686
Recorded events
31
Counties affected
5
Direct deaths
$65.7M
Property damage
New Mexico tornado history: 686 recorded events across 31 counties between 1950 and 2026.
Decade by decade
New Mexico tornado history by decade
The 1990s are the busiest decade on record with 140 reported tornado 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 tornado events in New Mexico
| Rank | County | Events | Deaths | Damage | Span |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| #1 | Lea County | 97 | 0 | $27.1M | 1954–2024 |
| #2 | Roosevelt County | 61 | 0 | $4.8M | 1954–2025 |
| #3 | Eddy County | 59 | 0 | $3.3M | 1959–2019 |
| #4 | Curry County | 55 | 2 | $17.5M | 1955–2024 |
| #5 | Chaves County | 53 | 0 | $2.4M | 1951–2025 |
| #6 | Union County | 48 | 0 | $803K | 1951–2024 |
| #7 | Quay County | 43 | 0 | $4.2M | 1950–2023 |
| #8 | Santa Fe County | 27 | 0 | $442K | 1956–2021 |
| #9 | Lincoln County | 23 | 0 | $112K | 1957–2024 |
| #10 | Colfax County | 22 | 1 | $2.3M | 1960–2023 |
| #11 | Otero County | 18 | 0 | $580K | 1959–2020 |
| #12 | Torrance County | 18 | 0 | $310 | 1957–2024 |
| #13 | San Miguel County | 18 | 0 | $178K | 1957–2025 |
| #14 | Bernalillo County | 17 | 0 | $278K | 1957–2025 |
| #15 | Guadalupe County | 14 | 0 | $3K | 1956–2026 |
| #16 | Doña Ana County | 13 | 0 | $278K | 1959–2011 |
| #17 | Mora County | 12 | 0 | $0 | 1965–2022 |
| #18 | Sandoval County | 11 | 0 | $253K | 1966–2025 |
| #19 | San Juan County | 11 | 1 | $275K | 1957–2022 |
| #20 | De Baca County | 11 | 0 | $50K | 1971–2025 |
| #21 | Socorro County | 10 | 0 | $26K | 1950–2021 |
| #22 | Harding County | 8 | 0 | $50K | 1962–2017 |
| #23 | Grant County | 7 | 0 | $503K | 1957–2015 |
| #24 | Valencia County | 7 | 1 | $276K | 1954–2021 |
| #25 | Sierra County | 5 | 0 | $3K | 1958–1982 |
Significant events
Deadliest tornado events in New Mexico
| Date | County | Scale | Deaths | Injuries |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mar 24, 2007 | Curry County | EF2 | 2 | 33 |
| May 29, 1964 | Colfax County | F3 | 1 | 8 |
| May 11, 1957 | San Juan County | F2 | 1 | 0 |
| Oct 10, 1974 | Valencia County | F2 | 1 | 8 |