Natural hazards · La Luz

La Luz, NM natural hazards

Most of the natural-hazard damage FEMA expects in La Luz comes from inland flooding, and overall the risk is high for a U.S. community. Flood insurance has paid 1 claim here since 2017. 2 federal disasters brought FEMA money into town.

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

Expected damage

How exposed is La Luz?

High

vs. U.S. communities

FEMA expects yearly storm and flood damage to homes and buildings in La Luz to be higher than in 67% of U.S. communities, mostly from inland flooding.

Inland flooding80%Everything else21%

By hazard

What La Luz faces

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

Inland flooding

80% of expected damage

Well above average · higher than 86% of U.S. places

Recorded about 2 times a year in the area

Lower here

HurricanesTornadoesHailIce stormsWinter weatherCold wavesHeat wavesWildfireEarthquakesLandslidesStrong windLightningDroughtAvalanchesVolcanic 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 La Luz flood?

Every paid claim on a federal flood insurance policy in La Luz, from FEMA’s records.

1paid claims since 2017

$17Kpaid to owners

0homes flooded more than once

20172026

of homes in flood zones
are insured

of all homes
are insured

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

Insurance rates: Otero County.

Disasters that hit La Luz

2 federal disasters brought FEMA money here

Disasters the President declared that paid out in La Luz itself: aid to households, or repair grants to La Luz.

Brought FEMA money into La LuzDeclared for Otero County only

2024

South Fork Fire, Salt Fire, and Flooding

1 household applied for aid $1K aid approved

2006

Severe Storms and Flooding

11 households applied for aid $8K aid approved

Otero County has had 17 natural disasters declared since 1953, most often fires and severe storms.

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. La Luz covers 1 census tract, combined by population.

Money that reached townFlood claims are matched to La Luz’s own flood-insurance community (here, the census tracts inside it); household aid to the registrant’s city; repair grants to La Luz. FEMA’s model follows property values, so a place that recently lost many homes can rate lower than it feels.

FEMA’s expected losses across La Luz total about $890K a year, counting buildings, people and crops.

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.