51 flood insurance claims·$359,096 paid·4 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 Sandoval 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 risk in Sandoval County. Over the last 30 years, the NOAA Storm Events Database recorded 94 flash flood events resulting in 1 death, compared to only 4 standard flood events.
Monsoon moisture frequently triggers heavy rainfall and flash flooding, as seen in July 2025 when heavy rainfall produced 1 to 2.5 inches of rain and washed out roads in Rio Rancho. Slow-moving thunderstorms in the Jemez Mountains caused flash flooding and washed out roads near State Route 4 and 126 in August 2025.
National Flood Insurance Program records show claims across multiple zones, with the highest number of claims occurring in Zone X (20 claims, averaging a $33,215 payout and 35 inches of recorded water depth) and Zone A (18 claims, averaging a $14,481 payout and 4 inches of recorded water depth). Properties in both mapped high-risk zones and moderate-to-low risk Zone X areas should pay close attention to this flash flood risk.
Summary written from NOAA storm reports and NFIP claims for this county. Not a prediction.
10% of Sandoval County’s flood insurance claims were on properties rated outside FEMA’s high-risk zones.
20 NFIP claims with a recorded rated flood zone, 1978 to date. The zone is the one FEMA used to rate that policy, which may not match today’s map. Source: OpenFEMA NFIP claims.
In flood insurance claims here that reported a flood depth, the average was 19 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.
The worst year was 2013, with 5 claims and $131,611 paid, the year of Severe Storms and Flooding and Severe Storms, Flooding, and Mudslides.
Bar height is scaled by square root so ordinary years stay visible next to the worst one. NFIP claims by year of loss. Source: OpenFEMA.
64 NOAA storm reports from Sandoval County describe what happened, in the words of the forecasters who covered it. Read the New Mexico flood stories →
21 federal disaster declarations since 1973, 4 of them floods, coastal storms or hurricanes.
| Disaster | Began |
|---|---|
| Wildfires, Straight-line Winds, Flooding, Mudflows, And Debris Flows | Apr 5, 2022 |
| El Cajete Fire | Jun 15, 2017 |
| Severe Storms And Flooding | Jul 27, 2014 |
| Severe Storms, Flooding, And Mudslides | Sep 9, 2013 |
| Severe Storms And Flooding | Jul 23, 2013 |
| Flooding | Jun 22, 2012 |
| Romero Fire | Jun 20, 2012 |
| Flooding | Aug 19, 2011 |
Weather and water disasters only; most recent first. Source: OpenFEMA Disaster Declarations.
98 since 1996: 94 flash floods and 4 river or area floods.
| Event | Date | Damage |
|---|---|---|
| Flash Flood | Aug 24, 2025 | — |
| Flash Flood | Jul 21, 2025 | $5,000 |
| Flash Flood | Sep 16, 2025 | — |
| Flash Flood | Jul 3, 2025 | — · 1 killed |
| Flash Flood | Sep 5, 2024 | $20,000 |
| Flood | Apr 12, 2023 | $1.0M |
| Flash Flood | Jul 30, 2022 | $15,000 |
| Flash Flood | Sep 22, 2022 | — |
— = no damage estimate in the record. Source: NOAA Storm Events Database.
Flash Flood · Aug 24, 2025. Higher monsoon moisture moved across northern New Mexico on August 24th. This resulted in a better coverage of shower and thunderstorm activity across the northern mountains. Slow moving thunderstorms in the Jemez Mountains resulted in some flash flooding and washed out roads near State Route 4 and 126.
Flash Flood · Jul 21, 2025. A new multi-day plume of monsoon moisture advected northward into New Mexico between an upper level trough over the southern Baja Peninsula and an upper high over the south-central CONUS. Daily rounds of afternoon thunderstorms producing heavy rain developing over the mountains of New Mexico before moving over surrounding lower elevations through the evening resulted in several events of flash flooding and isolate…
Flash Flood · Sep 16, 2025. Monsoon moisture returned to southern, eastern, and much of central New Mexico on September 16th. This higher moisture combined with disturbances rotating around the southern periphery of an upper low over the northern and central Rocky Mountains resulted in the development of showers and thunderstorms during the midday hours across these portions of the state. A thunderstorm produced a wet microburst over the Las…
Flash Flood · Jul 3, 2025. Another burst of abundant monsoon moisture resulted in localized heavy rainfall July 2nd and overnight into July 3rd. Burn scar flash flooding off the Salt burn scar washed out culverts that then diverted water into the Cherokee Mobile home park near Ruidoso. A late night round of strong thunderstorms developing along middle Rio Grande Valley produced very heavy rainfall measuring 1 to near 2.50 inches in Rio Ranc…
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 Sandoval 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.