Mora County

Every recorded tornado

1. Injuries and deaths are for the tornado’s whole path, which may extend beyond the county. Deaths recorded within Mora 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.

Every large fire

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

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.

Claims by ZIP code

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

1. 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.

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.

Every earthquake of magnitude 4 or more within 50 miles

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.

Volcanoes within 100 miles

1. U.S. volcanoes within 100 miles, from the USGS Volcano Hazards Program. The threat category is the USGS 2018 National Volcanic Threat Assessment, which ranks volcanoes by how hazardous their past eruptions were and how many people and how much infrastructure lie near them. It is not a forecast of eruption.

USGS Volcano Hazards Program, retrieved October 30, 2026.

Mapped landslides

Mapped by USGS Conterminous (71).

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.

More event types since 1996

Costliest events since 1996

1. May 1, 2022Wildfire, East Slopes Sangre De Cristo Mountains$100 million
   National Weather Service narrative

   The Hermits Peak and Calf Canyon Fire continued to devastate the area as it grew significantly during the month of May. The wildfire at the end of April was at 103,908 acres, but continued strong winds across the area throughout the month of May allowed the wildfire to spread rapidly. Within the first three days of May, the fire grew over 40,000 acres to a total of 145,854 acres with only 20% containment. During this time, the fire pushed northward toward Mora and northwest toward Las Tusas and Sapello. It also pushed towards Las Vegas, prompting evacuation orders for the western side of the city. By May 16, the Hermits Peak/Calf Canyon Fire grew to 298,060 acres, officially…

2. Apr 19, 2022Wildfire, East Slopes Sangre De Cristo Mountains$25.0 million
   National Weather Service narrative

   While daily rounds of widespread high fire danger persisted across northern and central New Mexico throughout the month of April, conditions were primed for rapid wildfire growth. The Calf Canyon Fire was sparked on April 19, 2022, near Gallinas Canyon. The wildfire experienced its most rapid growth on April 22nd as a historic and catastrophic fire weather pattern developed across New Mexico. With several hours of widespread 60 to 80 mph wind gusts, the Calf Canyon Fire exploded. This prompted the National Weather Service Albuquerque Office to issue a rare Fire Weather Warning for mandatory evacuations across western San Miguel and Mora counties. By the morning of April 23rd, it…

3. May 1, 2022Wildfire, East Slopes Sangre De Cristo Mountains$11.0 million
   National Weather Service narrative

   The Cooks Peak Fire started on April 17, 2022 on private land north of Ocate. As a persistent windy pattern continued through the month of April, the fire grew rapidly to 59,063 acres. At the start of the month of May, Philmont Scout Ranch Back Country west of New Mexico State Road 21 in Colax County were given mandatory evacuation orders while in Mora County, residents of Los LeFebres, Los Huerros, and residents east of County Road 009 and north of New Mexico Highway 120 were also given evacuation orders. Firefighters were able to make significant progress on the Cooks Peak Fire during the early part of May. By May 3rd, the wildfire was 59,359 acres with 72 percent containment.…

4. Apr 6, 2022Wildfire, East Slopes Sangre De Cristo Mountains$10.0 million
   National Weather Service narrative

   On April 6, 2022, a prescribed burn was started 12 miles northwest of Las Vegas, but due to windy conditions in place, the fire soon got out of control and spread rapidly. By April 13th, the Hermits Peak Fire grew to 7,900 acres with 10 percent containment. On April 22nd, the wildfire experienced rapid growth as a historic and catastrophic fire weather pattern developed across New Mexico. Despite 91 percent containment, the wildfire experienced rapid growth and combined with the nearby Calf Canyon Fire. Together, these two wildfires burned over 42,000 acres. As very windy conditions persisted through the remainder of April, the Hermits Peak Fire continued to spread rapidly, and by…

5. Jul 13, 2021Flash Flood$750,000
   National Weather Service narrative

   Heavy rain across the Luna burn scar resulted in major flash flooding in Luna Canyon and surrounding areas, and the force of the water altered the landscape. Water and debris destroyed one bridge and many roads became impassable. An observer reported that the water in the narrow Luna Canyon was several feet high. A CoCoRaHS observer near Chacon reported that the Luna Creek, which is usually just a few feet wide became 100 yards wide. Campsites on private land were demolished. The New Mexico Governor declared a state of emergency in Mora County for the significant flooding.

6. Jul 21, 2022Flash Flood$500,000
   National Weather Service narrative

   An estimated one to two inches of rain across the northern portion of the Hermits Peak and Calf Canyon burn scar in Mora County. This caused significant flash flooding across the burn scar with Highway 518 and the Holman area hit particularly hard. Highway 518 was washed out from near the Taos County line to Cleveland. Video obtained from multiple broadcast media sources showed fast moving water and debris flow impacting numerous residences in Holman, Chacon, and Cleveland. Canoncito Creek was had major overflow with water flowing onto pastures, around homes, across area roadways, and one spotter remarked that it created a lake in some places. Damages are estimated.

7. Apr 2, 2012High Wind, Far Northeast Highlands$375,000
   National Weather Service narrative

   An estimated 50 power poles were toppled by strong northerly winds.

8. Jul 2, 2022Flash Flood$300,000
   National Weather Service narrative

   Local law enforcement reported that heavy rain and debris flow made Highway 94 as well as County Road C 001 impassable which forced the closure of the roads. New Mexico Department of Transportation personnel worked through the overnight hours to clear the roadways and reopen them. Along Maestas Canyon, a lifelong resident was caught by surprise when four feet of water, mud, and debris came rushing down the canyon. A large shipping container also caught within the flood crashed into his cabin. The resident fled in his vehicle, and fortunately suffered no injuries. Damages are estimated.

9. May 10, 2023Wildfire, East Slopes Sangre De Cristo Mountains$250,000
   National Weather Service narrative

   The Las Tusas Fire was discovered May 10, 2023 around 4 pm MDT just west of Sapello. The fire caused mandatory evacuations and burned several structures. Total acreage burned was 978 acres.

10. Apr 30, 1999Flash Flood$200,000
    National Weather Service narrative

    Heavy rain developed along the east slopes of the Sangre de Cristo Mountains over western Colfax and Mora Counties. The Cimarron River came close to overflowing its banks in Cimarron while Highway 21 to the Philmont Scout Ranch Headquarters was closed for about 6 hours by high water. Rural roads and small private bridges and culverts between Mora and Gascon were washed out.

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.

All-time high

100°FJul 18, 2023

All-time low

−26°FJan 12, 1963

Warmest night

69°FJul 20, 2011

Coldest day

−4°FFeb 2, 2011

Wettest day

3.56 inAug 11, 1961

Snowiest day

25.0 inMar 15, 1946

Hottest year

2000mean 53.0°F

Coldest year

1944mean 47.5°F

Wettest year

194128.21 in

Driest year

19565.41 in

Snowiest season

95.6 in1957-58

Station Las Vegas Municipal Airport (USW00023054), 6,870 ft elevation, 24.7 miles from the population centre. Daily records from 1940 to October 26, 2026; 98.7% 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.

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.

Neighbouring counties

• 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 USW00023054.
• 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.
• Volcanoes USGS Volcano Hazards Program, U.S. volcanoes and 2018 threat assessment.
• 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.