New Mexico strong wind risk
Chaves County has the highest strong wind risk in New Mexico, scoring 95.5 out of 100 — rated "Relatively High" by FEMA's National Risk Index.
| # | County | NRI score | Rating |
NOAA events 2016–2026 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Chaves County | 95.5 | Relatively High | 0 |
| 2 | Eddy County | 83.2 | Relatively Moderate | 0 |
| 3 | Lea County | 82.2 | Relatively Moderate | 0 |
| 4 | Bernalillo County | 79 | Relatively Moderate | 0 |
| 5 | Roosevelt County | 76.3 | Relatively Moderate | 0 |
| 6 | Doña Ana County | 58 | Relatively Moderate | 0 |
| 7 | Curry County | 57.5 | Relatively Moderate | 0 |
| 8 | Quay County | 56.2 | Relatively Moderate | 0 |
| 9 | Sandoval County | 39.6 | Relatively Low | 0 |
| 10 | Otero County | 38.4 | Relatively Low | 0 |
| 11 | Valencia County | 27.6 | Relatively Low | 0 |
| 12 | Santa Fe County | 25.8 | Relatively Low | 0 |
| 13 | San Juan County | 23.8 | Relatively Low | 0 |
| 14 | San Miguel County | 22.1 | Relatively Low | 0 |
| 15 | Colfax County | 17 | Relatively Low | 0 |
| 16 | Lincoln County | 16.6 | Very Low | 0 |
| 17 | Rio Arriba County | 12.7 | Very Low | 0 |
| 18 | Taos County | 10.2 | Very Low | 0 |
| 19 | Socorro County | 8.8 | Very Low | 0 |
| 20 | Union County | 8.7 | Very Low | 0 |
| 21 | Torrance County | 7.9 | Very Low | 0 |
| 22 | Cibola County | 6.9 | Very Low | 0 |
| 23 | McKinley County | 6.9 | Very Low | 0 |
| 24 | De Baca County | 5.7 | Very Low | 0 |
| 25 | Guadalupe County | 4.4 | Very Low | 1 |
| 26 | Sierra County | 4.1 | Very Low | 0 |
| 27 | Luna County | 3.9 | Very Low | 0 |
| 28 | Grant County | 3.8 | Very Low | 0 |
| 29 | Los Alamos County | 3 | Very Low | 0 |
| 30 | Mora County | 2.7 | Very Low | 0 |
| 31 | Harding County | 2.2 | Very Low | 0 |
| 32 | Hidalgo County | 1.6 | Very Low | 0 |
| 33 | Catron County | 1.3 | 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.
Strong Wind risk nationally:
Other hazard risks in New Mexico:
Frequently asked questions
What is the highest strong wind risk county in New Mexico?
Chaves County, NM has the highest strong wind risk in New Mexico, with a FEMA National Risk Index score of 95.5 out of 100 (rated "Relatively High").
What causes strong wind risk in New Mexico?
Strong wind risk covers non-convective, non-tropical sustained high winds — including derechos and general high-wind events, but excluding tornado and hurricane winds. High scores appear in mountain passes, coastal headlands, and open plains where topography amplifies wind speeds. Damage concentrates on utility infrastructure, trees, and lightweight structures.