5 flood insurance claims·$168,085 paid·6 federal flood & hurricane disasters
Share of the whole county outline, rivers and lakes included; parts FEMA hasn’t mapped count as zero.
Shaded areas are FEMA’s mapped flood hazard zones in and around Catron County, New Mexico. Zoomed out they are simplified; at street level the map switches to FEMA’s exact layer. Tap anywhere to check that spot, or search an address above.
Flash flooding from summer thunderstorms dominates the flood profile of Catron County. Over the last 30 years, the NOAA Storm Events Database recorded 33 flash flood events resulting in 1 death, alongside 8 standard flood events.
Monsoonal patterns frequently drive these hazards, supported by slow-moving low pressure systems, high atmospheric moisture, and saturated soils. For example, on July 22, 2021, and July 23, 2021, slow-moving low pressure systems combined with abundant atmospheric moisture and saturated soils to produce active flash flooding across western New Mexico. Later that season, on September 5, 2021, heavy rainfall from slow-moving afternoon thunderstorms further impacted the area.
Homeowners, real estate agents, and journalists should pay the closest attention to properties located within Zone UNKNOWN, where historical National Flood Insurance Program records show 5 claims with an average payout of $42,021 and an average recorded water depth of 29 inches.
Summary written from NOAA storm reports and NFIP claims for this county. Not a prediction.
In flood insurance claims here that reported a flood depth, the average was 29 inches.
Drawn to scale against an 80-inch door. Even a few inches soaks flooring, the bottom of the drywall and anything plugged in near the floor.
Average of the depths reported on claims (zero and implausible values left out); FEMA’s record doesn’t say exactly where each depth was measured. Source: OpenFEMA NFIP claims.
20 NOAA storm reports from Catron County describe what happened, in the words of the forecasters who covered it. Read the New Mexico flood stories →
12 federal disaster declarations since 1972, 6 of them floods, coastal storms or hurricanes.
| Disaster | Began |
|---|---|
| Severe Storms, Flooding, And Mudslides | Sep 9, 2013 |
| Whitewater-baldy Fire Complex | May 23, 2012 |
| Wallow Fire | Jun 10, 2011 |
| Hurricane Katrina Evacuation | Aug 29, 2005 |
| Severe Fire Threats | May 5, 2000 |
| Severe Storms & Flooding | Jan 5, 1993 |
| Severe Storms & Flooding | Jan 18, 1985 |
| Severe Storms And Flooding | Sep 18, 1983 |
Weather and water disasters only; most recent first. Source: OpenFEMA Disaster Declarations.
41 since 1996: 33 flash floods and 8 river or area floods.
| Event | Date | Damage |
|---|---|---|
| Flash Flood | Jul 23, 2021 | $150,000 |
| Flash Flood | Jul 22, 2021 | $100,000 |
| Flash Flood | Sep 5, 2021 | $20,000 |
| Flash Flood | Jul 12, 2018 | $50,000 |
| Flash Flood | Jul 29, 2017 | — |
| Flash Flood | Jul 8, 2016 | $5,000 |
| Flash Flood | Aug 4, 2016 | $10,000 |
| Flash Flood | Jul 31, 2014 | $10,000 |
— = no damage estimate in the record. Source: NOAA Storm Events Database.
Flash Flood · Jul 23, 2021. A slow-moving low pressure system continued to track westward across southern New Mexico on July 23, 2021, as an area of high pressure remained centered over the Four Corners. An abundant amount of atmospheric moisture remained in place across central and western New Mexico, and with needed lift from the low pressure system, numerous thunderstorms impacted the area. Soils across western New Mexico were saturated f…
Flash Flood · Jul 22, 2021. An area of high pressure remained centered over the Four Corners while a slow-moving low pressure system tracked westward across southern New Mexico on July 22, 2021. Above normal atmospheric moisture values remained across much of central and western New Mexico which helped to set the stage for an active monsoon day across the area. The risk for flash flooding was highest across western New Mexico where steering…
Flash Flood · Sep 5, 2021. As an area of high pressure continued to strengthen over the Great Basin area on September 5, 2021, drier air continued to filter into the state from the north which further limited storm coverage across the area. However, deeper moisture continued to reside across southern New Mexico which allowed for another round of afternoon thunderstorms. A few of these thunderstorms produced heavy rainfall while steering flo…
Flash Flood · Jul 12, 2018. Abundant moisture in place across New Mexico with weak steering flow provided the necessary ingredients for locally heavy rainfall. A thunderstorm that drifted southeast across the Ute Park burn scar resulted in flash flooding along U.S. Highway 64 between Ute Park and Cimarron. Mud, debris, and ash crossed the highway between mile markers 300 and 301. Rocks, mud, and ash several inches deep was reported crossing…
National Weather Service narratives, lightly trimmed. Source: NOAA Storm Events Database.
Every colour on the map above is a place on this drawing: where the ground sits relative to the flood FEMA plans for.
If a building in Catron County is in a high-risk zone (A or V) and its mortgage comes from a federally regulated or insured lender, or is federally backed, flood insurance is required.
Outside those zones it is optional, and often worth having: from 2014 to 2024 nearly one-third of NFIP claims came from outside the high-risk Special Flood Hazard Area. Since Risk Rating 2.0, NFIP premiums are set for each building, so the only reliable price is a quote: FloodSmart.gov or a local agent.