New Mexico
In 2022, a federal prescribed burn escaped control and became the largest wildfire in New Mexico history. Add chronic drought, monsoon flash floods that scour post-fire terrain, and desert heat, and New Mexico's hazard profile is defined by the interplay of fire and water.
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Know your region
Santa Fe, Taos, Las Vegas (NM), the Sangre de Cristo Range. The 2022 Hermits Peak/Calf Canyon Fire burned 340,000 acres and destroyed hundreds of homes in the mountains above Las Vegas. The Pecos and Rio Grande rivers flood after monsoon storms hit fire-scarred terrain.
Primary hazards: wildfire, post-fire flooding, drought, winter storms
Albuquerque, Rio Rancho, the Rio Grande Valley, the Sandia Mountains. The Sandia and Manzano mountains face wildfire risk. Flash floods funnel through arroyos across the metro. The Rio Grande has run dry in some reaches during drought years.
Primary hazards: flash flooding, wildfire, drought, severe storms
Las Cruces, Carlsbad, Roswell, Alamogordo, the Chihuahuan Desert. Summer temperatures exceed 105 degrees F. The Rio Grande is overallocated. Monsoon thunderstorms produce flash floods in desert terrain. Dust storms reduce highway visibility.
Primary hazards: extreme heat, flash flooding, drought, dust storms
Your hazard profile
Each links to a full guide with during-event protocol, recovery steps, and resources specific to NM.
The 2022 Hermits Peak/Calf Canyon Fire was the largest in state history, burning 340,000 acres. It was ignited by a federal prescribed burn. Prolonged drought has created extreme fire conditions across mountain forests and grasslands.
Read the wildfires guide →
New Mexico has been in severe drought for much of the past two decades. The Rio Grande has run dry. Groundwater depletion threatens agriculture and municipalities. Water is the defining resource constraint.
Read the drought guide →
Monsoon thunderstorms produce intense flash floods in arroyos and canyons. Post-fire burn scars amplify flooding dramatically. The 2022 fires turned subsequent monsoons into debris flow events.
Read the flash floods guide →
Southern New Mexico exceeds 105 degrees F regularly. At lower elevations, heat is life-threatening for those without reliable cooling. The combination of heat and drought stresses communities and ecosystems.
Read the extreme heat guide →
Northern mountains receive heavy snow. Cold outbreaks bring freezing temperatures to communities unaccustomed to sustained cold. Mountain pass closures on I-40 and I-25 are common.
Read the winter storms guide →
New Mexico resources
New Mexico Department of Homeland Security and Emergency Management. Coordinates disaster response and administers FEMA programs.
Wildfire information, fire restrictions, community wildfire protection plans, and defensible space guidance for New Mexico households.
Central New Mexico forecasts. Monsoon outlooks, flash flood warnings, fire weather alerts, and winter storm advisories.
Office of the State Engineer. Water rights, drought monitoring, Rio Grande allocation, and groundwater management.
April 2022
In April 2022, a prescribed burn conducted by the U.S. Forest Service near Las Vegas, New Mexico escaped control. It merged with another escaped prescribed burn. Together they became the Hermits Peak/Calf Canyon Fire, the largest wildfire in New Mexico history. It burned 340,000 acres, destroyed hundreds of homes, and contaminated water supplies for communities that depend on mountain watersheds.
The federal government acknowledged responsibility and established a claims process for affected residents. But acknowledgment does not rebuild homes or restore watersheds. The burn scars left by the fire will amplify flash flooding for years. Every monsoon season turns the damage into a new disaster.
For New Mexico households in fire-prone areas, the Hermits Peak lesson is twofold: defensible space and a go-bag are essential, and post-fire terrain is more dangerous than pre-fire terrain. If you live below a burn scar, your flood risk has multiplied. Monitor monsoon weather closely.