Bernalillo County, NM Environment & Hazard Risk
Relatively High natural hazard risk, led by winter weather. 917 storm events since 1996.
- Expected yearly loss
- $154M
- Relatively Moderate nationally
- Storm events since 1996
- 917
- Most often drought
- Flood insurance policies
- 1,069
- 0.5% of homes
- Hurricanes nearby
- 0
- Since 1851
Natural hazard risk
FEMA National Risk Index, December 2025
Overall risk
Relatively High
Score 94.4 of 100
Social vulnerability
Relatively Moderate
Score 43.6 of 100
Community resilience
Relatively Moderate
Score 41.3 of 100
Community resilience runs the other way: a higher rating means a community can recover faster.
Building value exposed: $129B · Agriculture value exposed: $12M · Risk-adjusted yearly loss: $167M
Risk by hazard
- Winter weatherVery High$1.52M/yr expected annual loss, about 9.5 events a year
- EarthquakeRelatively Moderate$40.01M/yr expected annual loss, about once every 234 years
- LightningVery High$2.53M/yr expected annual loss, about 60 events a year
- Heat waveRelatively Moderate$6.27M/yr expected annual loss, about 2.0 events a year
- WildfireRelatively Moderate$3.34M/yr expected annual loss, about once every 546 years
- HailRelatively High$2.79M/yr expected annual loss, about once every 1 year
- Strong windRelatively Moderate$1.21M/yr expected annual loss, about once every 4 years
- Ice stormRelatively Moderate$168K/yr expected annual loss, about once every 41 years
- DroughtRelatively Low$234K/yr expected annual loss, about 66 events a year
- Cold waveRelatively Low$1.18M/yr expected annual loss, about once every 15 years
- TornadoRelatively Low$1.46M/yr expected annual loss, about once every 12 years
- LandslideVery Low$782/yr expected annual loss, about once every 4 years
- Volcanic activityVery Low$0/yr expected annual loss, about once every 10,000 years
- AvalancheVery Low$38/yr expected annual loss, about once every 100 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, hurricane, 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
- 1,069 of 226,675 (0.5%)
- Homes in high-risk flood zones
- 2,123
- Insured in high-risk zones
- 607 (29%)
- Flood claims since 1978
- 173
- Claims paid since 1978
- $1.43M
Flood claims paid per year
- 2025 July NM Flooding$21.57K · 2 claims
- Tropical Storm Harold$0 · 1 claim
Storm history
Since 1996: 917 events, 22 deaths, $32.99M in damage
- Drought230
- Hail175
- High Wind146
- Thunderstorm Wind101
- Flash Flood98 · 11 deaths
- Heavy Snow82 · 4 deaths
- Heavy Rain16 · 3 deaths
- Lightning11 · 1 death
- Wildfire11
- Dust Storm8
Events per year
17 tornadoes on record (EF0 3, F0 10, F1 1).
Most damaging storms
Since 1996, ranked by deaths, injuries and damage
- Dust Storm06/19/2024
Middle Rio Grande Valley/Albuquerque Metro Area
51 injured, $100K damage
What happened
Strong outflow winds from thunderstorms along the central mountain chain resulted in a haboob moving west across Interstate 25. The lower visibility resulted in a 23 car pile up and the resultant closure of Interstate 25 between San Felipe casino and Santo Domingo Pueblo. News reports showed 51 people were taken to the hospital.
- Flash Flood07/20/2021
Albuquerque, Bernalillo County
3 deaths
What happened
A thunderstorm with heavy rain rates of 3 to 4 inches per hour resulted in flash flooding across eastern portions of Albuquerque. Several reports of flooded roadways and yards in the Albuquerque foothills was received. The rainfall also quickly filled up in city's arroyos, and three people within the arroyos were swept away. Emergency crews performed water rescues for the three individuals for several hours on July 20th, but rescue efforts were not successful. Unfortunately, emergency personnel recovered the bodies of two adult men on July 21st in the diversion channel washout area, and the body of a third adult man was recovered on July 22nd. A spokesperson for Albuquerque Fire remarked that this was the deadliest flooding event in Albuquerque in recent memory.
- Heavy Snow02/02/2022
Sandia/Manzano Mountains Including Edgewood
2 deaths
What happened
Various sources measured heavy snow totals in excess of six inches across the area. The highest snow totals were near Sandia Park where a CoCoRaHS observer measured 16.4 inches of snow while areas near Sedillo and Edgewood received 10 to 12 inches of new snow. The heavy snow resulted in snow packed and icy roads which lead to severe driving conditions in the area. Several motor vehicle accidents were reported, but one of these crashes resulted in two indirect fatalities. Two people inside of a car traveling near Sandia Crest fell nearly 100 feet down the side of the mountain. One was declared dead at the scene while the other was rescued and transported to the hospital, but they later succumbed to their injuries.
- Winter Weather11/07/2024
Santa Fe Metro Area
2 deaths
What happened
Heavy snow up to a foot caused power outages from San Ildefonso to Gallisteo and Santa Fe. State government offices were shutdown on November 7th. Unfortunately the cold resulted in two fatalities, one on the morning of the 7th and another on the morning of the 8th in Santa Fe. An unidentified male in his 50s was found Thursday outside Freedom Church on Cerrillos Road and Vegas Verdes Drive. Cody Lee Morales, 28, was found Friday morning near Cesar Chaves Elementary School on Jaguar Drive. The two deaths were determined to be from exposure to the cold, temperatures fell into the 20s each night.
- Heavy Rain05/21/2018
Albuquerque, Bernalillo County
1 death, 5 injured
What happened
An intense burst of rainfall dropped a quick one half inch to one inch of rainfall along with abundant hail in the Midtown area of Albuquerque. Six individuals occupying the urban flood control system were swept away. Five individuals were rescued but the sixth succumbed to flood waters.
- Heavy Snow02/02/2022
Middle Rio Grande Valley/Albuquerque Metro Area
1 death, 3 injured
What happened
Numerous sources reported heavy snow across the Albuquerque metro area. Snow totals varied across the city with the highest totals located in the northern half of the metro where a CoCoRaHS observer in Rio Rancho measured 7.5 inches of snow. At the official climate site at the Albuquerque International Airport, the snow total for this event was 1.6 inches. This snow combined with dangerously cold temperatures resulted in treacherous road conditions. The Albuquerque Police Department responded to 51 vehicle accidents during this event with three of those involving injuries. One indirect fatality also resulted from this event. A Rio Grande High School senior was struck by an out-of-control pickup truck in Los Lunas as he was helping a woman whose car had gotten stuck in the ice and snow. The 18-year-old male was pronounced dead at the scene.
Latest storm reports
Newest first
- Thunderstorm Wind50 kt wind07/25/2026
Paradise Hills, Bernalillo County
- Flash Flood07/24/2026
Albuquerque, Bernalillo County
- Thunderstorm Wind68 kt wind07/24/2026
(Abq)albuquerque Intl Airport, Bernalillo County
- Thunderstorm Wind51 kt wind06/25/2026
Carnuel, Bernalillo County
- Thunderstorm Wind52 kt wind06/14/2026
Paradise Hills, Bernalillo County
- Thunderstorm Wind57 kt wind06/08/2026
Paradise Hills, Bernalillo County
- Hail0.75" hail06/03/2026
Cedar Crest, Bernalillo County
- Drought06/01/2026
Middle Rio Grande Valley/Albuquerque Metro Area
Drinking water
46 community water systems serve about 641,873 people. Violations since 2021.
24 systems had health-based violations, such as a contaminant over the legal limit or a missed treatment step. 14 systems had a violation of any kind still open at last report.
- Albuquerque Water SystemServes 560,326 · Surface water · Local governmentNo health violations
- University of New MexicoServes 35,000 · Purchased surface water · State1 health violation+8 monitoring or reporting
- Kirtland Air Force BaseServes 22,500 · Groundwater · FederalNo health violations+3 monitoring or reporting
- Entranosa Water AssociationServes 8,500 · Groundwater · PrivateNo health violations
- Sandia Peak UtilityServes 6,079 · Groundwater · Private1 health violation+1 monitoring or reporting
- Tierra West Estates MhpServes 1,447 · Groundwater · Private1 health violation+4 monitoring or reporting
- Sandia Knolls Water SystemServes 1,098 · Groundwater · Private1 health violation+1 monitoring or reporting
- Tranquillo Pines MdwcaServes 814 · Groundwater · Private14 health violations+7 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 Albuquerque Valley, 1.7 mi from the county center
Summer highs peak around 93°F in Jul and winter lows bottom out near 22°F in Jan. About 9.7 inches of rain falls in a typical year, with 6.8 inches of snow.
| Month | High | Low | Rain | Snow |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 51°F | 22°F | 0.45 in | 1.4 in |
| Feb | 57°F | 27°F | 0.47 in | 1.3 in |
| Mar | 66°F | 33°F | 0.54 in | 0.6 in |
| Apr | 72°F | 40°F | 0.59 in | 0.3 in |
| May | 81°F | 48°F | 0.48 in | - |
| Jun | 91°F | 57°F | 0.57 in | - |
| Jul | 93°F | 63°F | 1.53 in | - |
| Aug | 90°F | 62°F | 1.52 in | - |
| Sep | 83°F | 54°F | 1.26 in | - |
| Oct | 72°F | 41°F | 1.02 in | 0.3 in |
| Nov | 60°F | 30°F | 0.59 in | 0.6 in |
| Dec | 50°F | 22°F | 0.65 in | 2.3 in |
| Year | 57°F average | 9.67 in | 6.8 in | |
Pollution sites
4 Superfund sites and 28 toxic release facilities in Bernalillo County
Superfund sites
- Carlisle Village CleanersFinalAlbuquerque
- Fruit Avenue PlumeFinalAlbuquerque
- South ValleyFinalAlbuquerque
- at&sf (Albuquerque)FinalAlbuquerque
Toxic release facilities
- Cts Electronic Components Inc238,534 lbs released, Albuquerque
- Abb Installation Products Inc.31,352 lbs released, Albuquerque
- Materion Advanced Materials Technologies & Services Mesa Del30,354 lbs released, Albuquerque
- US Doe National Training Center10,316 lbs released, Albuquerque
- US Dod Usaf Kirtland Air Force Base7,735 lbs released, Kirtland AFB
- Western Refining - Albuquerque LP Terminal5,129 lbs released, Albuquerque
- E-Chem LLC4,567 lbs released, Albuquerque
- Aj Maes Dba Sandia Marble3,741 lbs released, Albuquerque
- Gcc Rio Grande Inc2,984 lbs released, Tijeras
- Dfa Dairy Brands Fluid LLC Dba Creamland2,692 lbs released, Albuquerque
Total: 341,304 lbs in 2024, 61,914 lbs to air.
Superfund sitesToxic release facilitiesEPA inspections and enforcementAir toxics cancer risk126 historic places
Frequently asked questions
- How risky is Bernalillo County for natural disasters?
- FEMA rates Bernalillo County relatively high for overall natural hazard risk, with expected losses of $154M a year. The highest-rated hazards are winter weather (very high), earthquake (relatively moderate), lightning (very high).
- What storms are most common in Bernalillo County?
- Since 1996, NOAA recorded 917 storm events affecting Bernalillo County, most often drought (230), hail (175), high wind (146).
- How many tornadoes have hit Bernalillo County?
- 17 tornadoes have been recorded in Bernalillo County since 1950.
- How many homes in Bernalillo County have flood insurance?
- 1,069 residential flood insurance policies are in force in Bernalillo County, covering about 0.5% of homes. The program has paid $1.43M on 173 claims here since 1978.
- What is the weather like in Bernalillo County?
- At Albuquerque Valley, average highs reach 93°F in Jul and lows fall to 22°F in Jan, with 9.7 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.