Hidalgo County, NM Environment & Hazard Risk
Very Low natural hazard risk, led by drought. 533 storm events since 1996.
- Expected yearly loss
- $3.29M
- Very Low nationally
- Storm events since 1996
- 533
- Most often drought
- Flood insurance policies
- 2
- 0.1% of homes
- Hurricanes nearby
- 0
- 1 tropical storm or stronger since 1929
Natural hazard risk
FEMA National Risk Index, December 2025
Overall risk
Very Low
Score 8.9 of 100
Social vulnerability
Relatively High
Score 68.9 of 100
Community resilience
Very Low
Score 1.2 of 100
Community resilience runs the other way: a higher rating means a community can recover faster.
Building value exposed: $906M · Agriculture value exposed: $30.16M · Risk-adjusted yearly loss: $4.65M
Risk by hazard
- DroughtRelatively Moderate$864K/yr expected annual loss, about 125 events a year
- WildfireRelatively Low$421K/yr expected annual loss, about once every 144 years
- Heat waveRelatively Low$367K/yr expected annual loss, about 2.6 events a year
- LightningRelatively Low$131K/yr expected annual loss, about 54 events a year
- AvalancheVery Low$101/yr expected annual loss, about once every 100 years
- EarthquakeVery Low$72.58K/yr expected annual loss, about once every 466 years
- Winter weatherVery Low$6,778/yr expected annual loss, about 3.3 events a year
- Cold waveVery Low$65.59K/yr expected annual loss, about once every 21 years
- LandslideVery Low$24/yr expected annual loss, about once every 2 years
- HurricaneVery Low$332/yr expected annual loss, about once every 122 years
- HailVery Low$7,624/yr expected annual loss, about once every 10 years
- Ice stormVery Low$1,098/yr expected annual loss, about once every 67 years
- TornadoVery Low$3,229/yr expected annual loss, about once every 28 years
- Strong windVery Low$4,246/yr expected annual loss, about once every 6 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, riverine flooding, tsunami, volcanic activity.
Flood risk and insurance
National Flood Insurance Program and FEMA flood maps
Check the flood zone for an address
- Homes with flood insurance
- 2 of 1,564 (0.1%)
- Homes in high-risk flood zones
- 0
- Flood claims since 1978
- 3
- Claims paid since 1978
- $27.83K
Flood claims paid per year
Storm history
Since 1996: 533 events, 5 deaths, $148K in damage
- Drought392
- Thunderstorm Wind35 · 1 death
- Dust Storm34 · 4 deaths
- High Wind34
- Hail14
- Flash Flood8
- Heavy Snow5
- Heavy Rain3
- Excessive Heat3
- Extreme Cold/Wind Chill2
Events per year
3 tornadoes on record (F0 1, F1 1).
Most damaging storms
Since 1996, ranked by deaths, injuries and damage
- Dust Storm02/27/2025
Southwest Desert/Lower Gila River Valley
3 deaths
What happened
Winds gusted over 50 mph at times along the Lordsburg Playa resulting in dust channels that created near zero visibilities. These visibilities affected Interstate 10 and caused an 11 vehicle accident around mile marker 10. The accident and continued reduced visibilities at times kept the interstate closed through much of the day.
- Dust Storm07/10/2017
Southwest Desert/Lower Gila River Valley
1 death, 3 injured
What happened
Near zero visibilities between mile markers 10 and 12 on Interstate 10 east caused a 4 car pileup. One of the passengers from the initial crash got out of vehicle, and was struck by another vehicle and died. Three others involved in the crash were also injured.
- Thunderstorm Wind61 kt wind08/10/2017
Mondel, Hidalgo County
1 death, 1 injured, $50K damage
What happened
Power was out in Lordsburg area for over 30 hours. The wind created a dust storm with near zero visibility west of Lordsburg near mile marker 6 which caused a 2015 Dodge truck towing a travel trailer to rear end an 18 wheeler which had slowed down due to the conditions. One woman in the Dodge truck was killed and serious injuries were sustained to the driver of the truck.
- Dust Storm07/12/2021
Southwest Desert/Lower Gila River Valley
2 injured
What happened
Two accidents reported near mile marker 35 on Interstate 10 westbound caused by dust storm. Numerous vehicles involved including a semi. Interstate was closed for 4 to 5 hours following accident.
Latest storm reports
Newest first
- Dust Storm07/20/2026
Southwest Desert/Lower Gila River Valley
- Thunderstorm Wind64 kt wind07/20/2026
Mondel, Hidalgo County
- Dust Storm07/18/2026
Southwest Desert/Lower Gila River Valley
- Thunderstorm Wind63 kt wind07/10/2026
Mondel, Hidalgo County
- Dust Storm07/10/2026
Southwest Desert/Lower Gila River Valley
- Dust Storm07/07/2026
Southwest Desert/Lower Gila River Valley
- Drought07/01/2026
Lowlands of the Bootheel
- Drought07/01/2026
Uplands of the Bootheel
Hurricanes and tropical storms
Storms whose track crossed Hidalgo County, with the wind when it passed
- Unnamed storm (1929)06/27/1929 · Landfall: TX · 982 mbTropical storm46 mph nearby
Drinking water
4 community water systems serve about 3,741 people. Violations since 2021.
2 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.
- Lordsburg Water Supply SystemServes 3,298 · Groundwater · Local government31 health violations+12 monitoring or reporting
- Glen Acres Water CoopServes 180 · Purchased groundwater · Private4 health violations+18 monitoring or reporting
- Virden Water SystemServes 145 · Groundwater · Local governmentNo health violations+1 monitoring or reporting
- Rodeo Mdw & MswaServes 118 · Groundwater · Local governmentNo health violations+15 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 Animas 3ese, 8.1 mi from the county center
Summer highs peak around 95°F in Jun and winter lows bottom out near 31°F in Jan. About 10.3 inches of rain falls in a typical year, with 3.6 inches of snow.
| Month | High | Low | Rain | Snow |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 57°F | 31°F | 0.71 in | 1.7 in |
| Feb | 62°F | 34°F | 0.51 in | 0.5 in |
| Mar | 69°F | 39°F | 0.40 in | 0.3 in |
| Apr | 77°F | 45°F | 0.18 in | - |
| May | 86°F | 54°F | 0.20 in | - |
| Jun | 95°F | 63°F | 0.50 in | - |
| Jul | 93°F | 67°F | 2.29 in | - |
| Aug | 90°F | 66°F | 1.95 in | - |
| Sep | 86°F | 61°F | 1.00 in | - |
| Oct | 78°F | 49°F | 0.99 in | - |
| Nov | 66°F | 38°F | 0.59 in | 0.2 in |
| Dec | 56°F | 31°F | 1.03 in | 0.9 in |
| Year | 62°F average | 10.3 in | 3.6 in | |
Pollution sites
0 Superfund sites and 1 toxic release facility in Hidalgo County
Superfund sites
None in this county.
Toxic release facilities
- US Cbp Lordsburg Border Patrol Station #nm01530 lbs released, Lordsburg
Superfund sitesToxic release facilitiesEPA inspections and enforcementAir toxics cancer risk3 historic places
Frequently asked questions
- How risky is Hidalgo County for natural disasters?
- FEMA rates Hidalgo County very low for overall natural hazard risk, with expected losses of $3.29M a year. The highest-rated hazards are drought (relatively moderate), wildfire (relatively low), heat wave (relatively low).
- What storms are most common in Hidalgo County?
- Since 1996, NOAA recorded 533 storm events affecting Hidalgo County, most often drought (392), thunderstorm wind (35), dust storm (34).
- How many tornadoes have hit Hidalgo County?
- 3 tornadoes have been recorded in Hidalgo County since 1950.
- How many homes in Hidalgo County have flood insurance?
- 2 residential flood insurance policies are in force in Hidalgo County, covering about 0.1% of homes. The program has paid $27.83K on 3 claims here since 1978.
- What is the weather like in Hidalgo County?
- At Animas 3ese, average highs reach 95°F in Jun and lows fall to 31°F in Jan, with 10.3 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.