1,740
Recorded events
33
Counties affected
46
Direct deaths
$627.3M
Property damage
New Mexico flash flood history: 1,740 recorded events across 33 counties between 1996 and 2025.
Decade by decade
New Mexico flash flood history by decade
The 2010s are the busiest decade on record with 676 reported flash flood events across New Mexico. Earlier decades are thinner because systematic reporting for this hazard expanded over time, not because the weather was calmer.
County ranking
Counties with the most flash flood events in New Mexico
| Rank | County | Events | Deaths | Damage | Span |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| #1 | Eddy County | 217 | 2 | $3.2M | 1996–2025 |
| #2 | Lincoln County | 115 | 2 | $4.7M | 1996–2025 |
| #3 | Bernalillo County | 97 | 10 | $7.2M | 1996–2025 |
| #4 | Sandoval County | 94 | 1 | $13.3M | 1996–2025 |
| #5 | Santa Fe County | 92 | 4 | $3.8M | 1996–2025 |
| #6 | Doña Ana County | 89 | 0 | $11.0M | 1997–2025 |
| #7 | Lea County | 88 | 0 | $602K | 1996–2025 |
| #8 | Otero County | 69 | 0 | $3.5M | 1999–2025 |
| #9 | San Miguel County | 65 | 3 | $5.0M | 1997–2025 |
| #10 | Grant County | 64 | 2 | $396K | 1997–2025 |
| #11 | McKinley County | 62 | 11 | $1.6M | 1997–2025 |
| #12 | Sierra County | 61 | 1 | $5.2M | 1996–2025 |
| #13 | Chaves County | 60 | 5 | $514.5M | 1996–2025 |
| #14 | San Juan County | 53 | 1 | $7.0M | 1996–2025 |
| #15 | Socorro County | 51 | 0 | $2.9M | 1996–2025 |
| #16 | Rio Arriba County | 43 | 1 | $5.7M | 1998–2025 |
| #17 | Mora County | 42 | 1 | $3.0M | 1999–2025 |
| #18 | Roosevelt County | 38 | 0 | $2.9M | 1999–2025 |
| #19 | Cibola County | 35 | 0 | $1.1M | 1999–2025 |
| #20 | Colfax County | 34 | 1 | $1.6M | 1998–2025 |
| #21 | Catron County | 33 | 1 | $3.4M | 1997–2021 |
| #22 | Union County | 31 | 0 | $260K | 1996–2025 |
| #23 | Curry County | 30 | 0 | $4.0M | 1998–2025 |
| #24 | Luna County | 30 | 0 | $675K | 1999–2025 |
| #25 | Torrance County | 27 | 0 | $308K | 1997–2025 |
Significant events
Deadliest flash flood events in New Mexico
| Date | County | Scale | Deaths | Injuries |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jul 15, 1996 | Chaves County | — | 4 | 0 |
| Jul 20, 2021 | Bernalillo County | — | 3 | 0 |
| Jul 21, 2022 | San Miguel County | — | 3 | 0 |
| Jul 11, 2008 | McKinley County | — | 3 | 0 |
| Sep 30, 2017 | Grant County | — | 2 | 0 |
| Sep 3, 2016 | McKinley County | — | 2 | 0 |
| Aug 25, 2006 | McKinley County | — | 2 | 0 |
| Jul 14, 2015 | McKinley County | — | 1 | 0 |
| Jul 8, 2013 | Santa Fe County | — | 1 | 0 |
| Aug 9, 2024 | Bernalillo County | — | 1 | 1 |