De Baca County, NM Environment & Hazard Risk
Very Low natural hazard risk, led by drought. 306 storm events since 1996.
- Expected yearly loss
- $2.3M
- Very Low nationally
- Storm events since 1996
- 306
- Most often hail
- Flood insurance policies
- 1
- 0.1% of homes
- Hurricanes nearby
- 0
- Since 1851
Natural hazard risk
FEMA National Risk Index, December 2025
Overall risk
Very Low
Score 4.1 of 100
Social vulnerability
Relatively High
Score 62.8 of 100
Community resilience
Very Low
Score 14.5 of 100
Community resilience runs the other way: a higher rating means a community can recover faster.
Building value exposed: $481M · Agriculture value exposed: $36.2M · Risk-adjusted yearly loss: $3M
Risk by hazard
- DroughtRelatively Moderate$707K/yr expected annual loss, about 115 events a year
- WildfireRelatively Low$260K/yr expected annual loss, about once every 194 years
- Winter weatherVery Low$17.2K/yr expected annual loss, about 8.4 events a year
- Volcanic activityVery Low$0/yr expected annual loss, about once every 10,000 years
- Heat waveVery Low$25.3K/yr expected annual loss, about 1.8 events a year
- HailVery Low$23.2K/yr expected annual loss, about 1.3 events a year
- LandslideVery Low$18/yr expected annual loss, about once every 4 years
- Cold waveVery Low$30.6K/yr expected annual loss, about once every 3 years
- LightningVery Low$16.6K/yr expected annual loss, about 52 events a year
- Strong windVery Low$30.7K/yr expected annual loss, about once every 2 years
- EarthquakeVery Low$3,195/yr expected annual loss, about once every 2,933 years
- TornadoVery Low$10.2K/yr expected annual loss, about once every 3 years
- Ice stormVery Low$1,078/yr expected annual loss, about once every 3 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: avalanche, 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 of 1,060 (0.1%)
- Homes in high-risk flood zones
- 0
Storm history
Since 1996: 306 events, 0 deaths, $868K in damage
- Hail137
- Thunderstorm Wind63
- Drought40
- High Wind26
- Flash Flood20
- Heavy Snow5
- Tornado5
- Heavy Rain3
- Funnel Cloud3
- Flood2
Events per year
11 tornadoes on record (EF0 2, F0 5, F1 3).
Most damaging storms
Since 1996, ranked by deaths, injuries and damage
- Thunderstorm Wind61 kt wind07/20/2015
Chilili, De Baca County
$250K damage
What happened
Several rail cars toppled off the tracks of a BNSF train near Fort Sumner.
- Hail1" hail06/20/2002
Ft Sumner, De Baca County
$150K damage
- Thunderstorm Wind65 kt wind05/26/2019
Ft Sumner, De Baca County
$100K damage
- Hail0.88" hail06/20/2002
Ft Sumner, De Baca County
$100K damage
Drinking water
2 community water systems serve about 2,243 people. Violations since 2021.
None of the systems serving this county had a health-based violation in this period.
- Fort Sumner Municipal Water SystemServes 1,789 · Groundwater · Local governmentNo health violations+2 monitoring or reporting
- Valley MdwcaServes 454 · Purchased groundwater · Local governmentNo 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 Ft Sumner 5 S, 9.9 mi from the county center
Summer highs peak around 95°F in Jul and winter lows bottom out near 23°F in Jan. About 14.6 inches of rain falls in a typical year, with 11.8 inches of snow.
| Month | High | Low | Rain | Snow |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 56°F | 23°F | 0.38 in | 3.1 in |
| Feb | 60°F | 27°F | 0.33 in | 2.1 in |
| Mar | 70°F | 34°F | 0.68 in | 0.8 in |
| Apr | 78°F | 40°F | 0.80 in | 0.5 in |
| May | 86°F | 50°F | 1.07 in | - |
| Jun | 95°F | 60°F | 1.38 in | - |
| Jul | 95°F | 65°F | 2.62 in | - |
| Aug | 93°F | 63°F | 2.64 in | - |
| Sep | 87°F | 55°F | 1.81 in | - |
| Oct | 76°F | 43°F | 1.84 in | 0.4 in |
| Nov | 63°F | 28°F | 0.50 in | 1.3 in |
| Dec | 55°F | 23°F | 0.50 in | 3.6 in |
| Year | 59°F average | 14.6 in | 11.8 in | |
Pollution sites
0 Superfund sites and 0 toxic release facilities in De Baca County
No Superfund sites or toxic release facilities in De Baca County in our data.
Superfund sitesToxic release facilitiesEPA inspections and enforcementAir toxics cancer risk4 historic places
Frequently asked questions
- How risky is De Baca County for natural disasters?
- FEMA rates De Baca County very low for overall natural hazard risk, with expected losses of $2.3M a year. The highest-rated hazards are drought (relatively moderate), wildfire (relatively low), winter weather (very low).
- What storms are most common in De Baca County?
- Since 1996, NOAA recorded 306 storm events affecting De Baca County, most often hail (137), thunderstorm wind (63), drought (40).
- How many tornadoes have hit De Baca County?
- 11 tornadoes have been recorded in De Baca County since 1950.
- How many homes in De Baca County have flood insurance?
- 1 residential flood insurance policy is in force in De Baca County, covering about 0.1% of homes.
- What is the weather like in De Baca County?
- At Ft Sumner 5 S, average highs reach 95°F in Jul and lows fall to 23°F in Jan, with 14.6 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.