Natural hazards · Elephant Butte

Elephant Butte, NM natural hazards

Most of the natural-hazard damage FEMA expects in Elephant Butte comes from inland flooding, and overall the risk is moderate for a U.S. community. 2 federal disasters brought FEMA money into town.

FEMA National Risk Index, December 2025 · OpenFEMA claims, aid & declarations

Expected damage

How exposed is Elephant Butte?

Moderate

vs. U.S. communities

FEMA expects yearly storm and flood damage to homes and buildings in Elephant Butte to be higher than in 49% of U.S. communities, mostly from inland flooding.

Inland flooding74%Drought10%Everything else16%

By hazard

What Elephant Butte faces

Each hazard’s share of the damage FEMA expects here, and how that compares with the rest of the country.

Inland flooding

74% of expected damage

Well above average · higher than 76% of U.S. places

Recorded about 2 times a year in the area

Drought

10% of expected damage

Recorded about 63 times a year in the area

Lower here

HurricanesTornadoesHailIce stormsWinter weatherCold wavesHeat wavesWildfireEarthquakesLandslidesStrong windLightningAvalanchesVolcanic activity

Not a risk here

Coastal floodingTsunamis

Flood risk changes street by street. Check a specific address on FEMA’s flood map, and ask about flood insurance before you buy.

Flood insurance claims

Does Elephant Butte flood?

FEMA's records show no paid flood insurance claims in Elephant Butte.

of all homes
are insured

No community discount. Elephant Butte isn’t in FEMA’s Community Rating System, which cuts flood insurance up to 45% in towns that do extra flood-proofing.

Insurance rates: Sierra County.

Disasters that hit Elephant Butte

2 federal disasters brought FEMA money here

Disasters the President declared that paid out in Elephant Butte itself: aid to households, or repair grants to the City of Elephant Butte.

Brought FEMA money into Elephant ButteDeclared for Sierra County only

2014

Severe Storms and Flooding

$27K to the City of Elephant Butte for repairs

2013

Severe Storms, Flooding, and Mudslides

$39K to the City of Elephant Butte for repairs

Sierra County has had 10 natural disasters declared since 1953, most often severe storms and floods.

Around Elephant Butte

Elephant Butte and the towns around it

Very lowLowModerateHighVery high

Truth or Consequencesmostly inland floodingVery high

Elephant Buttemostly inland floodingModerate

Hot Springs Landingmostly inland floodingModerate

About these numbers

How to read this page

An average, not a forecastFEMA’s National Risk Index estimates the damage 18 kinds of natural hazards cause in a typical year, from decades of records and models. A quiet decade can follow a bad year.

Compared by rate“Higher than N%” compares yearly damage as a share of what’s here, so a big city isn’t rated riskier just for having more buildings. Elephant Butte is smaller than a census tract, so it shares the figures of the tract around its center.

Money that reached townFlood claims are matched to Elephant Butte’s own flood-insurance community; household aid to the registrant’s city; repair grants to the City of Elephant Butte. FEMA’s model follows property values, so a place that recently lost many homes can rate lower than it feels.

Sources: FEMA National Risk Index (December 2025); OpenFEMA: NFIP redacted claims, multiple-loss properties, community status book and residential penetration rates, housing assistance (owners and renters), public assistance funded projects, hazard mitigation properties and disaster declarations. Census tracts: U.S. Census Bureau.