Natural hazards · Tucumcari

Tucumcari, NM natural hazards

Most of the natural-hazard damage FEMA expects in Tucumcari comes from inland flooding, and overall the risk is moderate for a U.S. community. Flood insurance has paid 6 claims here since 1981. 1 federal disaster brought FEMA money into town.

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

Expected damage

How exposed is Tucumcari?

Moderate

vs. U.S. communities

FEMA expects yearly storm and flood damage to homes and buildings in Tucumcari to be higher than in 48% of U.S. communities, mostly from inland flooding.

Inland flooding73%Cold waves5%Everything else22%

By hazard

What Tucumcari faces

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

Inland flooding

73% of expected damage

Above average · higher than 72% of U.S. places

Recorded about once a year in the area

Cold waves

5% of expected damage

Above average · higher than 65% of U.S. places

Recorded about once every 2 years in the area

Lower here

TornadoesHailIce stormsWinter weatherHeat wavesWildfireEarthquakesLandslidesStrong 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 Tucumcari flood?

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

6paid claims since 1981

$29Kpaid to owners

0homes flooded more than once

19812026

of all homes
are insured

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

Insurance rates: Quay County.

Disasters that hit Tucumcari

1 federal disaster brought FEMA money here

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

Brought FEMA money into TucumcariDeclared for Quay County only

2007

Severe Storms and Tornadoes

30 households applied for aid $28K aid approved

Quay County has had 5 natural disasters declared since 1953, most often severe storms and hurricanes.

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. Tucumcari covers 1 census tract, combined by population.

Money that reached townFlood claims are matched to Tucumcari’s own flood-insurance community; household aid to the registrant’s city; repair grants to the City of Tucumcari. 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 Tucumcari total about $1.1M 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.