Greenlee County, AZ Environment & Hazard Risk
Very Low natural hazard risk, led by wildfire. 308 storm events since 1996.
- Expected yearly loss
- $5.35M
- Very Low nationally
- Storm events since 1996
- 308
- Most often drought
- Flood insurance policies
- 13
- 0.3% of homes
- Hurricanes nearby
- 0
- 2 tropical storms or stronger since 1929
Natural hazard risk
FEMA National Risk Index, December 2025
Overall risk
Very Low
Score 12.4 of 100
Social vulnerability
Relatively Low
Score 37.4 of 100
Community resilience
Relatively Low
Score 22.3 of 100
Community resilience runs the other way: a higher rating means a community can recover faster.
Building value exposed: $1.58B · Agriculture value exposed: $11.19M · Risk-adjusted yearly loss: $5.59M
Risk by hazard
- WildfireRelatively Low$531K/yr expected annual loss, about once every 302 years
- LightningRelatively Moderate$653K/yr expected annual loss, about 66 events a year
- LandslideRelatively Low$3,422/yr expected annual loss, about 1.7 events a year
- Heat waveRelatively Low$589K/yr expected annual loss, about 3.1 events a year
- AvalancheVery Low$332/yr expected annual loss, about once every 100 years
- DroughtRelatively Low$31.17K/yr expected annual loss, about 84 events a year
- Winter weatherRelatively Low$27.83K/yr expected annual loss, about 9.1 events a year
- EarthquakeVery Low$33.66K/yr expected annual loss, about once every 850 years
- Volcanic activityVery Low$0/yr expected annual loss, about once every 10,000 years
- HurricaneVery Low$630/yr expected annual loss, about once every 43 years
- HailVery Low$8,797/yr expected annual loss, about once every 9 years
- Cold waveVery Low$3,967/yr expected annual loss, about once every 32 years
- Strong windVery Low$10.95K/yr expected annual loss, about once every 5 years
- TornadoVery Low$849/yr expected annual loss, about once every 54 years
Bars show the national percentile score (0 to 100) for each hazard. Dollar figures are expected annual losses to buildings, people and crops. Not rated here: coastal flooding, ice storm, riverine flooding, tsunami.
Flood risk and insurance
National Flood Insurance Program and FEMA flood maps
Check the flood zone for an address
- Homes with flood insurance
- 13 of 3,773 (0.3%)
- Homes in high-risk flood zones
- 237
- Insured in high-risk zones
- 7 (3%)
- Flood claims since 1978
- 142
- Claims paid since 1978
- $2.16M
Flood claims paid per year
- Flooding$1.58M · 77 claims
Storm history
Since 1996: 308 events, 14 deaths, $1.17M in damage
- Drought116
- Excessive Heat39 · 6 deaths
- Wildfire38
- Winter Storm23
- Flash Flood21
- Thunderstorm Wind17
- Heavy Snow14
- High Wind9
- Hail8
- Heat8 · 7 deaths
Events per year
Most damaging storms
Since 1996, ranked by deaths, injuries and damage
- Heat07/10/2024
Upper Gila River and Aravaipa Valleys
2 deaths
What happened
Hot temperatures about 4 to 8 degrees above normal were experienced in the Upper Gila River Valley on July 10 through July 12, causing the Moderate Heat Risk category to be reached. The County Medical Examiner Office reported two deaths, both with the primary cause as heat in Safford and Pima during this time period.
- Excessive Heat08/07/2025
Upper Gila River and Aravaipa Valleys
1 death
What happened
High temperatures in Southeastern Arizona were 13 degrees above normal, causing Major HeatRisk. The Safford Agricultural Center reached a high temperature of 110 degrees Fahrenheit. The Pima County Medical Examiner found that heat was a contributing factor in the cause of death for an individual in Safford.
- Excessive Heat08/22/2025
Upper Gila River and Aravaipa Valleys
1 death
What happened
High temperatures in Southeastern Arizona were 6 degrees above normal, causing Major HeatRisk. The Safford Agriculture Center reached a high temperature of 102 degrees Fahrenheit. The Pima County Medical Examiner found that heat was a contributing factor in the cause of death for an individual in Safford.
- Heat06/01/2025
Upper Gila River and Aravaipa Valleys
1 death
What happened
High temperatures in Southeastern Arizona were 4 degrees below normal and a low temperature 8 degrees above normal, causing Low HeatRisk. The Black Hills RAWS near Bylas reached a high temperature of 95 degrees Fahrenheit. The Pima County Medical Examiner found that the cause of death for an individual in Bylas to be heat contributed.
- Excessive Heat08/03/2025
Upper Gila River and Aravaipa Valleys
1 death
What happened
High temperatures in Southeastern Arizona were 9 degrees above normal, causing Moderate HeatRisk. The Safford COOP site reached a high temperature of 107 degrees Fahrenheit. The Pima County Medical Examiner found that heat was a factor in the cause of death for an individual in Safford and was heat contributed.
- Cold/Wind Chill01/24/2025
Upper Gila River and Aravaipa Valleys
1 death
What happened
Cold morning temperatures were 4 to 7 degrees below normal across Southeastern Arizona. The Safford Airport reached a low temperature of 28 degrees Fahrenheit. The Pima County Medical Examiner confirmed that environmental cold exposure was the primary factor in the cause of death for an individual in Pima.
Latest storm reports
Newest first
- Excessive Heat07/31/2026
Upper Gila River and Aravaipa Valleys
1 death
- Heat03/19/2026
Upper Gila River and Aravaipa Valleys
1 death
- Drought01/01/2026
Upper Gila River and Aravaipa Valleys
- Drought12/01/2025
Upper Gila River and Aravaipa Valleys
- Drought11/01/2025
White Mountains of Graham and Greenlee Counties
- Drought11/01/2025
Upper Gila River and Aravaipa Valleys
- Drought10/14/2025
White Mountains of Graham and Greenlee Counties
- Drought10/01/2025
White Mountains of Graham and Greenlee Counties
Hurricanes and tropical storms
Storms whose track crossed Greenlee County, with the wind when it passed
- Hurricane Lester (1992)08/20/1992 · 985 mbTropical storm40 mph nearby
- Unnamed storm (1929)06/27/1929 · Landfall: TX · 982 mbTropical storm46 mph nearby
Drinking water
7 community water systems serve about 7,585 people. Violations since 2021.
5 systems had health-based violations, such as a contaminant over the legal limit or a missed treatment step. 1 system had a violation of any kind still open at last report.
- Morenci Water Elec Co MainServes 4,078 · Surface water · Private4 health violations+24 monitoring or reporting
- Morenci Water Elec Co CliftonServes 1,680 · Groundwater · PrivateNo health violations+9 monitoring or reporting
- Duncan Town ofServes 605 · Groundwater · Local government3 health violations+121 monitoring or reporting
- Cs Verde Lee Water CompanyServes 604 · Groundwater · Private12 health violations+19 monitoring or reporting
- Cs Loma Linda Water CompanyServes 351 · Groundwater · Private2 health violations+13 monitoring or reporting
- Valley View Mhc & Rv ParkServes 142 · Groundwater · Public and private1 health violation+22 monitoring or reporting
- Hunter Water - Town of DuncanServes 125 · Groundwater · Local governmentNo health violations+4 monitoring or reporting
Largest systems by population served. Monitoring and reporting violations mean required tests or notices were late or missing, not that the water was unsafe.
Climate
1991-2020 normals at Clifton, 3.7 mi from the county center
Summer highs peak around 100°F in Jul and winter lows bottom out near 35°F in Dec. About 17.0 inches of rain falls in a typical year.
| Month | High | Low | Rain |
|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 61°F | 35°F | 1.25 in |
| Feb | 66°F | 39°F | 1.53 in |
| Mar | 73°F | 45°F | 0.85 in |
| Apr | 81°F | 51°F | 0.47 in |
| May | 90°F | 59°F | 0.49 in |
| Jun | 100°F | 69°F | 0.43 in |
| Jul | 100°F | 74°F | 3.12 in |
| Aug | 98°F | 72°F | 3.28 in |
| Sep | 93°F | 66°F | 1.71 in |
| Oct | 83°F | 55°F | 1.45 in |
| Nov | 70°F | 42°F | 1.33 in |
| Dec | 60°F | 35°F | 1.11 in |
| Year | 67°F average | 17.0 in | |
Pollution sites
0 Superfund sites and 1 toxic release facility in Greenlee County
Superfund sites
None in this county.
Toxic release facilities
- Freeport-Mcmoran Morenci Inc6.3 million lbs released, Morenci
Total: 6.3 million lbs in 2024, 137,521 lbs to air.
Superfund sitesToxic release facilitiesEPA inspections and enforcementAir toxics cancer risk9 historic places
Frequently asked questions
- How risky is Greenlee County for natural disasters?
- FEMA rates Greenlee County very low for overall natural hazard risk, with expected losses of $5.35M a year. The highest-rated hazards are wildfire (relatively low), lightning (relatively moderate), landslide (relatively low).
- What storms are most common in Greenlee County?
- Since 1996, NOAA recorded 308 storm events affecting Greenlee County, most often drought (116), excessive heat (39), wildfire (38).
- How many homes in Greenlee County have flood insurance?
- 13 residential flood insurance policies are in force in Greenlee County, covering about 0.3% of homes. The program has paid $2.16M on 142 claims here since 1978.
- What is the weather like in Greenlee County?
- At Clifton, average highs reach 100°F in Jul and lows fall to 35°F in Dec, with 17.0 inches of rain a year (1991-2020 normals).
Source: FEMA (National Risk Index, NFIP), NOAA (Storm Events, HURDAT2, Climate Normals), EPA · Last updated 08/01/2026 · Storm counts include events in forecast zones that touch the county. This product uses the FEMA OpenFEMA API, but is not endorsed by FEMA.