Santa Fe County, NM
FEMA National Risk Index scores, disaster declarations & hazard data
Santa Fe County has experienced 10 federally declared disasters since 1973, most recently Covid-19 in 2020. Its overall natural hazard risk is rated Relatively Moderate — near the middle compared to other US counties.
Santa Fe County's highest-rated hazards are wildfire, winter weather, and lightning, with its top risk rated "Relatively High" by FEMA's National Risk Index. NOAA records 95 storm events in the county over the past decade. Community vulnerability is elevated (76th percentile nationally), suggesting residents may face greater difficulty recovering from major disasters.
Past disasters & FEMA designations
A federal disaster declaration officially designates a county for FEMA disaster assistance. Santa Fe County has been designated in 10 declarations since 1973, covering 5 disaster types including flood (3), fire (3), biological (2).
| Year | Type | Event name |
|---|---|---|
| 2020 | Biological | Covid-19 Pandemic |
| 2020 | Biological | Covid-19 |
| 2015 | Severe Storm | Severe Storms And Flooding |
| 2014 | Flood | Severe Storms, Flooding, And Mudslides |
| 2005 | Hurricane | Hurricane Katrina Evacuation |
| 2002 | Fire | Nm - Borrego Fire - 5-23-02 |
| 2000 | Fire | Severe Forest Fire |
| 2000 | Fire | Severe Fire Threats |
| 1979 | Flood | Severe Storms, Snowmelt & Flooding |
| 1973 | Flood | Severe Storms, Snow Melt & Flooding |
Source: FEMA OpenFEMA Disaster Declarations Summaries. A single disaster can produce more than one record per county. Data current through September 2026.
Risk by hazard type
| Hazard | Risk rating | Risk score | Recorded events | Deaths | Prop. damage |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Wildfire | Relatively High | 98.2 | 0 | 0 | — |
| Inland Flooding | Relatively Moderate | 88.4 | 32 | 1 | $1.8M |
| Coastal Flooding | Not Applicable | — | 0 | 0 | — |
| Earthquake | Relatively Low | 89.5 | 2 | — | — |
| Heat Wave | Relatively Low | 53 | 0 | 0 | — |
| Tornado | Very Low | 24.5 | 3 | 0 | — |
| Hurricane | Not Applicable | — | 0 | 0 | — |
| Hail | Relatively Low | 67.6 | 58 | 0 | $1.3M |
| Strong Wind | Relatively Low | 25.8 | 0 | 0 | — |
| Winter Weather | Relatively High | 94.1 | 0 | 0 | — |
| Ice Storm | Very Low | 18.7 | — | — | — |
| Cold Wave | Relatively Low | 48.3 | — | — | — |
| Lightning | Relatively High | 94 | 2 | 1 | $25K |
| Drought | Relatively Moderate | 86.1 | 0 | 0 | — |
| Landslide | Relatively Low | 66.4 | 0 | 0 | — |
| Avalanche | Very Low | 26.8 | — | — | — |
| Tsunami | Not Applicable | — | — | — | — |
| Volcanic Activity | No Rating | 0 | — | — | — |
Scores are 0–100 percentiles relative to all US counties — higher means more exposed, not that a disaster is likely this year. Event counts: NOAA Storm Events 2016–2026; earthquake counts from USGS ComCat (M3.0+, 1996–2026). See the methodology page for details.
Community vulnerability
Santa Fe County ranks in the 76th percentile (High) for community vulnerability — a measure of how hard disaster impacts tend to hit residents. Higher vulnerability means more displacement, worse health outcomes, and slower recovery after a disaster.
| SVI theme | Percentile | Vulnerability level |
|---|---|---|
| Overall | 76th | High |
| Socioeconomic status | 65th | Moderate |
| Household characteristics | 69th | Moderate |
| Racial & ethnic minority status | 91st | High |
| Housing type & transportation | 71st | Moderate |
Source: CDC/ATSDR Social Vulnerability Index 2022. Percentiles compare counties nationally — higher means more vulnerable relative to other counties. See CDC SVI for full methodology.
Future risk outlook
| Wildfire metric | National percentile | Level |
|---|---|---|
| Burn probability | 80th | Very High |
| Risk to homes | 85th | Very High |
| Buildings in direct exposure zone | 60.2% | — |
NOAA tracked 95 weather events in this county over 2016–2025: 48 in 2016–20 vs 47 in 2021–25 (-2% — relatively stable).
Wildfire: USDA Forest Service Wildfire Risk to Communities (RDS-2020-0016-2) — modeled values, not annual forecasts. See wildfirerisk.org. Inland flood and heat projections pending data availability; coastal sea-level projections are available for select coastal counties below — see the data page.
Nearby counties
Frequently asked questions
What natural hazards pose the greatest risk in Santa Fe County?
According to the FEMA National Risk Index, the highest-risk hazards in Santa Fe County, New Mexico are wildfire, winter weather, and lightning. The county's overall natural hazard risk is rated Relatively Moderate — near the middle compared to other US counties.
Has Santa Fe County received federal disaster declarations?
Yes. Santa Fe County has received 10 federal disaster declarations since 1973, including declarations in 2020. The most common disaster type on record is flood (3 declarations).
Has Santa Fe County had any FEMA disaster declarations in 2024, 2025, or 2026?
No federal disaster declarations have been recorded for Santa Fe County since the start of 2024. Its most recent declaration on record is Covid-19 in 2020.
How does Santa Fe County's natural hazard risk compare to nearby counties?
Among neighboring counties, Bernalillo County, NM has the highest overall natural hazard risk (Relatively High) and Los Alamos County, NM has the lowest (Very Low). Santa Fe County is rated Relatively Moderate overall.
How is Santa Fe County's composite disaster risk index calculated?
Santa Fe County's composite disaster risk index — officially FEMA's National Risk Index (NRI) — scores every US county on a 0–100 percentile scale across 18 natural hazard types, factoring in expected annual loss, social vulnerability, and community resilience. Santa Fe County's composite score of 86 means its overall natural hazard risk is higher than 86% of US counties.