NHC HURDAT2 · SPC Tornado Database
Hurricanes and Tornadoes That Hit Hobbs, NM
Every tropical system within 75 miles since 1851 and every tornado within 25 miles since 1950.
Data: NOAA NHC HURDAT2 and NOAA SPC tornado and hail reports, through 2025 · Updated
1 tropical system has passed within 75 miles of Hobbs, New Mexico since 1851, 0 of them at hurricane strength; the most recent was an unnamed storm in 1942. Since 1950, 71 tornadoes have touched down within 25 miles, 1 of them rated EF3 or stronger.
- Hurricanes
- 0
- Tropical storms
- 1
- Tornadoes
- 71
- EF3 or stronger
- 1
within 75 mi, since 1851
below hurricane strength
within 25 mi, since 1950
no recorded deaths
What the records show for Hobbs
None of the 1 tropical systems was at hurricane strength as it passed Hobbs; the strongest was an unnamed storm in 1942, a tropical storm with 40 mph winds when its centre passed 44 miles away. Hobbs is tied for the most tropical storms and hurricanes within 75 miles among the 94 New Mexico cities on this site. The strongest of the 71 tornadoes within 25 miles was an F3 on May 17, 1954; its path came within 21 miles. Of the 71, 16 had paths within 5 miles of the city centre, and 5 have come since 2000. May has had the most tornadoes, 22. The most recent tornado was on November 2, 2024. Hobbs has more tornadoes within 25 miles than 96% of the 94 New Mexico cities. Hail has been reported within 10 miles 190 times since 1957, with stones up to 3.75 inches. Hobbs has more hail reports within 10 miles than 97% of the 94 New Mexico cities.
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Tropical storms and hurricanes near Hobbs
| Year | Storm | Closest | Strength when closest | Peak |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1942 | Unnamed 1942 stormAug 31 | 44 mi | Tropical storm (40 mph) | Category 3 |
Strength is the sustained wind on the track at the closest point, which is not the wind felt in Hobbs: a hurricane's worst winds sit within a few dozen miles of its centre, and inland cities are usually past that.
Tornadoes within 25 miles of Hobbs
By decade
- 2020s3
- 2000s2
- 1990s27
- 1980s17
- 1970s7
- 1960s8
- 1950s7(1 EF3+)
| Date | Rating | Distance | Path | Killed / injured |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| May 17, 1954 | F3 | 21 mi | 0.1 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Jun 6, 1991 | F2 | 6 mi | 10 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Jun 6, 1991 | F2 | 6 mi | 10 mi | 0 / 5 |
| Jun 6, 1991 | F2 | 5 mi | 17.5 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Jun 6, 1991 | F2 | 9 mi | 4.5 mi | 0 / 0 |
| May 27, 1982 | F2 | 2 mi | 0.1 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Jul 24, 1960 | F2 | 22 mi | 0.1 mi | 0 / 0 |
| May 6, 1997 | F1 | 4 mi | 1 mi | 0 / 0 |
| May 26, 1995 | F1 | 24 mi | 2.5 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Aug 2, 1989 | F1 | 6 mi | 2.5 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Oct 10, 1978 | F1 | 5 mi | 0.1 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Apr 19, 1977 | F1 | 15 mi | 5.1 mi | 0 / 0 |
The strongest 12 of 71, by rating and then by deaths. Ratings before February 2007 are on the original Fujita scale.
Hail in Hobbs
The Storm Prediction Center has 190 hail reports within 10 miles of Hobbs since 1957, made on 117 separate days. Of these, 127 were 1 inch across or larger, and 18 reached 2 inches. The largest, 3.75 inches, fell on May 29, 1957. The most recent report is from June 6, 2025. May has the most reports, 81.
Source: NOAA Storm Prediction Center severe weather reports, data through 2025.
Weather by month in Hobbs
The nearest NOAA station with 1991–2020 climate normals is Hobbs, NM, 2 miles east of Hobbs at 3,660 feet. July is the warmest, with an average high of 94°F and low of 69°F; January is the coolest, at 55°F and 30°F. Highs reach 90°F on about 104 days a year, almost all from April to October. Lows fall below freezing on about 72 nights a year. Snowfall averages 1.8 inches a year, most of it in January. That 13.8 inches is more than at 38 of the 58 New Mexico stations used on this site (66%). Eunice, 20 miles south, has its own station (Hobbs 13W, NM): 14.8 inches a year, 1.0 more than here, and a July average high of 92°F against 94°F.
| Month | High °F | Low °F | Precip. in | Days ≥ 0.1" | Snow in |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 55 | 30 | 0.5 | 1 | 0.9 |
| Feb | 61 | 33 | 0.5 | 1 | 0.2 |
| Mar | 69 | 40 | 0.6 | 1 | 0.0 |
| Apr | 77 | 48 | 0.8 | 1 | 0.1 |
| May | 85 | 57 | 1.9 | 2 | 0.0 |
| Jun | 93 | 65 | 1.3 | 3 | 0.0 |
| Jul | 94 | 69 | 1.7 | 3 | 0.0 |
| Aug | 92 | 68 | 2.1 | 3 | 0.0 |
| Sep | 85 | 61 | 2.5 | 3 | 0.0 |
| Oct | 76 | 50 | 0.9 | 2 | 0.1 |
| Nov | 64 | 38 | 0.5 | 1 | 0.0 |
| Dec | 56 | 31 | 0.5 | 1 | 0.5 |
| Year | 76 | 49 | 13.8 | 23 | 1.8 |
Averages for 1991–2020 at Hobbs, NM (3,660 ft), from NOAA NCEI U.S. Climate Normals. Normals describe the station; the farther a place is from it, and the bigger the difference in height, the more its weather can differ.
Floods, thunderstorm wind and lightning near Hobbs
Since 1996, the National Weather Service has logged 105 flood, rain, thunderstorm wind and lightning events that began within 10 miles of Hobbs: 66 thunderstorm wind reports, 34 flash floods, 3 heavy rain events, 1 flood and 1 lightning strike. None is recorded as killing or injuring anyone; the NWS estimated $1.7 million in property and crop damage. The strongest thunderstorm gust on record here was 119 mph, on May 31, 2023. August has had the most flash floods, 11 of 34. Of the 92 New Mexico cities on this site with a flash flood on record, 82 have had fewer than Hobbs.
May 31, 2023: thunderstorm wind 10 miles from the centre of Hobbs — $500,000 damage.
NWS: “Damage location estimated from Emergency Manager report. Damage includes approximately 300 cow hutches blown to the northeast, dozens of cattle fatalities, multiple irrigation pivots overturned, and multiple buildings with roof damage.”
May 25, 2013: thunderstorm wind 2 miles from the centre of Hobbs — $300,000 damage.
NWS: “A thunderstorm moved over Lea County and knocked down power lines west and south of Hobbs as well as in Hobbs. Fires started due to the downed power lines.”
May 10, 2005: thunderstorm wind 3 miles from the centre of Hobbs — $100,000 damage.
NWS: “Local officials reported that wind gusts to 60 MPH accompanied the large hail north of Hobbs. These winds blew large hail horizontally and destroyed lightweight structures such as sheds and carports.”
Source: NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database, events whose starting point is on record, 1996 to June 30, 2026. Damage is the NWS estimate in the dollars of the year, not insured losses, and NWS notes that some reports are unverified.
Flood insurance claims, disaster declarations and FEMA risk ratings
Flood insurance policyholders in Hobbs's 2 ZIP codes have filed 198 claims with the National Flood Insurance Program since 1979, and were paid $897,000 for buildings and contents, in the dollars of each year. The most came from Flooding in 1984: 14 claims (7% of all) and $13,000. The year with the most claims was 1992, with 73. 7% of the claims carry the name of a storm or flood event; the rest have no event name. Of the 25 New Mexico cities on this site with 10 or more claims, 23 have fewer than Hobbs.
| Event | Claims | Paid |
|---|---|---|
| Flooding1984 | 14 | $13,000 |
Lea County, which includes Hobbs, has been named in 7 federal disaster or emergency declarations since 1992, 3 of them major disasters (by incident: 2 biological emergencies, 2 fires, 1 flood, 1 hurricane). The latest major disaster declaration was Covid-19 Pandemic, on April 5, 2020. FEMA's National Risk Index gives Lea County a Relatively Moderate rating for natural hazard risk overall; by hazard: Relatively High for hail and lightning; Relatively Moderate for inland flooding and strong wind; Relatively Low for tornadoes and heat waves; Very Low for hurricanes. It models the county's expected loss from all 18 hazards it covers at $45.2 million a year, the 5th highest of 33 New Mexico counties; of the hazards above, the largest share, $25.1 million (56%), is from inland flooding.
Claims: FEMA, OpenFEMA Dataset FIMA NFIP Redacted Claims – v3, summed over ZIP codes; payments in the dollars of each year, not adjusted for inflation. Declarations: Disaster Declarations Summaries – v2, by county. Retrieved October 25, 2026. This product uses the Federal Emergency Management Agency's OpenFEMA API, but is not endorsed by FEMA. The Federal Government or FEMA cannot vouch for the data or analyses derived from these data after the data have been retrieved from the Agency's website(s).
Risk ratings: FEMA, National Risk Index county table, December 2025 (v1.20), retrieved October 26, 2026; ratings compare counties nationwide, are meant for planning and are no substitute for a local risk assessment. This product uses the Federal Emergency Management Agency's National Risk Index dataset API or downloadable datasets but is not endorsed by FEMA. The Federal Government or FEMA cannot vouch for the data or analyses derived from these data after the data have been retrieved from the Agency's website(s).
What counts as a pass, the distances and the sources: how this storm history is built.
Cities near Hobbs
- Eunice, NM20 mi
- Lovington, NM21 mi
- Seminole, TX25 mi
- Denver City, TX26 mi
- Jal, NM37 mi
- Seagraves, TX38 mi
- Andrews, TX43 mi
- Brownfield, TX59 mi
- Kermit, TX61 mi
- Gardendale, TX68 mi
- Carlsbad, NM69 mi
- Artesia, NM71 mi
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