Otero County, New Mexico

Otero County, New Mexico has a moderate overall risk from natural hazards in FEMA's National Risk Index. Its risk score is higher than 85% of US counties. It ranks 7th of 33 counties in New Mexico. The costliest hazards here are inland flooding, wildfires and lightning. FEMA estimates about $43 million a year in expected losses, or roughly $639 per resident. Since 1984 it has been included in 22 federal disaster or emergency declarations for natural events (10 major disasters). The most recent was in July 2025 (severe storms, flooding and landslides). About 1 in 37 homes here carry federal flood insurance (757 policies). Since 1978, federal flood insurance has paid about $1.5 million on 130 claims here, including $808,000 for floods in 2006.

FEMA National Risk Index December 2025; OpenFEMA declarations to Nov 6, 2026; NFIP records. Updated November 6, 2026.

Scores are percentiles: a score of 90 means higher risk than about 90% of US counties for that hazard. Hazards FEMA does not rate here are left out. Social vulnerability is relatively high and community resilience is very low in FEMA's measures.

The National Weather Service has logged 319 storm reports in Otero County since 1957, with 0 deaths and 5 injuries and about $7.2 million in reported damage. The strongest on record here was an F2 tornado on May 27, 1982.

Source: NOAA Storm Events Database, county-based reports through Jul 21, 2026. Tornado records start in 1950, hail and wind in 1955, and floods and other storm types in 1996, so older decades undercount. Damage is in dollars of the year it happened and is often an estimate. Winter storms, heat and hurricanes are logged by forecast zone, not county, so they are not counted here.

National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP) records only; private flood policies are not included. Home counts as of Aug 3, 2026. Since 2021 NFIP prices each home separately under Risk Rating 2.0, so your price depends on the building, not the county. Ask an agent for a quote.

Older homes and mobile homes usually suffer more damage in storms, floods and earthquakes, and can cost more to insure. If you are buying, ask about roof age, foundation bolting and any retrofits. Source: US Census Bureau, American Community Survey 2020 to 2024 5-year estimates; 32,645 housing units.

Sources: FEMA National Risk Index (December 2025), OpenFEMA Disaster Declarations Summaries, and NFIP policy and claims data. Hazard Compass is independent and not affiliated with FEMA. These figures describe the whole county, not a single property, and are not insurance or safety advice. Report a problem.