How Likely Is a Tornado in Harding County, NM?
How likely is a tornado in Harding County, NM?
Harding County has recorded 8 tornado touches in NOAA's 76-year database, a rate of roughly one every 9.5 years - our Low band. Put another way: Harding County sees more tornado activity than 23% of US counties. Among 33 New Mexico counties in this dataset, Harding County ranks 22 for how often a tornado touches down.
Beyond the frequency band: violent history
6 weak and 2 significant tornadoes make up Harding County's 8-track record - none violent. NOAA has never logged an EF4 or EF5 crossing this county.
The dollar figure Harding County's rating leads to
Cost nationally: $2,890-$13,280, about $7,645 typical. New Mexico has no state rebate program confirmed here; FEMA's underlying 75% cost-share exists nationwide, but applying through a state program is what usually makes it real, and none was found for New Mexico this pass.
What a direct hit isn't required for
The storm that misses Harding County outright can still take its power out - outbreak-scale outages across New Mexico are common well beyond the tracked path. A battery-backup unit handles that without a generator's setup or fuel.
What this number is, and is not
One caveat before relying on Harding County's number: it is county-wide, and it covers about 2,125 square miles, so a single touch counts the same as one in a county a fraction of that size. Weaker pre-1990s tornadoes are also documented as undercounted in NOAA's own record. Harding County has about 635 residents.