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).
Disaster Type | Events | Events/Year | Percent Frequency | Total Costs | Percent of Total Costs |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Drought | 18 | 0.4 | 47.4% | $2.0B-$5.0B | 36.8% |
Flooding | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- |
Freeze | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- |
Severe Storm | 7 | 0.2 | 18.4% | $1.0B-$2.0B | 11.4% |
Tropical Cyclone | 1 | 0.0 | 2.6% | $250M-$500M | 3.3% |
Wildfire | 12 | 0.3 | 31.6% | $2.0B-$5.0B | 48.5% |
Winter Storm | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- |
All Disasters | 38 | 0.8 | 100.0% | $5.0B-$10.0B | 100.0% |
Time Period | Billion-Dollar Disasters | Events/ | Cost | Percent of Total Cost |
---|---|---|---|---|
1980s (1980-1989) | 0 | 0.0 | $0M | 0% |
1990s (1990-1999) | 3 | 0.3 | $250M-$500M | 3.8% |
2000s (2000-2009) | 12 | 1.2 | $2.0B-$5.0B | 26.6% |
2010s (2010-2019) | 12 | 1.2 | $2.0B-$5.0B | 24.7% |
Last 5 Years (2020-2024) | 11 | 2.2 | $2.0B-$5.0B | 44.9% |
Last 3 Years (2022-2024) | 6 | 2.0 | $2.0B-$5.0B | 38.8% |
Last Year (2024) | 2 | 2.0 | $1.0B-$2.0B | 19.5% |
All Years (1980-2024) | 38 | 0.8 | $5.0B-$10.0B | 100.0% |
Event | Type | Begin Date |
End Date |
Summary |
CPI-A djusted Estimated Cost (in Billions) |
Deaths |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Southern/ 2024 | Drought | January 1, 2024 | December 31, 2024 | Drought conditions impacted many Southern, Eastern and Northwestern states. This drought was more transient in its impacts over numerous states throughout the year. The states of Texas, Oklahoma and Kansas had some of the highest losses to crops from the effects of drought and heat. As the drought changed in intensity and duration throughout the year across several regions of the country. Several Northwestern states also had costly impacted to agriculture including Montana, Idaho and Washington. Numerous southern and eastern states from Mississippi through Pennsylvania also experienced crop impacts that were most severe in the Summer months. The drought conditions also strengthen through the Fall and Winter months impacting Maryland, Delaware and New Jersey. It was also one of the hottest years on record for a number of these states, which claimed more than 100 lives from excessive heat exposure. | $5.4 CI | 136 |
New Mexico Wildfires June 2024 | Wildfire | June 17, 2024 | July 7, 2024 | Numerous 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 CI | 2 |
Southern/ Spring-Fall 2023 | Drought | April 1, 2023 | September 30, 2023 | Drought conditions impacted numerous Southern and Midwestern states (TX, LA, OK, KS, IL, MO, NE) and surrounding states. The agriculture sector has been impacted across these affected states including damage to field crops from lack of rainfall. Ranchers have also been forced to sell-off livestock early in some regions due to high feeding costs. For the second straight year, portions of the Mississippi River have experienced low water levels impacting river commerce. This low flow has also allowed salt water from the Gulf of Mexico to migrate northward, along the bottom of the Mississippi River, impacting water quality in southern Louisiana. Several Northwestern states including Washington, Oregon and Montana have also been impacted by increasing drought effects. | $14.8 CI | 247 |
Western/ 2022 | Drought | January 1, 2022 | December 31, 2022 | Severe drought conditions impacted many Western and Central states. Large reservoirs across the West including Lake Mead, Lake Powell, Lake Oroville, and Shasta Lake, among others continue to be depleted. Lake Mead, the Nation's largest reservoir, is nearing dead pool status and is at the lowest level since it was filled in the 1930s. The Great Salt Lake is also near record-low levels. The impacts of the drought affected crop production across may states and sharply increased feeding costs for livestock. Many segments of the Mississippi River also experienced low water levels causing delays and reductions in river commerce. Extreme heat also developed for many days across Western and Central states. These excess heat conditions caused more than one hundred heat-related fatalities focused across Arizona, Nevada, California, Oregon and Texas. The 2022 drought was one of the costlier droughts on record, with a diverse array of direct impacts across different regions and industries. | $23.5 CI | 136 |
Western Wildfires Spring-Fall 2022 | Wildfire | April 1, 2022 | November 30, 2022 | Severe drought conditions and periods of extreme heat provided conditions favorable for another damaging western wildfire season most focused across New Mexico, Oregon, Idaho, Montana, California and Alaska. The Calf Canyon and Hermits Peak Fires in New Mexico merged in April consuming over 340,000 acres. This became the largest and most destructive wildfire on record in New Mexico - damaging or destroying over 1,000 structures. Other large wildfires included the Double Creek Fire (Oregon), the Moose Fire (Idaho), the Mosquito Fire (California), the Trail Creek Fire (Montana) and the Lime Complex Fire (Alaska), among many others. Over 7.5 million acres burned nationally during the 2022 wildfire season. | $3.3 CI | 17 |
Southern and Central Severe Weather May 2022 | Severe Storm | May 1, 2022 | May 3, 2022 | Severe 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 CI | 1 |
Western Wildfires 2021 | Wildfire | June 1, 2021 | December 31, 2021 | Severe drought conditions and periods of extreme heat provided conditions favorable for another damaging western wildfire season most focused across California, Colorado, Oregon, Washington, Idaho, Montana and Arizona. The Dixie Fire consumed over 960,000 acres making it the second-largest wildfire on record in California while also destroying more than 1,000 structures. California's Caldor Fire grew rapidly during August, threatening South Lake Tahoe communities and burned over 220,000 acres. Other large wildfires included the Ford Corkscrew Fire (Washington), the Bootleg Fire (Oregon), the Boundary Fire (Idaho), the Trail Creek Fire (Montana) and the Telegraph Fire (Arizona), among many others. There was also the Marshall Fire in Boulder County, Colorado on December 30 that damaged or destroyed more than 1,000 homes and businesses. This wildfire is the most destructive on record in Colorado. Throughout the wildfire season air quality was also a concern across numerous states, as ash and fine particulates from wildfires obscured the skies and made outdoor activities more hazardous. Over 7.1 million acres burned nationally during the 2021 wildfire season. | $12.1 CI | 8 |
Western Drought and Heat Wave 2021 | Drought | January 1, 2021 | December 31, 2021 | Western drought conditions were persistent throughout 2021, as the drought expanded and intensified across many Western states. A historic heat wave also developed for many days across the Pacific Northwest shattering numerous all-time high temperature records across the region. This prolonged heat dome was maximized over the states of Oregon and Washington and extended well into Canada. These extreme temperatures impacted several major cities and millions of people. For example, Portland reached a high of 116 degrees F while Seattle reached 108 degrees F. These extreme temperatures caused hundreds of direct and indirect heat-related fatalities across Oregon and Washington, not including excess mortality that may be hundreds of additional deaths. This combined drought and heat rapidly dried out vegetation across the West, impacting agriculture. Low water levels also forced the hydroelectric power plant at Lake Oroville in California to shut down for the first time since it opened in 1967. | $10.2 CI | 229 |
Central Severe Storms July 2021 | Severe Storm | July 8, 2021 | July 11, 2021 | Severe 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 CI | 0 |
Western Wildfires - California, Oregon, Washington Firestorms Fall 2020 | Wildfire | August 1, 2020 | December 30, 2020 | A record-breaking U.S. wildfire season burned more than 10.2 million acres. California more than doubled its previous annual record for area burned (last set in 2018) with over 4.1 million acres. Five of the top six largest wildfires on record in California (dating to 1932) burned during August and September. The August Complex was the largest California wildfire, which began as 37 separate wildfires within the Mendocino National Forest, set off after storms caused >10,000 lightning strikes across Northern California. Approximately 10,500 structures were damaged or destroyed across California. Oregon also had historic levels of wildfire damage, as over 2,000 structures burned. These wildfires spread rapidly and destroyed several small towns in California, Oregon and Washington. Colorado also had a severe wildfire season, as its three largest wildfires on record burned during 2020. Dense wildfire smoke also produced hazardous air quality that affected millions of people that also included major cities for weeks. Hundreds of additional wildfires also burned across other Western states. | $19.9 CI | 46 |
Western/ Summer-Fall 2020 | Drought | June 1, 2020 | December 30, 2020 | Widespread, continuous drought and record heat affected more than a dozen Western and Central states for much of the summer, fall and into the winter months. Persistent above-average temperatures and precipitation deficits caused D3 (extreme) and D4 (exceptional) drought coverage in December that was the largest extent since August 2012. Death Valley recorded a temperature of 130 degrees F - the highest measured temperature globally in decades - while Los Angeles county recorded a record high of 121 degrees F. There were considerable crop and livestock impacts across the West and Central states from both the persistent heat and increasingly dry conditions. The combined drought and heat also assisted in drying out vegetation across the West that contributed to the Western wildfire potential and severity. | $5.4 CI | 45 |
Southwest/ Summer-Fall 2018 | Drought | June 1, 2018 | December 30, 2018 | Drought 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 CI | 0 |
Central and Northeast Severe Weather May 2018 | Severe Storm | May 1, 2018 | May 4, 2018 | Numerous 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 CI | 0 |
Colorado Hail Storm and Central Severe Weather May 2017 | Severe Storm | May 8, 2017 | May 11, 2017 | Hail 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 CI | 0 |
Texas Tornadoes and Midwest Flooding December 2015 | Severe Storm | December 26, 2015 | December 29, 2015 | A 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 CI | 50 |
Western Drought 2014 | Drought | January 1, 2014 | December 31, 2014 | Historic drought conditions affected the majority of California for all of 2014 making it the worst drought on record for the state. Surrounding states and parts of Texas, Oklahoma and Kansas also experienced continued severe drought conditions. This is a continuation of drought conditions that have persisted for several years. | $5.3 CI | 0 |
Western/ Spring-Fall 2013 | Drought | March 1, 2013 | November 30, 2013 | The 2013 drought slowly dissipated from the historic levels of the 2012 drought, as conditions improved across many Midwestern and Plains states. However, moderate to extreme drought did remain or expand into western states (AZ, CA, CO, IA, ID, IL, KS, MI, MN, MO, ND, NE, NM, NV, OK, OR, SD, TX, UT, WA, WI, WY). In comparison to 2011 and 2012 drought conditions the US experienced only moderate crop losses across the central agriculture states. | $14.3 CI | 53 |
U.S. Drought/ 2012 | Drought | January 1, 2012 | December 31, 2012 | The 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 CI | 123 |
Western Wildfires Summer-Fall 2012 | Wildfire | June 1, 2012 | November 30, 2012 | Wildfires burned over 9.2 million acres across the U.S. in 2012. This is the 3rd highest annual total since the year 2000. The most damaging wildfires occurred in the western states (CO, ID, WY, MT, CA, NV, OR, WA). Colorado experienced the most costly wildfires (e.g., Waldo Canyon fire) where several hundred residences were destroyed. | $2.4 CI | 8 |
Rockies/ June 2012 | Severe Storm | June 6, 2012 | June 12, 2012 | Severe 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 CI | 0 |
Texas, New Mexico, Arizona Wildfires Summer-Fall 2011 | Wildfire | June 1, 2011 | November 30, 2011 | Continued 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 CI | 5 |
Southern Plains/ Spring-Summer 2011 | Drought | March 1, 2011 | August 31, 2011 | Drought 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 CI | 95 |
Rockies/ June 2010 | Severe Storm | June 10, 2010 | June 15, 2010 | Severe storms cause high wind and hail damage across numerous states including CO, NM, KS, OK, IL, IN, GA, SC and NC. | $1.3* CI | 2 |
Southwest/ 2009 | Drought | January 1, 2009 | December 31, 2009 | Drought conditions occurred during much of the year across parts of the Southwest, Great Plains, and southern Texas causing agricultural losses in numerous states (TX, OK, KS, CA, NM, AZ). The largest agriculture losses occurred in TX and CA. | $5.2 CI | 0 |
Western Wildfires Summer-Fall 2009 | Wildfire | June 1, 2009 | November 30, 2009 | Residual 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 CI | 10 |
U.S. Drought 2008 | Drought | January 1, 2008 | December 31, 2008 | Severe drought and heat caused agricultural losses across a large portion of the U.S. Record low lake levels also occurred in areas of the southeast. The states impacted include AL, AR, CA, CO, GA, ID, IN, KS, KY, MD, MN, MS, MT, NC, ND, NJ, NM, OH, OK, OR, SC, TN, TX, UT, VA, WA and WI. | $10.4 CI | 0 |
U.S. Wildfires Fall 2008 | Wildfire | September 1, 2008 | November 30, 2008 | Drought conditions across numerous western, central and southeastern states (AK, AZ, CA, NM, ID, UT, MT, NV, OR, WA, CO, TX, OK, NC, FL ) resulted in thousands of wildfires; national acreage burned exceeding 5.2 million acres (mainly in the west) and over 1,000 homes and structures destroyed in California fires alone. | $1.8 CI | 16 |
Hurricane Dolly July 2008 | Tropical Cyclone | July 23, 2008 | July 25, 2008 | Category 2 hurricane makes landfall in southern Texas causing considerable wind and flooding damage in TX and NM. | $1.8 CI | 3 |
Numerous Wildfires 2006 | Wildfire | January 1, 2006 | December 31, 2006 | Numerous wildfires driven by dry weather and high winds burned over 9.8 million acres, across the western half of the country including Alaska. This is the second highest annual total behind the 10.1 million acres burned in 2015 since record-keeping began in 1960. The most affected states were AK, AZ, CA, CO, FL, ID, MT, NM, NV, OK, OR, TX, WA, WY | $2.3 CI | 28 |
Midwest/ Spring-Summer 2006 | Drought | March 1, 2006 | August 31, 2006 | Rather 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 CI | 0 |
Western/ Spring-Fall 2003 | Drought | March 1, 2003 | November 30, 2003 | 2003 drought across western and central portions of the U.S. with losses to agriculture. The states most impacted include AZ, CO, IA, ID, IL, KS, MI, MN, MO, MT, ND, NE, NM, OR, SD, WA and WI. | $8.7 CI | 35 |
Western Fire Season Fall 2002 | Wildfire | September 1, 2002 | November 30, 2002 | Major 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 CI | 21 |
U.S. Drought Spring-Fall 2002 | Drought | March 1, 2002 | November 30, 2002 | Moderate 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 CI | 0 |
Western/ Spring-Fall 2000 | Drought | March 1, 2000 | November 30, 2000 | Western/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 CI | 140 |
Western Fire Season Spring-Summer 2000 | Wildfire | March 1, 2000 | August 31, 2000 | Severe wildfire season in the western states due to drought and frequent winds, with nearly 7 million acres burned. | $2.0 CI | 0 |
Southern Plains Drought Spring-Summer 1996 | Drought | March 1, 1996 | August 31, 1996 | Severe drought in agricultural regions of southern plains--Texas and Oklahoma most severely affected | $3.7 CI | 0 |
Central, Southern and Northeast Drought/ September 1995 | Drought | July 1, 1995 | September 30, 1995 | Historic 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 CI | 872 |
Western Fire Season Summer-Fall 1994 | Wildfire | June 1, 1994 | November 30, 1994 | Severe wildfire season in the western states due to dry weather conditions. The states most impacted include CA, AZ, OR, WA, CO, UT, NV, NM and TX. | $1.5* CI | 0 |
†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.
Citing this information:
- NOAA National Centers for Environmental Information (NCEI) U.S. Billion-Dollar Weather and Climate Disasters (2025). https://www.ncei.noaa.gov/access/billions/, DOI: 10.25921/stkw-7w73