Farmington
Population 46,055 (2025)
9 tornadoes have tracked within 25 miles of Farmington since 1950, 0 of them rated EF3 or F3 or stronger; the most recent was on March 21, 2020.
Hazard fingerprint Each spoke is this county’s percentile among U.S. counties where that hazard occurs. How it is computed
- Tornado damage paths within 25 miles since 19509
- Wildfire burn scars within 25 miles since 19841
At a glance
Tornado paths within 25 miles, tropical cyclone tracks within 100 miles and wildfire perimeters within 25 miles of the city centre. Storm events, flood insurance claims and disaster declarations are for San Juan County. Earthquakes within 50 miles, volcanoes within 100 miles and smoke days are measured from the city centre; river and tide gauges, tsunami and landslide records and the drought index are for San Juan County.
Strongest tornado
F2
May 10, 1957, 0.1 mile path
Tornadoes
About one every 8.4 years since 1950, none rated F3/EF3 or stronger.
Strongest
May 10, 1957
F2, 0.1 mile path
10 yards wide.
Most recent
Saturday, March 21, 2020
EF0, 0.5 mile path
6 years ago.
Every recorded tornado
| Mar 21, 2020 | EF0 | 0.5 | 0 | 0 |
| Jun 10, 2015 | EF0 | 0.2 | 0 | 0 |
| Sep 18, 2013 | EF0 | 0.1 | 0 | 0 |
| Oct 23, 2000 | F0 | 0.1 | 0 | 0 |
| Oct 23, 2000 | F0 | 0.1 | 0 | 0 |
| Aug 5, 1999 | F1 | 0.3 | 0 | 0 |
| Sep 28, 1990 | F0 | 0.2 | 0 | 0 |
| May 28, 1963 | F0 | 0.1 | 0 | 0 |
| May 10, 1957 | F2 | 0.1 | 0 | 0 |
- Injuries and deaths are for the tornado’s whole path, which may extend beyond this area.
- Weak tornadoes were under-recorded before Doppler radar coverage became national in the early 1990s, so earlier decades read low. Ratings use the Fujita scale before February 2007 and the Enhanced Fujita scale after.
Storm Prediction Center severe weather database, 1950 to 2025.
Hurricanes and tropical storms
No tropical storm or hurricane has tracked within 100 miles since records began in 1851.
Wildfire and smoke
1 large fire burned within 25 miles since 1984.
Largest
August 29, 2004
Well Fire, 1,178 acres
17.5 miles from the city centre.
Most recent
August 29, 2004
Well Fire
1,178 acres in total.
Every large fire
| Well | 2004 | 17.5 | 1,178 |
- Large fires mapped by the Monitoring Trends in Burn Severity program since 1984: 1,000 acres or more in the West, 500 or more in the East. Prescribed burns are excluded. Acres here are the part of each perimeter inside this place.
Monitoring Trends in Burn Severity (USGS and U.S. Forest Service), 1984 to 2026.
Smoke overhead
Smokiest year
2021: 24 days
Heavy smoke on 10 days in 2020, the most of any year.
Last 10 years
8.0 days a year
Medium or heavy smoke, 2016 to 2025.
2025
10 days
Medium or heavy smoke. 14 so far in 2026.
- A smoke day is a date on which a smoke plume traced by NOAA Hazard Mapping System analysts from satellite imagery covered this place's point (the county's population centre or the city centre). Counts here are of medium or heavy smoke. Since 2018 analysts have often drawn light smoke as one area over most of the continent, so light-smoke counts are not comparable from year to year. The plumes show smoke anywhere in the air above, not air quality at the ground, and smoke hidden by cloud is missed.
NOAA Hazard Mapping System smoke analysis, 2011 to 2026, retrieved October 30, 2026.
Floods and flood insurance
48 federal flood insurance claims since 1979, with $537,000 paid.
Flood insurance figures are for San Juan County, the county that contains Farmington.
Most claims in one year
2013: 12 claims
$253,000 paid.
2nd most
2015: 8 claims
$210,000 paid.
3rd most
2010: 5 claims
$19,000 paid.
Claims by ZIP code
| 87410 | 19 | $407,000 |
| 87401 | 9 | $70,000 |
| 87402 | 7 | $16,000 |
| 87412 | 5 | $10,000 |
Flood events since 1996
- Flash Flood54
- Heavy Rain4
- Flood2
2 deaths recorded in flood events since 1996.
This product uses the Federal Emergency Management Agency's OpenFEMA API, but is not endorsed by FEMA. The Federal Government or FEMA cannot vouch for the data or analyses derived from these data after the data have been retrieved from the Agency's website(s).
OpenFEMA NFIP Redacted Claims v3, refreshed August 4, 2026. NOAA Storm Events through 2026.
River crests
River gauges in San Juan County, the county that contains Farmington.
Most severe crest
October 6, 1911
Animas River at Farmington, 16.50 ft
6.50 feet above the 10.0 ft flood stage; major flooding by today’s categories.
Most recent moderate or major crest
July 27, 1957
San Juan River at Farmington, 11.30 ft
Moderate flooding.
River gauges
| Animas River at Farmington | 10.0 | 16.50 ft | 2 |
| San Juan River at Farmington | 8.5 | 11.80 ft | 0 |
| San Juan River at Shiprock | 15.5 | 14.50 ft | 0 |
| San Juan River near Archuleta | 7.0 | 7.00 ft | 0 |
- Crests are the highest and the recent crests the National Weather Service lists for each river gauge in the county that has a flood stage, not every flood. Flood categories use each gauge's current flood stages; crests from before levees, dams or channel changes may not be comparable. Crests measured on an old datum are left out of the rankings.
NOAA National Water Prediction Service gauge records, retrieved October 30, 2026.
Drought
In severe drought or worse for 248 of 1,581 months since 1895 (16%); the longest spell lasted 33 months.
The drought index is for San Juan County, the county that contains Farmington.
248
Months in severe drought or worse since 1895
117
Months in extreme drought
16%
Share of all months, severe or worse
456
Drought reports to the Weather Service since 1996
Lowest reading
August 2026
−7.77, extreme drought
Longest severe spell
33 months
July 1900 to March 1903.
Latest month
September 2026
−4.79, extreme drought
- The Palmer Drought Severity Index is computed by NOAA each month from the county's average temperature and precipitation, relative to the county's own climate. Zero is normal; -3 or lower is severe drought and -4 or lower extreme drought. It describes the long-term balance of moisture, not water supply or crop losses.
NOAA NCEI nClimDiv county Palmer Drought Severity Index, 1895 to September 2026, issued October 6, 2026.
Earthquakes and landslides
1 earthquake of magnitude 2.5 or more within 50 miles since 1995; none reached magnitude 4.
0
Magnitude 3+ within 50 miles since 1973
0
Magnitude 4+ within 50 miles since 1900
0
Magnitude 5+ within 50 miles since 1900
Largest within 50 miles
September 23, 1995
Magnitude 2.6
4 km E of Teec Nos Pos, Arizona; 48.7 miles away, 4.9 miles deep.
- Earthquakes of magnitude 2.5 or more in the USGS Comprehensive Catalog since 1900. Within 50 miles means the epicentre lies within 50 miles of the city centre.
- Small earthquakes were under-recorded before the modern seismic networks of the 1970s and are still missed in remote areas, so early decades read low. Magnitudes are as the catalogue reports them and mix scales (moment, local and body-wave).
USGS ANSS Comprehensive Earthquake Catalog, 1900 to present, retrieved October 30, 2026.
Mapped landslides
Landslides mapped in San Juan County.
216
Landslides mapped, probable or better
1
With a recorded date
3
Source inventories
Mapped by USGS Conterminous (214), AZ GS (1), NASA (1).
- Landslides mapped in the USGS compilation of landslide inventories across the United States (version 3.0, 2025), rated probable or better. The compilation joins inventories made by federal and state agencies for different purposes and areas, so the number mapped in a county reflects how closely it has been surveyed as much as how often its slopes fail. An area with few records may simply not have been mapped. Deaths are as recorded in the inventories; a slide listed in two inventories is counted once.
USGS Landslide Inventories across the United States, version 3.0, retrieved October 27, 2026.
Severe weather and other events
835 events in the National Weather Service record for San Juan County, 812 of them since 1996.
16
Hail reports, 1 inch or larger
0
Hail, 2 inches or larger
47
Damaging gusts, 58 mph+
158
Winter weather events since 1996
4
Heat events since 1996
5
Cold events since 1996
Largest hail
August 2, 1965
1.75 inches
Strongest measured or estimated gust
August 26, 2015
104 mph
More event types since 1996
| Lightning | 5 | 1 |
| Dust storms and dust devils | 3 | 0 |
Costliest events since 1996
- Aug 21, 2024Thunderstorm Wind$3.0 million
National Weather Service narrative
The Farmington Four Corners Regional Airport observed thunderstorm wind gusts peaking at 66 mph. These thunderstorm wind gusts produced thick blowing dust, power outages to 8,000 customers, and a down 69kV power line resulting in power outages around Aztec and surrounding areas. Power line damage cost is an estimate.
- Aug 1, 2010Flash Flood$2.0 million
National Weather Service narrative
Significant flooding plagued the Farmington area during the evening hours of August 1st. More than 2.5 inches of rain fell in 3 hours, but most of the rain fell in about a 30 minute time frame. Some of the hardest hit areas are described in the following paragraphs. ||The Webb Chevrolet-Toyota dealership and neighboring businesses along East Main Street between Gila St. and Hannon Dr. was described as a swamp. Weeds and shrubs were wrapped around the tires of each truck as water, mud and debris flooded into the lot. The force of the water moved one truck about six feet, and moved a nearby dumpster approximately 100 yards. Also in this area, a man whose car got stuck at the…
- Aug 26, 2015Flash Flood$1.0 million
National Weather Service narrative
The Blanco Arroyo overflowed its banks and, combined with heavy rain across the area, led to significant flash flooding. Firefighters rescued a few individuals from the roofs of their homes, otherwise no major injuries or fatalities were reported. Several homes were reportedly shifted off their foundation and a propane tank at one of those homes was swept away in the flood waters. Multiple classrooms were damaged at three area schools, causing all schools to be closed on the 27th and one school, Lydia Rippey Elementary, to be closed on the 28th. The Aztec Municipal Golf Course at Hidden Valley was closed until further notice due to damages incurred from the flooding. A large rock…
- Aug 5, 2016Flash Flood$1.0 million
National Weather Service narrative
Serious flash flooding developed on Salt Creek Wash and created major damage to a community near Mesa Farm Road. Three to four homes were severely damaged and one home was destroyed. Several vehicles, motorcycles, recreational vehicles washed into creek and destroyed. Water rescues occurred from roof tops and amazingly no one was killed.
- Jun 18, 2012Wildfire, Northwest Plateau$1.0 million
National Weather Service narrative
A wildfire along CR 1491 burned quickly out of control in the bosque along the San Juan River and consumed more than 350 acres, 5 homes, and 12 outbuildings.
- Aug 25, 2024Flash Flood$500,000
National Weather Service narrative
Heavy runoff within the Baker Arroyo jumped out and flooded west and south, impacting U.S. Highway 64, Christ the King Catholic Church, the Central Consolidated School District and the Chat and Chew restaurant. At least two homes were destroyed or made uninhabitable. Damage cost is an estimate.
- Jun 21, 2024Flash Flood$500,000
National Weather Service narrative
Multiple reports of flash flooding across Farmington including along the La Plata and San Juan Rivers, including vehicles driving across flooded low water crossings. A video from the emergency manager showed the La Plata River raging and partly out of its banks. These included along Southside River Road on the west side of Farmington. A vehicle was stuck in a ditch along the San Juan River, thankfully the driver made it out safely. There was an overflowing ditch and arroyo with fast moving water at Brookside Drive and Navajo Street. There was several inches of water moving across Crouch Mesa east of Farmington and south of Flora Vista. U.S. Highway 64 at Andrea Drive and between…
- Jun 15, 2014Wildfire, Northwest Plateau$500,000
National Weather Service narrative
Incident management reported 14,712 acres consumed in the Chuska Mountains to the east of Crystal, New Mexico. At least 24 structures and 4 outbuildings were destroyed.
- Aug 26, 2015Thunderstorm Wind$350,000
National Weather Service narrative
Significant damage reported on a property near Flora Vista likely the result of intense microburst winds. The winds downed over 100 very large cottonwood trees, including a few that were completely uprooted. The tops of a few trees were completely snapped off, as well. Metal roofing on a barn was torn off and horizontally displaced about 20 yards on nearby power poles. The falling timber along with the wind itself caused damage to a barn roof, a pop up camper, a canoe, a trampoline, and a camper. Based on the EF-toolkit winds from this storm may have reached as high as 104 mph. No injuries or further damages resulted from the microburst.
- May 16, 2021Wildfire, Northwest Plateau$300,000
National Weather Service narrative
A grass fire started on Road 5211 near U.S. Highway 64 between Bloomfield and Lee Acres on the evening of May 16th. The fire spread quickly and engulfed a family home with a detached garage. The residence was completely destroyed, and the three family dogs that were inside at the time tragically died. There was also reported damage to an additional outbuilding. The fire prompted an evacuation of the area, but residents were permitted to return late on May 16th. By the morning of May 17th, the fire was 5 percent contained, but no longer posed a threat to any other structures. Damages are estimated for the loss of the residence as well as damages to the outbuilding.
- Storm Events records before 1996 cover only tornadoes, thunderstorm wind and hail. Damage figures are as reported by the National Weather Service at the time, not adjusted for inflation.
NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database, 1950 to 2026, issued October 26, 2026.
Weather records
From Farmington Four Corners Regional A, 2.8 miles from the city centre, with records from 1948.
- All-time high
- 106°FJul 10, 2021
- All-time low
- −20°FJan 13, 1963
- Warmest night
- 79°FJul 16, 2007
- Coldest day
- 6°FDec 12, 1961
- Wettest day
- 1.75 inJul 8, 2006
- Snowiest day
- 11.0 inDec 10, 1961
- Hottest year
- 2024mean 55.5°F
- Coldest year
- 1948mean 50.5°F
- Wettest year
- 195713.74 in
- Driest year
- 20203.37 in
Station Farmington Four Corners Regional A (USW00023090), 5,499 ft elevation, 2.8 miles from the city centre. Daily records from 1948 to October 27, 2026; 95.7% of days in the last 30 years are complete. Records at a single station can differ from a city’s official threaded record, which may combine several stations.
NOAA NCEI Global Historical Climatology Network Daily.
Federal disaster declarations
12 since 1953. The most recent: Severe Storms and Flooding, October 26, 2026.
Declarations for San Juan County.
| Oct 26, 2026 | Flood | EM-3660-NM |
| Jun 20, 2024 | Fire | DR-4795-NM |
| Apr 5, 2020 | Biological | DR-4529-NM |
| Mar 13, 2020 | Biological | EM-3460-NM |
| Oct 29, 2013 | Flood | DR-4152-NM |
| Jun 18, 2012 | Fire | FM-2981-NM |
| Sep 13, 2010 | Flood | DR-1936-NM |
| Sep 7, 2005 | Hurricane | EM-3229-NM |
| May 13, 2000 | Fire | DR-1329-NM |
| May 10, 2000 | Fire | EM-3154-NM |
| Sep 22, 1999 | Severe Storm | DR-1301-NM |
| Mar 2, 1977 | Drought | EM-3034-NM |
This product uses the Federal Emergency Management Agency's OpenFEMA API, but is not endorsed by FEMA. The Federal Government or FEMA cannot vouch for the data or analyses derived from these data after the data have been retrieved from the Agency's website(s).
OpenFEMA Disaster Declarations Summaries, retrieved October 30, 2026. Statewide declarations are not listed.
Sources and vintage
Every number on this page comes from these public records.
- Tornadoes NOAA Storm Prediction Center severe weather database, through 2025.
- Tropical cyclones NOAA National Hurricane Center HURDAT2 (Atlantic; Northeast and Central Pacific), through 2025.
- Wildfire USGS/USFS Monitoring Trends in Burn Severity, through 2026.
- Storm events NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database, through 2026.
- Flood insurance OpenFEMA NFIP Redacted Claims v3, refreshed August 4, 2026.
- Declarations OpenFEMA Disaster Declarations Summaries v2, retrieved October 30, 2026.
- Weather records NOAA NCEI Global Historical Climatology Network Daily, station USW00023090.
- River crests NOAA National Weather Service, National Water Prediction Service river gauges, retrieved October 30, 2026.
- Drought NOAA NCEI nClimDiv county Palmer Drought Severity Index, through September 2026.
- Smoke NOAA NESDIS Hazard Mapping System smoke analysis, retrieved October 30, 2026.
- Landslides USGS Landslide Inventories across the United States, version 3.0 (2025).
- Earthquakes USGS ANSS Comprehensive Earthquake Catalog (ComCat), retrieved October 30, 2026.
Joins, thresholds and known limits are set out in the methodology. Found an error? Report it. Page built October 30, 2026.