Socorro County, NM Environment & Hazard Risk
Relatively Low natural hazard risk, led by wildfire. 669 storm events since 1996.
- Expected yearly loss
- $12.39M
- Very Low nationally
- Storm events since 1996
- 669
- Most often drought
- Flood insurance policies
- 144
- 2.1% of homes
- Hurricanes nearby
- 0
- Since 1851
Natural hazard risk
FEMA National Risk Index, December 2025
Overall risk
Relatively Low
Score 61.5 of 100
Social vulnerability
Very High
Score 97.6 of 100
Community resilience
Very Low
Score 4.2 of 100
Community resilience runs the other way: a higher rating means a community can recover faster.
Building value exposed: $3.04B · Agriculture value exposed: $83.88M · Risk-adjusted yearly loss: $23.22M
Risk by hazard
- WildfireRelatively Low$489K/yr expected annual loss, about once every 684 years
- LightningRelatively High$498K/yr expected annual loss, about 61 events a year
- HailRelatively Moderate$615K/yr expected annual loss, about once every 4 years
- EarthquakeRelatively Low$680K/yr expected annual loss, about once every 172 years
- DroughtRelatively Moderate$335K/yr expected annual loss, about 76 events a year
- Winter weatherRelatively Moderate$55.75K/yr expected annual loss, about 8.4 events a year
- Ice stormRelatively Low$49.82K/yr expected annual loss, about once every 27 years
- AvalancheVery Low$264/yr expected annual loss, about once every 100 years
- Volcanic activityVery Low$5/yr expected annual loss, about once every 3,333 years
- LandslideVery Low$327/yr expected annual loss, about 2.0 events a year
- Heat waveVery Low$65.44K/yr expected annual loss, about once every 2 years
- Cold waveVery Low$143K/yr expected annual loss, about once every 16 years
- Strong windVery Low$35.3K/yr expected annual loss, about once every 6 years
- TornadoVery Low$19.54K/yr expected annual loss, about once every 4 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
- 144 of 6,871 (2.1%)
- Homes in high-risk flood zones
- 1,451
- Insured in high-risk zones
- 120 (8%)
- Flood claims since 1978
- 23
- Claims paid since 1978
- $435K
Flood claims paid per year
Storm history
Since 1996: 669 events, 1 death, $46.84M in damage
- Drought259
- High Wind134
- Hail58
- Thunderstorm Wind56
- Flash Flood52
- Heavy Snow49
- Wildfire22
- Tornado7
- Winter Storm6
- Extreme Cold/Wind Chill6
Events per year
10 tornadoes on record (EF0 5, EF1 1, F0 3, F1 1).
Most damaging storms
Since 1996, ranked by deaths, injuries and damage
- Hail3" hail10/05/2004
Socorro, Socorro County
$40M damage
What happened
Strong thunderstorms developed during the mid morning along the continental divide west of Albuquerque then swept eastward with brief hail again reaching the Albuquerque metro area. A trailing, southern storm that formed over west central Socorro County became intense as it reached the City of Socorro which was pounded by 5 to 10 minutes of baseball size hail with estimated terminal velocities of near 100 mph. This record hail storm produced widespread and intense damage to automobiles, broken windows and screens as well has destroying home and commercial roofs. Damage estimates included $15 million to the New Mexico Tech campus where nearly every building was damaged and the fleet of university vehicles was almost a total loss. County wide insurance claims had reached $40 million. The storm passed east into rural and unpopulated areas of Socorro County where it likely produced several small tornadoes.
- Lightning07/15/2017
Socorro, Socorro County
1 death
What happened
A 93-year old woman died from a lightning caused fire at her home of 80 years. She died from smoke inhalation.
- Wildfire04/28/2025
West Central Highlands
2 injured, $500K damage
What happened
The Balsam Wildfire was discovered during a very dry and critical fire weather event on the evening of April 27th, in Grants, NM. Fire crews were able to keep the fire to just 3 to 5 acres, but it unfortunately burned through a residential area. The Grants Fire Chief reported 7 structures were impacted with 2 firemen injured. Damage is an estimate.
- Flood09/10/2013
La Joya, Socorro County
$1.2M damage
What happened
The initial round of intense rainfall on the 10th and 11th flooded numerous roadways and homes then subsequent heavy rainfall through the 15th created extreme flooding. County emergency management indicated a total of at least 16 roads were washed out and damaged severely across the county, including NM 408 and CR 91 between Escondida and Lemitar, and NM 1 between San Antonio and Luis Lopez. The Rio Puerco and Rio Grande rivers both flooded into nearby low lying areas and threatened nearby communities. A breach in a levee on the Rio Puerco flooded several homes and the community of San Francisco was evacuated. The US 380 bridge east of San Antonio was overtopped. US 60 was closed at mile marker 166.
- Flash Flood07/07/2021
Veguita, Socorro County
$750K damage
What happened
Very strong thunderstorms with heavy rainfall of 2 to 4 inches severely impacted the Socorro area as well as areas north of the city into the early morning hours of July 7th. The Socorro County emergency manager reported that irrigation ditches throughout Socorro County were impacted with overtopping and washing out due to the flood waters. The La Joya Acequia sustained significant damage with several feet of concrete-lined ditches lost and culverts exposed. The Sabinal Fire Station in northern Socorro County was flooded, and numerous homes in low-lying areas in the County had water surrounding them. Numerous country roads and arroyos were flooded and washed out. The BNSF Railroad was also significantly impacted as all trains had to be stopped due to silt and rock debris covering the railroad tracks that go through Socorro County. Damages are estimated.
- Flash Flood07/27/2013
Laborcita, Socorro County
$600K damage
What happened
Numerous reports of roads flooded, washed out, and damaged in eastern portion of Socorro County. Emergency Manager indicated cost of damage was near 1.2 million dollars.
Latest storm reports
Newest first
- Thunderstorm Wind57 kt wind07/12/2026
Kinney Wells, Socorro County
- Thunderstorm Wind53 kt wind07/12/2026
Bingham, Socorro County
- Flash Flood07/06/2026
Dusty, Socorro County
$5,000 damage
- Wildfire07/01/2026
Southwest Mountains
- Wildfire06/21/2026
Southwest Mountains
- Wildfire06/20/2026
South Central Highlands
- Wildfire06/09/2026
Southwest Mountains
- Drought06/01/2026
West Central Mountains
Drinking water
7 community water systems serve about 17,705 people. Violations since 2021.
4 systems had health-based violations, such as a contaminant over the legal limit or a missed treatment step. 3 systems had a violation of any kind still open at last report.
- Socorro Water SystemServes 12,026 · Groundwater · Local governmentNo health violations+1 monitoring or reporting
- Polvadera MdwcaServes 2,470 · Groundwater · Local government1 health violation+6 monitoring or reporting
- San Antonio MdwcaServes 1,344 · Groundwater · Local governmentNo health violations+7 monitoring or reporting
- Magdalena Village ofServes 1,321 · Groundwater · Local government11 health violations+10 monitoring or reporting
- San Acacia MdwcaServes 284 · Groundwater · Local governmentNo health violations+3 monitoring or reporting
- La Joya MdwcaServes 200 · Groundwater · Local government6 health violations+32 monitoring or reporting
- New Mexico Boys and Girls RanchServes 60 · Groundwater · Private2 health violations+3 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 Socorro, 4.6 mi from the county center
Summer highs peak around 92°F in Jul and winter lows bottom out near 23°F in Jan. About 10.0 inches of rain falls in a typical year.
| Month | High | Low | Rain |
|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 52°F | 23°F | 0.30 in |
| Feb | 59°F | 28°F | 0.28 in |
| Mar | 67°F | 34°F | 0.51 in |
| Apr | 75°F | 41°F | 0.34 in |
| May | 83°F | 49°F | 0.38 in |
| Jun | 91°F | 57°F | 0.42 in |
| Jul | 92°F | 63°F | 2.43 in |
| Aug | 89°F | 61°F | 2.09 in |
| Sep | 84°F | 53°F | 1.34 in |
| Oct | 73°F | 42°F | 0.94 in |
| Nov | 61°F | 31°F | 0.45 in |
| Dec | 51°F | 24°F | 0.57 in |
| Year | 58°F average | 10.0 in | |
Pollution sites
2 Superfund sites and 0 toxic release facilities in Socorro County
Superfund sites
- Eagle Picher Carefree BatteryFinalSocorro
- Cal West Metals (Ussba)DeletedLemitar
Toxic release facilities
None reporting in this county.
Superfund sitesToxic release facilitiesEPA inspections and enforcementAir toxics cancer risk34 historic places
Frequently asked questions
- How risky is Socorro County for natural disasters?
- FEMA rates Socorro County relatively low for overall natural hazard risk, with expected losses of $12.39M a year. The highest-rated hazards are wildfire (relatively low), lightning (relatively high), hail (relatively moderate).
- What storms are most common in Socorro County?
- Since 1996, NOAA recorded 669 storm events affecting Socorro County, most often drought (259), high wind (134), hail (58).
- How many tornadoes have hit Socorro County?
- 10 tornadoes have been recorded in Socorro County since 1950.
- How many homes in Socorro County have flood insurance?
- 144 residential flood insurance policies are in force in Socorro County, covering about 2.1% of homes. The program has paid $435K on 23 claims here since 1978.
- What is the weather like in Socorro County?
- At Socorro, average highs reach 92°F in Jul and lows fall to 23°F in Jan, with 10.0 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.