Rio Arriba County

Every recorded tornado

1. Injuries and deaths are for the tornado’s whole path, which may extend beyond the county. Deaths recorded within Rio Arriba 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 (274), NASA (1).

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. Jul 1, 2011Wildfire, Jemez Mountains$17.0 million
   National Weather Service narrative

   The Las Conchas wildfire damaged 80 homes, of which, 15 were primary residences. The other 65 homes were seasonal. Numerous outbuildings were also damaged or destroyed and 10 vehicles were completely destroyed. The fire prompted evacuations of Los Alamos National Labs, Bandelier National Monument, the city of Los Alamos, as well as numerous other campgrounds and homes within the burn area itself. The fire burned portions of the Santa Clara, Cochiti, San Ildefonso and Santa Domingo Indian Reservations as well as portions of Bandelier National Monument and the Valles Caldera National Preserve. This fire burned on both sides of Highway 4, and up to Highway 501, causing both highways…

2. Apr 22, 2022Wildfire, Jemez Mountains$10.0 million
   National Weather Service narrative

   The Cerro Pelado Fire began during the afternoon hours of April 22nd approximately seven miles east of Jemez Springs. With very high winds in the area, this fire rapidly spread, and by the morning of April 23rd, it had grown to 4,688 acres. Evacuation orders were quickly given for Sierra de Los Pinos and other communities near the Cerro Pelado Fire. This fire even prompted the closure of New Mexico State Road 4 that leads to Los Alamos. Within a matter of days, this wildfire began to move into the burn scar of the 2011 Las Conchas Fire, the 2013 Thompson Ridge Fire, and the 2017 Cajete Fire. As a persistent windy pattern continued through the remainder of the month of April, this…

3. Aug 22, 2016Flash Flood$2.0 million
   National Weather Service narrative

   Two elderly residents rescued from a mobile home that was washed off it's foundation and displaced over 50 feet downstream. Up to 30 homes inundated with water and at least 10 families displaced from flood waters. U.S. Highway 285, highway 74, and county road 57 all closed to remove mud and debris. County Road 57 washed over with mudslides from nearby mesa.

4. Jul 7, 2015Flash Flood$1.0 million
   National Weather Service narrative

   Flash flood wave moved down Yeso Rito arroyo in less than 30 minutes, resulting in significant damage at Ghost Ranch. At least three older structures and a ropes course were completely destroyed. One newer studio structure was seriously damaged. Trees were snapped in half and mud filled several other structures. Damage has been estimated between 500,000 and 1 million dollars. No injuries were reported.

5. Sep 15, 2013Flash Flood$500,000
   National Weather Service narrative

   Water flowing over NM 30 around mile marker 7. Thirteen homes were flooded in Santa Clara Pueblo including a health center. Flooding debris reported over numerous roads in the pueblo. A public walk way and skate park damaged due to erosion. A total of 79 structures were damaged in this multi-day event.

6. Apr 24, 2026Wildfire, Espanola Valley$500,000
   National Weather Service narrative

   The Riverside Fire began near Espanola, NM near the Santa Claran Hotel within the Santa Clara Pueblo. The fire grew to 44 acres destroying 5 structures, including one single-wide trailer, one home, one recreational vehicle, and two sheds. No injuries or fatalities were reported. Damage is an estimate.

7. Jun 20, 2024Flash Flood$500,000
   National Weather Service narrative

   Heavy rains forced sharp rises along the Rio Chama between Medanales and Espanola. These rises were observed to peak at 7.95 feet at the Rio Chama near Chamita (CMTN5) gauge, resulting in flooding along U.S. Highway 84 between the junction of U.S. Highway 285 and Abiquiu that impacted 40 residences. This also resulted in heavy sand deposits near Medanales that resulted in the Rio Chama rerouting through adjacent agricultural fields two days later on June 22nd. Damage is an estimate given the lack of information and is an aggregate of the damage caused by the rerouting of the Rio Chama into the aforementioned agricultural fields as this was a direct result of the flash flooding…

8. Dec 15, 2021High Wind, Jemez Mountains$500,000
   National Weather Service narrative

   Several weather stations across the Jemez Mountains measured wind gusts in excess of 58 mph. An AWOS station at Los Alamos measured a peak wind gust of 67 mph, but damages indicate wind speeds near 90 mph. These high winds resulted in numerous downed trees near Jemez Springs and Valles Caldera National Preserve which closed New Mexico State Road 4. Numerous automobile accidents were reported, and one man was even trapped in his car. Two people were transported to the hospital with non-life threatening injuries. Damages are estimated.

9. Jul 11, 2025Wildfire, Jemez Mountains$375,000
   National Weather Service narrative

   The Laguna Wildfire was a lightning started fire originally discovered June 25th and managed in an area of the Santa Fe National Forest roughly 25 miles west of Abiquiu. The fire was managed until a spot fire was discovered outside of the containment lines July 11th. A period of very dry and breezy conditions conducive to fire growth ensued during this time. The Laguna Fire quickly grew from 11,334 acres to 15,714 acres on July 16th, an increase of 4,380 acres before increased monsoonal moisture and rainfall helped fire suppression activities. The Gallina Ranch underwent evacuation orders and smoke impacts. The Vigil Ranch reported 75 of 120 total head of cattle missing after the…

10. Jul 14, 2014Flash Flood$300,000
    National Weather Service narrative

    Torrential rainfall produced significant flooding in Espanola during the overnight on the 14-15th. The NM Emergency Operations Center and local broadcast media reported at least 8 homes suffered flood damage with numerous vehicles abandoned and flooded. At least 4 residents reported 12 to 18 inches of standing water on their properties. North Railroad Ave and Hunter were flooded forcing city officials to run pumps to remove water. East Laguna Street around Santa Claran Casino was flooded. Santa Clara Pueblo was also flooded during this event.

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

102°F2 times, most recently Jul 11, 2021

All-time low

−34°FJan 7, 1971

Warmest night

70°F2 times, most recently Jul 7, 1986

Coldest day

1°FJan 7, 1971

Wettest day

2.43 inAug 23, 2016

Snowiest day

12.5 inJan 16, 1987

Hottest year

1986mean 53.2°F

Coldest year

1971mean 48.5°F

Wettest year

201517.51 in

Driest year

19562.66 in

Snowiest season

23.5 in2009-10

Station Alcalde (USC00290245), 5,680 ft elevation, 11.4 miles from the population centre. Daily records from 1953 to October 26, 2026; 92.1% 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 USC00290245.
• 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.