New Mexico Summary

From 1980–2024, there were 38 confirmed weather/climate disaster events with losses exceeding $1 billion each to affect New Mexico. These events included 18 drought events, 7 severe storm events, 1 tropical cyclone event, and 12 wildfire events. The 1980–2024 annual average is 0.8 events (CPI-adjusted); the annual average for the most recent 5 years (2020–2024) is 2.2 events (CPI-adjusted).

Billion-dollar events to affect New Mexico from 1980 to 2024 (CPI-Adjusted)
Disaster TypeEventsEvents/​YearPercent FrequencyTotal CostsPercent of Total Costs
Drought180.447.4%$2.0B-$5.0B36.8%
Flooding----------
Freeze----------
Severe Storm70.218.4%$1.0B-$2.0B11.4%
Tropical Cyclone10.02.6%$250M-$500M3.3%
Wildfire120.331.6%$2.0B-$5.0B48.5%
Winter Storm----------
All Disasters380.8100.0%$5.0B-$10.0B100.0%
Select Time Period Comparisons of New Mexico Billion-Dollar Drought, Flooding, Freeze, Severe Storm, Tropical Cyclone, Wildfire, and Winter Storm Statistics (CPI-Adjusted)
Time PeriodBillion-Dollar DisastersEvents/YearCostPercent of Total Cost
1980s (1980-1989)00.0$0M0%
1990s (1990-1999)30.3$250M-$500M3.8%
2000s (2000-2009)121.2$2.0B-$5.0B26.6%
2010s (2010-2019)121.2$2.0B-$5.0B24.7%
Last 5 Years (2020-2024)112.2$2.0B-$5.0B44.9%
Last 3 Years (2022-2024)62.0$2.0B-$5.0B38.8%
Last Year (2024)22.0$1.0B-$2.0B19.5%
All Years (1980-2024)380.8$5.0B-$10.0B100.0%
Billion-Dollar Events to affect New Mexico
Event Type Begin
Date
End
Date
Summary CPI-Adjusted
Estimated
Cost
(in Billions)
Deaths
New Mexico Wildfires
June 2024
WildfireJune 17, 2024July 7, 2024Numerous wildfires cause damage to homes, vehicles, businesses, agriculture and other infrastructure in New Mexico during June and July. The most impactful wildfire so far this year is the South Fork Fire that began on June 17 near the town of Ruidoso. It spread rapidly due to strong winds and destroyed over one thousand structures$1.8 CI2
Southern and Central Severe Weather
May 2022
Severe StormMay 1, 2022May 3, 2022Severe weather producing high winds and large, damaging hail impacted several Southern and Central states including Texas, Oklahoma, Ohio and Pennsylvania. Many homes, businesses, vehicles and agriculture assets were damaged.$1.2 CI1
Central Severe Storms
July 2021
Severe StormJuly 8, 2021July 11, 2021Severe storms caused considerable hail damage across numerous Central states including Missouri, Nebraska, Iowa, South Dakota, North Dakota, New Mexico and Texas. There was also widespread high wind damage to homes, vehicles and businesses in many other surrounding states.$1.3 CI0
Southwest/Southern Plains Drought
Summer-Fall 2018
DroughtJune 1, 2018December 30, 2018Drought conditions were present across numerous Southwestern and Plains states (TX, OK, KS, MO, CO, NM, AZ, UT). The most extreme drought conditions continue to persist across the Four Corners region of the Southwest. The agriculture sector has been impacted across the affected states including damage to field crops from lack of rainfall. Ranchers have also be forced to sell-off livestock early in some regions due to high feeding costs.$3.8 CI0
Central and Northeast Severe Weather
May 2018
Severe StormMay 1, 2018May 4, 2018Numerous central states (KS, NE, OK, TX, NM, MO, IA, IL, IN, OH, WI) were impacted by large hail and tornadoes. Several northeastern states including NY, PA and VT were also impacted by high wind damage from severe storms.$1.8 CI0
Colorado Hail Storm and Central Severe Weather
May 2017
Severe StormMay 8, 2017May 11, 2017Hail storm and wind damage impacting several states including CO, OK, TX, NM, MO. The most costly impacts were in the Denver metro region where baseball-sized hail caused the most expensive hail storm in Colorado history, with insured losses exceeding $2.2 ($2.8) billion.$4.3 CI0
Texas Tornadoes and Midwest Flooding
December 2015
Severe StormDecember 26, 2015December 29, 2015A powerful storm system packing unseasonably strong tornadoes caused widespread destruction in the Dallas metropolitan region, damaging well over 1,000 homes and businesses. This same potent system also produced intense rainfall over several Midwestern states triggering historic flooding that has approached or broken records at river gauges in several states (MO, IL, AR, TN, MS, LA). The flooding has overtopped levees and caused damage in numerous areas. This historic storm also produced high wind, snow and ice impacts from New Mexico through the Midwest and into New England. Overall, the storm caused at least 50 deaths from the combined impact of tornadoes, flooding and winter weather.$2.6 CI50
U.S. Drought/Heat Wave
2012
DroughtJanuary 1, 2012December 31, 2012The 2012 drought is the most extensive drought to affect the U.S. since the 1930s. Moderate to extreme drought conditions affected more than half the country for a majority of 2012. The following states were affected: CA, NV, ID, MT, WY, UT, CO, AZ, NM, TX, ND, SD, NE, KS, OK, AR, MO, IA, MN, IL, IN, GA. Costly drought impacts occurred across the central agriculture states resulting in widespread harvest failure for corn, sorghum and soybean crops, among others. The associated summer heat wave also caused 123 direct deaths, but an estimate of the excess mortality due to heat stress is still unknown.$41.7 CI123
Rockies/Southwest Severe Weather
June 2012
Severe StormJune 6, 2012June 12, 2012Severe storms and damaging hail over several states (CO, NM, TX) with 25 confirmed tornadoes. Colorado experienced over $1.0 ($1.4) billion in damage due to hail.$3.6 CI0
Texas, New Mexico, Arizona Wildfires
Summer-Fall 2011
WildfireJune 1, 2011November 30, 2011Continued drought conditions and periods of extreme heat provided conditions favorable for a series of historic wildfires across Texas, New Mexico and Arizona. The Bastrop Fire in Texas was the most destructive fire in Texas history destroying over 1,500 homes. The Wallow Fire consumed over 500,000 acres in Arizona making it the largest on record in Arizona. The Las Conchas Fire in New Mexico was also the state's largest wildfire on record scorching over 150,000 acres while threatening the Los Alamos National Laboratory. Over 3 million acres have burned across Texas this wildfire season.$2.5 CI5
Southern Plains/Southwest Drought and Heat Wave
Spring-Summer 2011
DroughtMarch 1, 2011August 31, 2011Drought and heat wave conditions created major impacts across Texas, Oklahoma, New Mexico, Arizona, southern Kansas, and western Louisiana. In Texas and Oklahoma, a majority of range and pastures were classified in "very poor" condition for much of the 2011 crop growing season.$17.1 CI95
Rockies/Central/East Severe Weather
June 2010
Severe StormJune 10, 2010June 15, 2010Severe storms cause high wind and hail damage across numerous states including CO, NM, KS, OK, IL, IN, GA, SC and NC.$1.3* CI2
Western Wildfires
Summer-Fall 2009
WildfireJune 1, 2009November 30, 2009Residual and sustained drought conditions across western and south-central states resulted in thousands of wildfires. Most affected states include CA, AZ, NM, TX, OK, and UT. National wildfire acreage burned exceeds 5.9 million acres. Over 200 homes and structures destroyed in the California "Station" fire alone.$1.5 CI10
Hurricane Dolly
July 2008
Tropical CycloneJuly 23, 2008July 25, 2008Category 2 hurricane makes landfall in southern Texas causing considerable wind and flooding damage in TX and NM.$1.8 CI3
Midwest/Plains/Southeast Drought
Spring-Summer 2006
DroughtMarch 1, 2006August 31, 2006Rather severe drought affected crops especially during the spring-summer, centered over the Great Plains region with other areas affected across portions of the south -- including states of ND, SD, NE, KS, OK, TX, MN, IA, MO, AR, LA, MS, AL, GA, FL, MT, WY, CO, NM.$9.5 CI0
Western Fire Season
Fall 2002
WildfireSeptember 1, 2002November 30, 2002Major wildfires over 11 western states from the Rockies to the west coast due to drought and periodic high winds, with over 7.1 million acres burned.$2.3 CI21
U.S. Drought
Spring-Fall 2002
DroughtMarch 1, 2002November 30, 2002Moderate to extreme drought over large portions of more than 30 states, including the western states, the Great Plains, and much of the eastern U.S.$16.0 CI0
Western/Central/Southeast Drought/Heat Wave
Spring-Fall 2000
DroughtMarch 1, 2000November 30, 2000Western/Central/Southeast Drought/Heat Wave. The states impacted include AZ, AL, AR, CA, CO, FL, GA, IA, KS, LA, MS, MT, NE, NM, OK, OR, SC, TN, and TX.$9.3 CI140
Southern Plains Drought
Spring-Summer 1996
DroughtMarch 1, 1996August 31, 1996Severe drought in agricultural regions of southern plains--Texas and Oklahoma most severely affected$3.7 CI0
Central, Southern and Northeast Drought/Heat Wave
September 1995
DroughtJuly 1, 1995September 30, 1995Historic mid-July heat wave and urban heat island amplification caused hundreds of deaths across several major cities including Chicago, Milwaukee, and Philadelphia. Following the heat wave was hot, dry weather in July and August 1995 that affected crops in numerous states, as crops had not rooted well due to late planting from previous wet soils. This left crops vulnerable to a flash drought during a key portion of the growing season.$2.0 CI872

Deaths associated with drought are the result of heat waves. (Not all droughts are accompanied by extreme heat waves.)

Flooding events (river basin or urban flooding from excessive rainfall) are separate from inland flood damage caused by tropical cyclone events.

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