Quay County

Every recorded tornado

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

Mapped landslides

Mapped by USGS Conterminous (19).

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. Mar 23, 2007Tornado$3.5 million
   National Weather Service narrative

   A small and possibly elevated landspout type tornado developed on the far east end of a rear flank outflow that swung south through east over Logan as a storm centered about 5 miles to the west moved north over Ute Lake. Damage along the track as it moved over the west side of Logan was intermittent with damage indicators pointing to winds of general 80 to 90 mph with peak winds near the south and north ends of the track estimated at 105 mph. Average track width was around 100 yards. Logan had no tornado siren system but citizens reported nearly 30 to 50 minutes notice of an approaching severe thunderstorm. About a dozen injuries were reported with only two transported to…

2. Mar 13, 2019High Wind, Quay County$3.5 million
   National Weather Service narrative

   Various sources across Quay County reported peak wind gusts between 58 mph and 71 mph, including the Tucumcari airport. A cargo train with 26 cars was blown off a bridge and fell nearly 50 feet to the bottom of the Canadian River near Logan. NM-469 was closed while the wreckage was cleared from the river bottom. No injuries occurred in this incident. Damage estimates are a rough estimate for complete destruction of the train cars at $135,000 each with unknown cargo.

3. May 25, 2023Flash Flood$500,000
   National Weather Service narrative

   Multiple reports of flash flooding were received via social media during the evening of May 25, 2023. Streets throughout town were flooded, closed, or impassable with vehicles being stranded in some spots. Water was also reported to have reached up to business entrances.

4. Dec 17, 2016Winter Weather, Quay County$400,000
   National Weather Service narrative

   Bitterly cold temperatures, light snow, and breezy conditions created deadly travel conditions along Interstate 40 between Santa Rosa and Tucumcari. A 40 car pile-up prompted the closure of the highway with a dozen injuries and 1 fatality.

5. Apr 24, 1997Winter Storm, Quay$200,000
   National Weather Service narrative

   An intense upper level system fed by tropical moisture triggered a late season winter storm that covered the northern half of New Mexico with heavy snow and produced near blizzard conditions across the east central section of the state which suffered from widespread power outages and some heavy losses to sheep and cattle. High winds sweeping east to west over the Sandia mountains caused nearly 3 hours of 60 to 80 mph winds into eastern Albuquerque where damage was limited mainly to signs, wood fences and small trees. Only minor roof damage was reported except for heavier damage at one elementary school. Rain changed to heavy wet snow during the night in the east. By early morning…

6. Mar 23, 2007Hail$200,000
   National Weather Service narrative

   Storm passing mainly west of Logan dumped large hail over the west edge of Ute Lake.

7. Jun 18, 2011Wildfire, Quay County$150,000
   National Weather Service narrative

   The Windy Fire originated 3 miles east of McAlister and quickly spread under very windy conditions along the Curry and Quay county line. One unoccupied residence was burned as was 6 outbuildings. In all, 32,143 acres were scorched.

8. Mar 27, 2026Wildfire, Quay County$100,000
   National Weather Service narrative

   The Old 66 Wildfire was discovered mid-day March 27th, and quickly grew out of control north of I-40 near San Jon, NM. It burned quickly southward through grasslands crossing I-40 aided by strong northerly to northeasterly winds behind a strong cold front, growing to a final size of 4,111 acres. The fire came under control as winds subsided heading into March 28th. The fire caused a closure of NM 469 and Main Ave. in San Jon, NM. Emergency management reported the fire destroyed two structures, and that a wind farm that was threatened did not suffer any damage. No injuries or loss of life was reported. Damage is an estimate.

9. Oct 28, 2020Blizzard, Quay County$100,000
   National Weather Service narrative

   The combination of snow and strong north winds resulted in considerable blowing and drifting snow with low visibility over Quay County. Snow drifts of one to three feet were reported over parts of the area. A semi-trailer rolled over off of Interstate 40 near Tucumcari. Damages are estimated for total loss of the commercial vehicle and the extent of injuries is unknown.

10. Sep 17, 2024Thunderstorm Wind$100,000
    National Weather Service narrative

    The county Emergency Manager and Quay County Sun newspaper reported 10 commercial vehicles were blown over on I-40 due to severe thunderstorm wind gusts. This along with 7 other simultaneous crashes closed I-40 for several hours in both directions. Several people were taken to the local hospital in Tucumcari as emergency response from Logan, San Jon, Tucumcari and the Quay Fire District 2 responded to the incident.

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

112°FJun 11, 2022

All-time low

−19°F2 times, most recently Feb 3, 2011

Warmest night

80°F2 times, most recently Jun 24, 2021

Coldest day

2°FJan 12, 1963

Wettest day

4.85 inJul 6, 2006

Snowiest day

8.0 inMar 27, 1970

Hottest year

2012mean 62.7°F

Coldest year

1973mean 56.9°F

Wettest year

196927.31 in

Driest year

20124.90 in

Snowiest season

20.8 in1972-73

Station Tucumcari Municipal Airport (USW00023048), 4,038 ft elevation, 3.4 miles from the population centre. Daily records from 1948 to October 26, 2026; 86.1% 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 USW00023048.
• 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.