touched down here |
| 1971-09-17 | EF1 | 0 | 0 | 0.1 mi | Touched down here |
| 1964-05-18 | EF1 | 0 | 0 | 0.1 mi | Touched down here |
| 1964-06-10 | EF1 | 0 | 0 | 0.1 mi | Touched down here |
| 2024-07-09 | EF0 | 0 | 0 | 0.6 mi | Touched down here |
| 2023-05-31 | EF0 | 0 | 0 | 2.9 mi | Touched down here |
| 2021-05-28 | EF0 | 0 | 0 | 0.5 mi | Touched down here |
Significant events
Deadliest events on record in Lincoln County
| Date | Type | Location | Deaths | Injuries | Damage |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jul 8, 2025 | Debris Flow | ALTO | 3 | 0 | $50.0M |
| May 16, 2015 | Lightning | CAPITAN | 1 | 1 | $0 |
| May 30, 2021 | Flash Flood | TINNIE | 1 | 0 | $60K |
| Jul 27, 2008 | Flood | HOLLYWOOD | 1 | 0 | $25.0M |
| Oct 5, 1996 | Flash Flood | CAPITAN | 1 | 0 | $0 |
| Jul 25, 1997 | Lightning | ALTO | 0 | 2 | $0 |
| Sep 11, 2023 | Hail | RAMON | 0 | 1 | $0 |
| Jul 7, 2013 | Flash Flood | ALTO | 0 | 1 | $0 |
From the record
What the reports say
Written by National Weather Service staff at the time of the event · public domain
Widespread, serious flooding occurred from the upper canyon of the Rio Ruidoso downstream through the towns of Ruidoso, Hollywood and Ruidoso Downs as far east as Fox Caves. Flooding also occurred along the Rio Bonito from the dam at Bonito Lake downstream to State Road 48. Flooding was extensive in Ruidoso, not only along the Rio Ruidoso, Cedar Creek and other small streams, but also throughout the town from the 6 to 7 inches of rainfall that fell there. One man was killed when we was swept away by the raging Rio Ruidoso, but no other substantial injuries were reported. A total of 500 structures, including campers and mobile homes were damaged. Around 200 houses were damaged, and some were completely destroyed. At least 13 bridges were washed out and several cars were washed downstream. Several dozen recreational vehicles and campers were damaged at an RV park at Ruidoso Downs.
Heavy rainfall in the Hondo area caused widespread flooding of roads and low water crossings. The Lincoln County emergency manager estimated that the Rio Ruidoso rose 4 to 6 feet quickly while Alamo Canyon Road south of U.S. Highway 70 was completely inundated. One individual was in their truck at Alamo Canyon Road and became stuck in the low water crossing when the flood waters inundated it. The individual then either tried to escape or the flood waters pulled them out of their truck. Tragically, they drowned, and their body was found the next day. Damages are estimated for the loss of the truck.
Kalina Jinzo, a 40-year mother of three, was struck by lightning and killed while traveling from Albuquerque to Ruidoso on a motorcycle on the 15th. Her husband was also struck but his injuries were not life threatening. The woman died several days later in a Lubbock hospital around the 22nd.
Context
Risk, population and federal disasters
Relatively Low
FEMA NRI risk rating
20,224
Population (ACS)
$233K
Median home value
35
Federal declarations
| Declared | Incident | Title | Type |
|---|---|---|---|
| Jul 22, 2025 | Flood | SEVERE STORMS, FLOODING, AND LANDSLIDES | DR |
| Jul 10, 2025 | Flood | SEVERE STORMS, FLOODING, AND LANDSLIDES | EM |
| Jun 20, 2024 | Fire | SOUTH FORK FIRE, SALT FIRE, AND FLOODING | DR |
| Jun 18, 2024 | Fire | SALT FIRE | FM |
| Jun 17, 2024 | Fire | SOUTH FORK FIRE | FM |
| May 26, 2024 | Fire | BLUE 2 FIRE | FM |
Within the county
Most affected places
- Alto 188
- Ruidoso 154
- Hollywood 123
Quick answers
Frequently asked
How many severe weather events have been recorded in Lincoln County, New Mexico?
344 events are on record between 1957 and 2025, causing 7 direct deaths and $97.5M in property damage.
What is the most common severe weather hazard in Lincoln County?
Hail, with 134 recorded events — 39.0% of everything in the archive for this county.
How many tornadoes have crossed Lincoln County?
23 mapped tornado paths intersect the county boundary; 23 of them touched down inside it. This is derived from path geometry, not county-tagged reports.
How many federal disaster declarations cover Lincoln County?
35 federal disaster declarations from FEMA include Lincoln County, each tied to a specific incident period.
How risky is Lincoln County compared with the rest of the country?
FEMA's National Risk Index rates Lincoln County as relatively low risk, placing it in the 79 percentile of its state for expected annual loss.
Where does the Lincoln 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
- Los Alamos County 58
- Lea County 991
- Luna County 123
- Hidalgo County 68
- McKinley County 117
- Harding County 186
Cite this page
“Lincoln County, New Mexico.” Severe Weather History. severeweatherhistory.com/county/new-mexico/lincoln-county/ · Data: NOAA/NCEI, FEMA, U.S. Census — public domain.