NHC HURDAT2 · SPC Tornado Database
Hurricanes and Tornadoes That Hit Truth Or Consequences, 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 Truth Or Consequences, New Mexico since 1851, 0 of them at hurricane strength; the most recent was an unnamed storm in 1929. Since 1950, 4 tornadoes have touched down within 25 miles, 0 of them rated EF3 or stronger.
- Hurricanes
- 0
- Tropical storms
- 1
- Tornadoes
- 4
- EF3 or stronger
- 0
within 75 mi, since 1851
below hurricane strength
within 25 mi, since 1950
no recorded deaths
What the records show for Truth Or Consequences
None of the 1 tropical systems was at hurricane strength as it passed Truth Or Consequences; the strongest was an unnamed storm in 1929, a tropical storm with 41 mph winds when its centre passed 67 miles away. Truth Or Consequences is tied for the most tropical storms and hurricanes within 75 miles among the 94 New Mexico cities on this site. The highest rating among the 4 tornadoes within 25 miles is F0, reached 4 times; the most recent, on July 22, 1987, came within 23 miles. Of the 94 New Mexico cities, 70% have more tornadoes within 25 miles than Truth Or Consequences. Hail has been reported within 10 miles 8 times since 1957, with stones up to 1.75 inches (golf ball size). Of the 94 New Mexico cities, 69% have more hail reports within 10 miles than Truth Or Consequences.
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Tropical storms and hurricanes near Truth Or Consequences
| Year | Storm | Closest | Strength when closest | Peak |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1929 | Unnamed 1929 stormJun 30 | 67 mi | Tropical storm (41 mph) | Category 1 |
Strength is the sustained wind on the track at the closest point, which is not the wind felt in Truth Or Consequences: 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 Truth Or Consequences
By decade
- 1980s2
- 1960s1
- 1950s1
| Date | Rating | Distance | Path | Killed / injured |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jul 22, 1987 | F0 | 23 mi | 5 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Jun 20, 1982 | F0 | 4 mi | 0.1 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Jun 11, 1960 | F0 | 11 mi | 0.1 mi | 0 / 0 |
| May 16, 1958 | F0 | 7 mi | 0.3 mi | 0 / 0 |
The strongest 4 of 4, by rating and then by deaths. Ratings before February 2007 are on the original Fujita scale.
Hail in Truth Or Consequences
The Storm Prediction Center has 8 hail reports within 10 miles of Truth Or Consequences since 1957. Of these, 6 were 1 inch across or larger, and none reached 2 inches. The largest size, 1.75 inches (golf ball size), was reported on 3 days, most recently September 15, 2011. The most recent report is from June 13, 2019.
Source: NOAA Storm Prediction Center severe weather reports, data through 2025.
Weather by month in Truth Or Consequences
The nearest NOAA station with 1991–2020 climate normals is Elephant Butte Dam, NM, in Truth Or Consequences at 4,571 feet. July is the warmest, with an average high of 96°F and low of 70°F; December is the coolest, at 56°F and 30°F. Highs reach 90°F on about 96 days a year, almost all from April to October. Lows fall below freezing on about 69 nights a year. Snowfall averages 0.9 inches a year, most of it in February and December. That 9.9 inches is more than at 12 of the 58 New Mexico stations used on this site (21%). Hatch, 38 miles south, has its own station (Caballo Dam, NM): 10.7 inches a year, 0.8 more than here, and a July average high of 98°F against 96°F.
| Month | High °F | Low °F | Precip. in | Days ≥ 0.1" | Snow in |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 57 | 30 | 0.4 | 2 | 0.2 |
| Feb | 62 | 34 | 0.3 | 1 | 0.3 |
| Mar | 69 | 40 | 0.3 | 1 | 0.0 |
| Apr | 78 | 49 | 0.3 | 1 | 0.0 |
| May | 86 | 58 | 0.4 | 1 | 0.0 |
| Jun | 96 | 67 | 0.5 | 2 | 0.0 |
| Jul | 96 | 70 | 2.2 | 5 | 0.0 |
| Aug | 93 | 69 | 1.8 | 5 | 0.0 |
| Sep | 88 | 62 | 1.6 | 3 | 0.0 |
| Oct | 78 | 50 | 0.9 | 2 | 0.1 |
| Nov | 66 | 38 | 0.6 | 2 | 0.0 |
| Dec | 56 | 30 | 0.6 | 2 | 0.3 |
| Year | 77 | 50 | 9.9 | 25 | 0.9 |
Averages for 1991–2020 at Elephant Butte Dam, NM (4,571 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 Truth Or Consequences
Since 1996, the National Weather Service has logged 24 flood, rain, thunderstorm wind and lightning events that began within 10 miles of Truth Or Consequences: 13 flash floods and 11 thunderstorm wind reports. They killed 1 person and injured 0, and the NWS estimated $4.8 million in property and crop damage. The strongest thunderstorm gust on record here was 85 mph, on July 1, 2013. July has had the most flash floods, 6 of 13. Of the 92 New Mexico cities on this site with a flash flood on record, 52 have had fewer than Truth Or Consequences.
September 13, 2013: flash flood 8 miles from the centre of Truth Or Consequences — 1 killed, $500,000 damage.
NWS: “The Sierra County Emergency Manager reported several bridges washed out and evacuations taking place around Truth or Consequences. 35 inches of rain was reported at the New Mexico State Veterans Home.”
July 26, 2020: flash flood 5 miles from the centre of Truth Or Consequences — $2.4 million damage.
NWS: “There was extensive flash flooding of roads and buildings around Truth or Consequences and Williamsburg. Near-zero visibility was reported in the heavy rain along with pea sized hail.”
August 17, 2015: thunderstorm wind 2 miles from the centre of Truth Or Consequences — $1.1 million damage.
NWS: “Storm survey revealed numerous boats damaged at Marina Del Sur on the south end of Elephant Butte Lake. A couple of metal roofs covering the boats were torn off and/or collapsed and concrete slabs anchoring down the structures were pulled out of the water.”
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
Sierra County, which includes Truth Or Consequences, has been named in 13 federal disaster or emergency declarations since 1972, 10 of them major disasters (by incident: 5 severe storms, 3 floods, 2 biological emergencies, 2 fires). The latest major disaster declaration was Covid-19 Pandemic, on April 5, 2020. FEMA's National Risk Index gives Sierra County a Relatively Low rating for natural hazard risk overall; by hazard: Relatively Moderate for inland flooding and lightning; Relatively Low for hail; Very Low for hurricanes, tornadoes, strong wind and heat waves. It models the county's expected loss from all 18 hazards it covers at $10.8 million a year, the 23rd highest of 33 New Mexico counties; of the hazards above, the largest share, $9.1 million (84%), 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 Truth Or Consequences
- Hatch, NM38 mi
- Socorro, NM57 mi
- Bayard, NM59 mi
- Las Cruces, NM61 mi
- Tularosa, NM68 mi
- Holloman Afb, NM68 mi
- Magdalena, NM69 mi
- Silver City, NM71 mi
- Deming, NM71 mi
- Alamogordo, NM73 mi
- La Mesa, NM74 mi
- Mesquite, NM75 mi
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