New Mexico lightning risk
Bernalillo County has the highest lightning risk in New Mexico, scoring 97.4 out of 100 — rated "Very High" by FEMA's National Risk Index.
| # | County | NRI score | Rating |
NOAA events 2016–2026 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Bernalillo County | 97.4 | Very High | 2 |
| 2 | Doña Ana County | 97.3 | Very High | 0 |
| 3 | San Juan County | 96.5 | Relatively High | 0 |
| 4 | Rio Arriba County | 94.6 | Relatively High | 0 |
| 5 | McKinley County | 94.5 | Relatively High | 0 |
| 6 | Santa Fe County | 94 | Relatively High | 2 |
| 7 | Otero County | 92.5 | Relatively High | 0 |
| 8 | Cibola County | 91.8 | Relatively High | 0 |
| 9 | Lea County | 91.5 | Relatively High | 0 |
| 10 | Sandoval County | 90.3 | Relatively High | 1 |
| 11 | Valencia County | 89.6 | Relatively High | 0 |
| 12 | Taos County | 87.7 | Relatively High | 0 |
| 13 | Chaves County | 87.4 | Relatively High | 2 |
| 14 | Colfax County | 87.2 | Relatively High | 0 |
| 15 | Lincoln County | 85.2 | Relatively High | 0 |
| 16 | Socorro County | 84.2 | Relatively High | 1 |
| 17 | Catron County | 82.8 | Relatively High | 0 |
| 18 | Grant County | 79.4 | Relatively Moderate | 0 |
| 19 | Eddy County | 78.8 | Relatively Moderate | 0 |
| 20 | Sierra County | 72.9 | Relatively Moderate | 0 |
| 21 | San Miguel County | 68.9 | Relatively Moderate | 0 |
| 22 | Luna County | 61.4 | Relatively Moderate | 0 |
| 23 | Curry County | 57.8 | Relatively Moderate | 1 |
| 24 | Torrance County | 50 | Relatively Low | 1 |
| 25 | Union County | 45.9 | Relatively Low | 0 |
| 26 | Hidalgo County | 42.7 | Relatively Low | 0 |
| 27 | Roosevelt County | 38.7 | Relatively Low | 0 |
| 28 | Quay County | 37.5 | Relatively Low | 0 |
| 29 | Los Alamos County | 37 | Relatively Low | 1 |
| 30 | Mora County | 28.5 | Relatively Low | 0 |
| 31 | Guadalupe County | 22 | Very Low | 0 |
| 32 | De Baca County | 6.4 | Very Low | 0 |
| 33 | Harding County | 4.4 | Very Low | 0 |
Source: FEMA National Risk Index v1.20.0, December 2025. Scores are 0–100 percentile rankings among all US counties. See the methodology page for definitions. Download the full CSV for all counties.
Lightning risk nationally:
Other hazard risks in New Mexico:
Frequently asked questions
What is the highest lightning risk county in New Mexico?
Bernalillo County, NM has the highest lightning risk in New Mexico, with a FEMA National Risk Index score of 97.4 out of 100 (rated "Very High").
How many counties in New Mexico are rated Very High for lightning risk?
2 of 33 scored New Mexico counties are rated "Very High" for lightning risk by FEMA's National Risk Index.
What causes lightning risk in New Mexico?
Lightning risk reflects expected annual losses from cloud-to-ground strikes, which ignite building fires, damage electrical systems, and cause fatalities. Florida consistently leads the US in lightning density. High scores also appear across the Gulf Coast, Southeast, and central Plains, where afternoon convective storms are most frequent in summer months.