Hidalgo County

Population 3,929 (2025) 3,439 sq mi

Large wildfires have burned 604,588 acres of Hidalgo County since 1984, 3rd most of 33 counties in New Mexico; the largest was the Pasco Fire in 2009.

Hazard fingerprint for Hidalgo County Tornado: 2th percentile. Tropical: 0th percentile. Wildfire: 91th percentile. Flood: 2th percentile. Hail & wind: 4th percentile. Heat: 19th percentile. Cold: 9th percentile. Winter: 3th percentile. TORTROPFIREFLOODSEVEREHEATCOLDWINTER

Hazard fingerprint Each spoke is this county’s percentile among U.S. counties where that hazard occurs. How it is computed

2026
  • Tornado damage paths since 19503
  • Wildfire burn scars since 198467

At a glance

The record for Hidalgo County in eight numbers. Each links to its section below.

Acres burned since 1984

604,588

3rd of 33 in New Mexico

67 large fires; the largest was Pasco, 2009

Details

Tornadoes since 1950

3

28th of 33 in New Mexico

Fewer than the typical New Mexico county, which has had 13

Details

Flood insurance claims

3

28th of 33 in New Mexico

$28,000 paid since 2006

Details

Strongest tornado

F1

June 15, 1961, 0.1 mile path

Largest earthquake within 50 mi

5.3magnitude

June 28, 2014, 15.2 miles away

Details

Federal disaster declarations

10

Most recent: Covid-19 Pandemic, 2020

Details

Record high

110°F

June 24, 2017

Details

Record low

−3°F

December 8, 1978

Details

Tornadoes

About one every 25 years since 1950, none rated F3/EF3 or stronger.

Strongest

June 15, 1961

F1, 0.1 mile path

10 yards wide.

Most recent

Thursday, September 1, 2016

EFU, 0.4 mile path

10 years ago.

Tornadoes by decade Doppler radar era² 1950s: 0 1960s: 1 1 1970s: 0 1980s: 0 1990s: 0 2000s: 1 1 2010s: 1 1 2020s: 0 1950s1960s1970s1980s1990s2000s2010s2020s
Recorded tornadoes per decade. The 2020s are incomplete.
Tornadoes by month J: 0 F: 0 M: 0 A: 0 M: 0 J: 1 1 J: 0 A: 0 S: 1 O: 1 N: 0 D: 0 JFMAMJJASOND
By month of occurrence, all years.

Every recorded tornado

Tornadoes in Hidalgo County since 1950
Sep 1, 2016EFU0.42000
Oct 15, 2005F00.52000
Jun 15, 1961F10.11000
  1. Injuries and deaths are for the tornado’s whole path, which may extend beyond the county. Deaths recorded within Hidalgo County: 0.
  2. 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

604,588 acres burned in 67 large fires since 1984, equal to 27% of the land.

Largest

June 10, 2009

Pasco Fire, 104,041 acres

92,511 acres inside Hidalgo County.

Most recent

July 14, 2023

Jackson Fire

1,166 acres in total.

Acres burned since 1984, cumulative 1987: 1,3931988: 2,4251989: 47,5061990: 2,9091993: 29,6181994: 75,2471997: 2,3741999: 23,3072000: 15,1222001: 16,0112002: 32,2742003: 25,8512006: 28,1102007: 3,8342008: 25,0902009: 103,5622011: 41,3392015: 10,1262016: 12,3342017: 1,0072018: 77,4552019: 6,9812022: 11,6012023: 9,114 604,588 acres 198519901995200020052010201520202025
Running total of acres burned inside the county (line) and each year’s acres (bars).

Every large fire

Large wildfires since 1984
Jackson20231,1661,166
Kitchen20231,4611,465
Brushy20236,4866,491
Deer Creek20221,0691,069
Foster20227,6167,615
San Luis20222,9153,024
Miller20195,4855,486
Fitzpatrick20191,4961,496
San Luis201816,99736,252
Ok Bar201860,45760,481
Whitewater20171,0071,008
Baker Canyon20162,5087,562
Cowboy20163,7553,756
Guadalupe Pass20166,0706,068
Hog20154,7847,876
Guadalupe20155,3425,340
Park20111,0621,063
Godfrey201113,53613,538
Cloverdale2201121,79133,555
Truck Stop20114,94819,660
Pasco200992,511104,041
Skeleton20096,2186,877
Irishman20094,2564,259
Hog200957518,085
Boulder Field20081,4841,486
Whitmire20084,1614,163
Center Peak200819,44319,448
Eight Ball200761,828
Chitum20073,8273,830
Eicks Draw20065,9765,975
Unnamed20062,0432,045
Adobe200620,08920,096
Unnamed200325,85038,998
Parachute Adam20021,8851,886
Walnut200230,38830,395
Rough Creek20015,7055,709
Valency20012,0226,246
Jackson B20011,3971,401
Animas20016,8856,891
Fitzpatrick20004,6124,613
Cascabel20007,8257,826
Xt20002,6832,685
Garcia199920,72822,646
Bootheel19992,5785,110
Unnamed19974085,050
Maverick19971,9652,257
Rough19943,5913,595
Maverick19941,2361,237
Cloverdale19942,2662,268
Timber19941,2281,230
Center19946,7666,767
Lynch199416,20316,205
Antelope Wel19941,0121,013
Flat Complex199434,85934,871
Fitzpatrick19942,1862,189
Gray19944,3034,301
Xt19941,5911,591
Park19932,0712,070
Linch199327,54627,558
Hilo-Peak19902,9092,908
Rodeo19892,6572,655
Gray198928,75828,767
Antelope198911,76713,274
Knight19894,3224,324
Unnamed19881,2771,277
Cowan19881,1471,147
Unnamed19871,3921,394
  1. 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

2020: 23 days

Heavy smoke on 12 days in 2011, the most of any year.

Last 10 years

5.5 days a year

Medium or heavy smoke, 2016 to 2025.

2025

2 days

Medium or heavy smoke. 3 so far in 2026.

Days with medium or heavy smoke overhead, by year 2011: 22 2012: 5 2013: 1 2014: 1 2015: 0 2016: 1 2017: 2 2018: 0 2019: 1 2020: 23 23 2021: 20 2022: 2 2023: 1 2024: 3 2025: 2 201120122013201420152016201720182019202020212022202320242025
Days each year on which a satellite-traced plume of medium or heavy smoke covered the county’s population centre, 2011 to 2025.
  1. 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

3 federal flood insurance claims since 2006, with $28,000 paid.

Federal flood insurance claims by year
Claims per year since 2006. Years with fewer than five claims are not shown.

Flood events since 1996

  • Flash Flood8
  • Heavy Rain3

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.

Drought

In severe drought or worse for 268 of 1,581 months since 1895 (17%); the longest spell lasted 29 months.

268

Months in severe drought or worse since 1895

113

Months in extreme drought

17%

Share of all months, severe or worse

392

Drought reports to the Weather Service since 1996

Lowest reading

August 2025

−6.33, extreme drought

Longest severe spell

29 months

March 2011 to July 2013.

Latest month

September 2026

−3.54, severe drought

Months in severe drought or worse, by year 1895: 0 1896: 0 1897: 0 1898: 0 1899: 0 1900: 12 12 1901: 10 1902: 12 1903: 4 1904: 7 1905: 0 1906: 0 1907: 0 1908: 0 1909: 0 1910: 9 1911: 4 1912: 0 1913: 0 1914: 0 1915: 0 1916: 0 1917: 0 1918: 4 1919: 0 1920: 0 1921: 4 1922: 2 1923: 2 1924: 1 1925: 5 1926: 0 1927: 0 1928: 0 1929: 0 1930: 0 1931: 0 1932: 0 1933: 0 1934: 4 1935: 1 1936: 2 1937: 0 1938: 0 1939: 0 1940: 0 1941: 0 1942: 0 1943: 0 1944: 0 1945: 0 1946: 0 1947: 4 1948: 1 1949: 0 1950: 1 1951: 2 1952: 0 1953: 0 1954: 6 1955: 0 1956: 12 1957: 6 1958: 0 1959: 1 1960: 0 1961: 0 1962: 0 1963: 0 1964: 0 1965: 0 1966: 0 1967: 0 1968: 0 1969: 0 1970: 0 1971: 7 1972: 3 1973: 0 1974: 4 1975: 0 1976: 0 1977: 0 1978: 0 1979: 0 1980: 0 1981: 0 1982: 0 1983: 0 1984: 0 1985: 0 1986: 0 1987: 0 1988: 0 1989: 5 1990: 6 1991: 0 1992: 0 1993: 0 1994: 4 1995: 0 1996: 3 1997: 0 1998: 0 1999: 4 2000: 4 2001: 0 2002: 6 2003: 7 2004: 0 2005: 0 2006: 5 2007: 0 2008: 3 2009: 2 2010: 0 2011: 10 2012: 12 2013: 7 2014: 6 2015: 0 2016: 0 2017: 0 2018: 7 2019: 1 2020: 4 2021: 7 2022: 2 2023: 5 2024: 7 2025: 12 18951905191519251935194519551965197519851995200520152025
Months each year with a Palmer index of −3 or lower, 1895 to 2025. Twelve means the whole year.
  1. 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

12 earthquakes of magnitude 4 or more within 50 miles since 1900; the largest was magnitude 5.3 in 2014.

14

Magnitude 2.5+ inside the county since 1973

60

Magnitude 3+ within 50 miles since 1973

12

Magnitude 4+ within 50 miles since 1900

1

Magnitude 5+ within 50 miles since 1900

Largest within 50 miles

June 28, 2014

Magnitude 5.3

13 km SW of Franklin, Arizona; 15.2 miles away, 4.0 miles deep.

Most recent, magnitude 3 or more

August 16, 2026

Magnitude 4.0

41 km ESE of Agua Prieta, Mexico; 15.1 miles away.

Earthquakes of magnitude 3 or more within 50 miles, by year 1973: 0 1974: 0 1975: 1 1976: 0 1977: 1 1978: 0 1979: 0 1980: 0 1981: 2 1982: 0 1983: 0 1984: 0 1985: 0 1986: 0 1987: 0 1988: 1 1989: 1 1990: 1 1991: 0 1992: 0 1993: 0 1994: 0 1995: 0 1996: 0 1997: 0 1998: 0 1999: 0 2000: 0 2001: 0 2002: 0 2003: 0 2004: 0 2005: 0 2006: 0 2007: 1 2008: 0 2009: 0 2010: 3 2011: 0 2012: 2 2013: 1 2014: 23 23 2015: 2 2016: 3 2017: 1 2018: 2 2019: 4 2020: 2 2021: 4 2022: 2 2023: 1 2024: 1 2025: 0 19731978198319881993199820032008201320182023
Per year, 1973 to 2025.

Every earthquake of magnitude 4 or more within 50 miles

Earthquakes of magnitude 4 or more within 50 miles
Aug 16, 20264.015.15.441 km ESE of Agua Prieta, Mexico
Jun 28, 20144.014.63.112 km S of Franklin, Arizona
Jun 28, 20145.315.24.013 km SW of Franklin, Arizona
May 25, 19894.637.53.122 km ESE of Fronteras, Mexico
Jun 11, 19884.542.13.125 km ENE of Esqueda, Mexico
Jun 8, 19774.623.73.134 km ENE of Fronteras, Mexico
Jun 3, 19394.641.5—34 km E of Pleasanton, New Mexico
Nov 26, 19384.641.5—34 km E of Pleasanton, New Mexico
Nov 2, 19384.341.5—34 km E of Pleasanton, New Mexico
Sep 29, 19384.841.5—34 km E of Pleasanton, New Mexico
Sep 19, 19384.341.5—34 km E of Pleasanton, New Mexico
Sep 17, 19384.941.5—34 km E of Pleasanton, New Mexico
  1. 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 county boundary (or inside the county).
  2. 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

101

Landslides mapped, probable or better

0

With a recorded date

1

Source inventory

Mapped by USGS Conterminous (101).

  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

542 events in the National Weather Service record, 533 of them since 1996.

9

Hail reports, 1 inch or larger

0

Hail, 2 inches or larger

36

Damaging gusts, 58 mph+

5

Winter weather events since 1996

3

Heat events since 1996

2

Cold events since 1996

Largest hail

May 16, 2007

1.75 inches

Strongest measured or estimated gust

July 26, 1999

81 mph

More event types since 1996

Other Storm Events types since 1996
Dust storms and dust devils3445Jul 20, 2026

Costliest events since 1996

  1. Aug 9, 2017Thunderstorm Wind$50,000
    National Weather Service narrative

    Power was out in Lordsburg area for over 30 hours. The wind created a dust storm with near zero visibility west of Lordsburg near mile marker 6 which caused a 2015 Dodge truck towing a travel trailer to rear end an 18 wheeler which had slowed down due to the conditions. One woman in the Dodge truck was killed and serious injuries were sustained to the driver of the truck.

  2. Aug 9, 2017Thunderstorm Wind$25,000
    National Weather Service narrative

    About 20 power poles were down between Animas and Rodeo. Power was out for over 36 hours in these areas.

  3. May 16, 2007Hail$5,000
    National Weather Service narrative

    Downburst winds gusting to an estimated 80 mph drove a large amount of quarter size hail into the sides of buildings on the Midbar Ranch. All screens on the windward side were destroyed. Bark was stripped from trees on the windward side of trunks. Tall grass was stripped to near the ground.

  4. Jul 15, 2004Thunderstorm Wind$3,000
    National Weather Service narrative

    Thunderstorm outflow winds gusted to 70 mph in Lordsburg, blowing down power lines and trees throughout the town.

  5. Oct 5, 2015Thunderstorm Wind$2,000
    National Weather Service narrative

    An upper low was moving through Southern California with southwest flow aloft across the region. A surface low and associated cold front moved through Southern New Mexico. Dew points were well into the 50s and southeast surface winds provided sufficient wind shear for severe thunderstorms.

  6. Jul 10, 2013Hail$500
    National Weather Service narrative

    Trained spotters reported golf ball size hail and damage to crops and trees. There was also a broken house window.

  1. 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 Redrock 1 Nne, 29 miles from the county’s population centre, with records from 1958.

All-time high
110°FJun 24, 2017
All-time low
−3°FDec 8, 1978
Warmest night
80°FJul 5, 2018
Coldest day
27°FDec 23, 1990
Wettest day
4.25 inOct 11, 1932
Snowiest day
8.0 inDec 6, 1912
Hottest year
2025mean 62.0°F
Coldest year
1964mean 57.5°F
Wettest year
198521.31 in
Driest year
19564.36 in
Snowiest season
14.8 in1967-68
Average monthly high and low temperature and precipitation, last 30 years, Redrock 1 Nne 32°F 59° 25° 0.9 Jan 64° 28° 0.7 Feb 71° 33° 0.5 Mar 79° 37° 0.2 Apr 87° 44° 0.3 May 96° 54° 0.6 Jun 95° 65° 2.3 Jul 93° 64° 2.1 Aug 88° 57° 1.8 Sep 79° 43° 0.9 Oct 68° 32° 0.6 Nov 59° 25° 0.8 Dec Precipitation, inches
Average daily high and low by month, and average monthly precipitation, over the last 30 years.
Days reaching 95°F per year 1976: 49 1977: 51 1978: 62 1979: 65 1980: 67 1981: 59 1982: 59 1983: 55 1984: 52 1985: 63 1986: 33 1987: 56 1988: 57 1989: 41 1990: 23 1991: 13 1992: 19 1993: 33 1994: 45 1995: 40 1996: 44 1997: 38 1998: 31 1999: 12 2000: 53 2001: 44 2002: 53 2003: 51 2004: 36 2005: 53 2006: 33 2007: 37 2008: 21 2009: 27 2010: 27 2011: 72 2012: 59 2013: 45 2014: 49 2015: 35 2016: 56 2017: 44 2018: 75 2019: 74 2020: 97 97 2021: 64 2022: 63 2023: 82 2024: 89 2025: 76 19761986199620062016
Days reaching 95°F each complete year, last 50 years. Thirty-year average: 51.3.
Snowfall by winter 1976: 2.7 in 1977: 6.5 in 1978: 3.0 in 1979: 1.0 in 1980: 0.0 in 1981: 3.0 in 1982: 3.0 in 1983: 0.0 in 1984: 10.5 in 10.5 1985: 7.0 in 1986: 7.5 in 1987: 8.0 in 1988: 1.8 in 1989: 2.7 in 1990: 8.0 in 1991: 1.5 in 1992: 2.8 in 1993: 2.0 in 1994: 0.0 in 1995: 0.0 in 1996: 4.4 in 1997: 0.0 in 1998: 0.0 in 1999: 0.5 in 2000: 0.1 in 2001: 1.5 in 2002: 0.0 in 2003: 0.0 in 2004: 0.0 in 2005: 0.0 in 2006: 0.0 in 2007: 0.0 in 2008: 0.0 in 2009: 0.8 in 2021: 0.5 in 2022: 2.7 in 2023: 0.3 in 2024: 0.8 in 2025: 0.0 in 1976198619962006
Total snowfall each winter (July to June), last 50 winters.

Median first snow

December 28

Earliest: October 24, 1921

Median last snow

January 23

Latest: April 22, 1957

29 of 85 winters had no measurable snow.

Station Redrock 1 Nne (USC00297340), 4,056 ft elevation, 29.0 miles from the population centre. Daily records from 1958 to October 26, 2026; 98.4% 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

10 since 1953. The most recent: Covid-19 Pandemic, April 5, 2020.

Federal disaster declarations
Apr 5, 2020BiologicalCovid-19 PandemicMajor disasterDR-4529-NM
Mar 13, 2020BiologicalCovid-19EmergencyEM-3460-NM
Aug 30, 2006Severe StormSevere Storms and FloodingMajor disasterDR-1659-NM
Sep 7, 2005HurricaneHurricane Katrina EvacuationEmergencyEM-3229-NM
May 10, 2000FireSevere Fire ThreatsEmergencyEM-3154-NM
Jun 7, 1993FloodSevere Storms & FloodingMajor disasterDR-992-NM
Jan 18, 1985FloodSevere Storms & FloodingMajor disasterDR-731-NM
Oct 24, 1983FloodSevere Storms and FloodingMajor disasterDR-692-NM
Jan 29, 1979FloodFloodingMajor disasterDR-571-NM
Nov 20, 1972FloodHeavy Rains & FloodingMajor disasterDR-361-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.

How this compares

Where Hidalgo County stands among 33 counties in New Mexico and 3,143 in the United States.

Ranks
Tornadoes since 1950328 / 332,775 / 3,143
Tornadoes rated F3/EF3 or stronger0——
Tropical cyclones within 50 mi0——
Hurricane-strength passes within 50 mi0——
Wildfire acres since 1984604,5883 / 3372 / 3,143
Flood insurance claims328 / 332,656 / 3,143
Flood insurance paid$28,00027 / 332,603 / 3,143
Disaster declarations1018 / 332,788 / 3,143
Flood events since 19961132 / 332,869 / 3,143
Hail and wind events since 19968332 / 332,864 / 3,143
Winter storm events since 1996532 / 332,957 / 3,143
Reported damage since 1996$86,00033 / 333,101 / 3,143
River crests at major flood stage0——
High tide flooding days a year, last 10 years0.0——
Months in severe drought since 18952685 / 3358 / 3,143
Medium or heavy smoke days a year, last 10 years5.533 / 333,051 / 3,143
Earthquakes M4+ within 50 mi since 19001211 / 33354 / 3,143
Earthquakes M2.5+ in the county since 1973146 / 33303 / 3,143

Neighbouring counties

Neighbouring counties
Cochise County AZ180582,996115
Grant County70542,4639
Greenlee County AZ00509,167142
Luna County4113,0564

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 USC00297340.
  • 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.