KinwarnNew Mexico tornado warnings
The National Weather Service issued 176 tornado warnings, 4,653 severe thunderstorm warnings and 1,891 flash flood warnings for New Mexico from 2016 to 2025, about 18, 465 and 189 a year. That ranks 31st of 52 states and territories for tornado warnings. Chaves County had the most of any county: 30 tornado warnings.
New Mexico warnings and radar right now
Checking the National Weather Service for New Mexico…
New Mexico counties ranked by tornado warnings
Warnings that listed each county, 2016 to 2025, and tornadoes recorded in the county since 1950. A warning can list several counties, so the county numbers add up to more than the state total.
| County | Tornado warnings | Severe thunderstorm | Flash flood | Tornadoes since 1950 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Chaves County | 30 | 409 | 47 | 53 |
| Union County | 23 | 580 | 38 | 47 |
| Lea County | 22 | 379 | 58 | 96 |
| Roosevelt County | 20 | 358 | 34 | 63 |
| San Miguel County | 17 | 588 | 256 | 16 |
| Lincoln County | 17 | 299 | 141 | 23 |
| Curry County | 15 | 298 | 35 | 57 |
| Quay County | 14 | 484 | 51 | 41 |
| Harding County | 12 | 431 | 28 | 8 |
| De Baca County | 10 | 251 | 35 | 10 |
| Torrance County | 10 | 228 | 44 | 18 |
| Mora County | 8 | 330 | 177 | 12 |
| Colfax County | 6 | 406 | 110 | 22 |
| Guadalupe County | 6 | 378 | 38 | 14 |
| Eddy County | 5 | 283 | 67 | 60 |
| Sandoval County | 4 | 144 | 136 | 13 |
| Santa Fe County | 3 | 131 | 82 | 27 |
| Valencia County | 3 | 86 | 35 | 8 |
| Cibola County | 3 | 68 | 45 | 2 |
| Otero County | 1 | 324 | 169 | 18 |
| Socorro County | 1 | 139 | 69 | 10 |
| Luna County | 1 | 107 | 38 | 4 |
| Rio Arriba County | 1 | 56 | 43 | 2 |
| McKinley County | 1 | 22 | 25 | 5 |
| Doña Ana County | 0 | 228 | 100 | 13 |
| Sierra County | 0 | 165 | 126 | 5 |
| Bernalillo County | 0 | 112 | 92 | 16 |
| Grant County | 0 | 89 | 169 | 7 |
| Hidalgo County | 0 | 63 | 34 | 3 |
| Taos County | 0 | 28 | 77 | 2 |
| Catron County | 0 | 27 | 39 | 0 |
| Los Alamos County | 0 | 27 | 18 | 0 |
| San Juan County | 0 | 22 | 23 | 11 |
New Mexico warnings by year
Each warning counts once for the state, however many counties it covered. 2008 is the first full year the National Weather Service drew an outline around every warning.
Tornadoes since 1950
681 tornadoes have been recorded in New Mexico since 1950. They killed 4 people and injured 163. May had the most (207).
| Year | Tornado | Severe thunderstorm | Flash flood |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 to Oct 19 | 4 | 501 | 429 |
| 2025 | 15 | 746 | 426 |
| 2024 | 13 | 470 | 345 |
| 2023 | 24 | 645 | 153 |
| 2022 | 2 | 189 | 382 |
| 2021 | 19 | 499 | 170 |
| 2020 | 3 | 252 | 27 |
| 2019 | 36 | 410 | 57 |
| 2018 | 9 | 438 | 129 |
| 2017 | 38 | 668 | 110 |
| 2016 | 17 | 336 | 92 |
| 2015 | 11 | 588 | 115 |
| 2014 | 29 | 393 | 191 |
| 2013 | 4 | 339 | 276 |
| 2012 | 9 | 265 | 62 |
| 2011 | 3 | 148 | 89 |
| 2010 | 23 | 322 | 151 |
| 2009 | 24 | 393 | 76 |
| 2008 | 40 | 403 | 114 |
What stands out in New Mexico
2008 was the busiest year for tornado warnings in New Mexico since 2008, with 40 tornado warnings. The busiest year for flash flood warnings was 2025, with 426.
Since 2008, 47 flash flood warnings for New Mexico were raised to a flash flood emergency for at least part of the warned area: the Weather Service’s rarest warning, used when a severe threat to life is happening or about to happen.
39 severe thunderstorm warnings for New Mexico carried the “destructive” tag (winds of 80 mph or more, or hail 2.75 inches or larger) since the tag started in August 2021. Only those severe thunderstorm warnings set off Wireless Emergency Alerts on phones.
4 tornadoes in New Mexico since 1950 were rated F3 or EF3, the strongest recorded there. The most recent was on May 14, 1977.
National Weather Service warnings from the Iowa Environmental Mesonet archive through October 19, 2026; tornado ratings from the Storm Prediction Center and NOAA Storm Events.
States next to New Mexico
Tornado warnings for each neighboring state, 2016 to 2025.
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New Mexico tornado warnings: questions people ask
How many tornado warnings does New Mexico get a year?
About 18 a year: the National Weather Service issued 176 tornado warnings for New Mexico from 2016 to 2025, 31st of 52 states and territories.
Which New Mexico county gets the most tornado warnings?
Chaves County has the most: 30 tornado warnings listed it from 2016 to 2025, ahead of Union County with 23. A warning can list several counties, so county counts add up to more than the state total.
Which New Mexico city gets the most tornado warnings?
Clovis has the most among cities and towns with 10,000 people or more: the outlines of 3 tornado warnings covered its center from 2016 to 2025.
When is tornado season in New Mexico?
May and June: 58% of the 681 tornadoes recorded in New Mexico since 1950 came in those two months. Tornadoes have struck New Mexico in every month of the year.
About these numbers
Counts are National Weather Service warnings that listed a New Mexico county, through October 19, 2026. How Kinwarn counts · New Mexico data (CSV)
Cite: Kinwarn. “New Mexico tornado warnings.” kinwarn.com/new-mexico. National Weather Service data through October 19, 2026.
Sources: IEM warning archive · NWS 2007 outlines · SPC tornado database · Census places · Census population estimates · NWS tornado alerts