Natural hazards · Santa Fe

Santa Fe, NM natural hazards

Most of the natural-hazard damage FEMA expects in Santa Fe comes from inland flooding, and overall the risk is very low for a U.S. community. Flood insurance has paid 10 claims here since 1989.

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

Expected damage

How exposed is Santa Fe?

Very low

vs. U.S. communities

FEMA expects yearly storm and flood damage to homes and buildings in Santa Fe to be higher than in 14% of U.S. communities, mostly from inland flooding and wildfires.

Inland flooding52%Wildfire19%Earthquakes16%Everything else13%

By hazard

What Santa Fe faces

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

Inland flooding

52% of expected damage

Well below average · higher than 16% of U.S. places

Recorded about 3 times a year in the area

Wildfire

19% of expected damage

Well above average · higher than 95% of U.S. places

Earthquakes

16% of expected damage

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

Lower here

TornadoesHailIce stormsWinter weatherCold wavesHeat wavesLandslidesStrong windLightningDrought

Not a risk here

Coastal floodingHurricanesAvalanchesTsunamisVolcanic activity

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 Santa Fe flood?

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

10paid claims since 1989

$160Kpaid to owners

0homes flooded more than once

19892026

of homes in flood zones
are insured

of all homes
are insured

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

Insurance rates: Santa Fe County.

Disasters that hit Santa Fe

Federal disasters declared here

None of the disasters declared for Santa Fe County shows FEMA aid or repair money reaching Santa Fe itself in FEMA’s records.

Brought FEMA money into Santa FeDeclared for Santa Fe County only

Santa Fe County has had 7 natural disasters declared since 1953, most often floods and fires.

Around Santa Fe

Santa Fe and the towns around it

Very lowLowModerateHighVery high

Tesuquemostly wildfiresVery high

La Cienegamostly inland floodingHigh

Valle Vistamostly inland floodingHigh

Conejomostly wildfiresHigh

Hyde Parkmostly wildfiresHigh

Tano Roadmostly wildfiresHigh

Santa Fe Foothillsmostly wildfiresModerate

Tres Arroyosmostly inland floodingModerate

Santa Femostly inland floodingVery low

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. Santa Fe covers 30 census tracts, combined by population.

Money that reached townFlood claims are matched to Santa Fe’s own flood-insurance community; household aid to the registrant’s city; repair grants to the City of Santa Fe. 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 Santa Fe total about $15.2M 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.