125 flood insurance claims·$982,291 paid·2 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 Valencia 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 driven by summer thunderstorms dominates the flood risk profile in Valencia County, based on 20 flash flood events and 4 general flood events recorded over the last 30 years. NOAA storm narratives illustrate this pattern, noting heavy rainfall and flash flooding driven by monsoonal moisture plumes in June 2022, as well as subsequent monsoon events producing heavy rainfall and washed-out roads near Las Nutrias in July 2025.
Federal insurance claims data shows that properties located in FEMA Flood Zone A have experienced the highest impact, accounting for 101 claims with an average payout of $18,223 and an average recorded water depth of 8 inches. Additional claims occurred in Zone X, which recorded 16 claims averaging $12,636 with an average water depth of 2 inches, and Zone X_SHADED, which recorded 3 claims averaging $22,528 with an average water depth of 6 inches.
Homeowners, real estate agents, and journalists should pay the most attention to properties situated within FEMA Zone A, as well as those in shaded Zone X areas where average recorded water depths during past claims reached up to 8 inches and 6 inches, respectively.
Summary written from NOAA storm reports and NFIP claims for this county. Not a prediction.
4% of Valencia County’s flood insurance claims were on properties rated outside FEMA’s high-risk zones.
105 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 7 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 2006, with 22 claims and $156,313 paid, the year of Severe Storms and Flooding.
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.
17 NOAA storm reports from Valencia County describe what happened, in the words of the forecasters who covered it. Read the New Mexico flood stories →
15 federal disaster declarations since 1973, 2 of them floods, coastal storms or hurricanes.
| Disaster | Began |
|---|---|
| Severe Storms, Flooding, And Landslides | Jun 23, 2025 |
| Cotton 2 Fire | Jun 22, 2025 |
| Desert Willow Fire Complex | Jun 21, 2025 |
| Rio Grande Fire | Apr 17, 2025 |
| Big Hole Fire | Apr 11, 2022 |
| Wildfires, Straight-line Winds, Flooding, Mudflows, And Debris Flows | Apr 5, 2022 |
| Ironworks Fire | Mar 7, 2019 |
| Belen Fire | Feb 23, 2007 |
Weather and water disasters only; most recent first. Source: OpenFEMA Disaster Declarations.
24 since 1996: 20 flash floods and 4 river or area floods.
| Event | Date | Damage |
|---|---|---|
| Flash Flood | Jun 24, 2025 | — |
| Flash Flood | Jun 4, 2025 | $40,000 |
| Flash Flood | Jul 3, 2025 | — |
| Flash Flood | Jun 18, 2022 | $20,000 |
| Flash Flood | Jul 6, 2021 | $500,000 |
| Flash Flood | Jul 5, 2018 | $200,000 |
| Flash Flood | Sep 30, 2017 | — |
| Flash Flood | Sep 29, 2017 | — |
— = no damage estimate in the record. Source: NOAA Storm Events Database.
Flash Flood · Jun 24, 2025. An early season plume of monsoon moisture advected northward into New Mexico from June 22nd through the 24th bringing several days of flash flooding and severe weather across portions of northern and central NM. June 22nd in particular saw severe thunderstorms produce numerous severe wind gusts of 60 mph or stronger across eastern NM from Roswell to Nara Visa with reports of downed utility poles and arcing powerli…
Flash Flood · Jun 4, 2025. An upper low moved across the desert southwest June 1st into June 2nd helping to pull up higher moisture from former Tropical Storm Alvin in the eastern Pacific. Widespread showers and storms developed across New Mexico during the day June 2nd as the upper low moved into the state. Storms resulted in severe wind gusts in Clovis, penny size hail and flash flooding in Albuquerque and Farmington. Flash flooding in th…
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…
Flash Flood · Jun 18, 2022. As an area of high pressure remained centered to the east of New Mexico, it allowed for a healthy stream of moisture to continue to move into the western half of the state on June 18, 2022. With the monsoonal moisture plume focused in this area, the day's thunderstorms favored areas along and west of the central mountain chain. With moisture streaming into the area over the past few days, the atmosphere was primed…
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 Valencia 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.