Photo: AllenS · Public domainFEMA expects about as much hazard damage per building in Elephant Butte as in the typical U.S. town, mostly from river and rain flooding
On FEMA’s National Risk Index, Elephant Butte gets a B− for hazard risk: higher expected damage per building than 52% of U.S. towns. Most of that expected damage is river and rain flooding (95%). FEMA’s files show no paid flood insurance claims here.
Graded on FEMA’s expected yearly building damage per dollar of building value (NRI v1.20, December 2025), weighted by where residents live; flood claims are shown, not graded. How hazard risk is graded
What Elephant Butte faces
Each hazard’s share of the building damage FEMA expects here, and how its rate compares with the rest of the country.
River and rain flooding
Shares are of FEMA’s expected building damage, the measure the grade uses; ranks compare each hazard’s building-damage rate with all 85,154 U.S. census tracts. In FEMA’s terms, river and rain flooding is FEMA’s “Inland Flooding” (rivers and streams overflowing their banks, or rain overwhelming drainage). FEMA defines coastal flooding as high or rising tides and storm surge, so surge damage is counted there. Drought isn’t listed: FEMA counts its losses in crops only.
What’s behind Elephant Butte’s grade
River and rain flooding is 95% of the building damage FEMA expects in Elephant Butte, and Elephant Butte’s rate of river and rain flooding damage is higher than 76% of U.S. census tracts.
B− higher expected damage per building than 52% of U.S. towns (21,298).
All of Elephant Butte’s residents live in one census tract; the figures are that tract’s.
In dollars, FEMA expects about $832K a year in losses across Elephant Butte: $574K to buildings, the rest to people and crops.
Does Elephant Butte flood? No paid flood claims on record
FEMA’s records show no paid flood insurance claims in Elephant Butte. That’s not a promise: most homes don’t carry flood insurance, so small floods go unrecorded.
Elephant Butte isn’t in FEMA’s Community Rating System, which cuts flood insurance up to 45% in towns that do extra flood-proofing.
Insurance rates: Sierra County.2 federal disasters brought FEMA money to Elephant Butte
Disasters that paid out in Elephant Butte itself (aid to households or repair grants to the City of Elephant Butte), newest first, with that year’s flood claims.
- 2014Severe Storms and Flooding$27K to the City of Elephant Butte for repairs
- 2013Severe Storms, Flooding, and Mudslides$39K to the City of Elephant Butte for repairs
Sierra County has had 10 natural disasters declared by the President since 1953, most often severe storms, then floods. Not counted: the 2005 Hurricane Katrina evacuee emergency, which covered counties that took in evacuees.
Old photos of Elephant Butte after a storm or flood belong in the town’s history. Add one, or share what you remember below.
Add to the Elephant Butte archive →Elephant Butte and its neighbors
Elephant Butte has the lowest expected damage per building of the 2 graded towns here. Tap a town to see its hazards.
| Town | Hazard risk | Mostly (buildings) | Flood claims |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elephant Butte | B−more damage than 52% | river and rain flooding | 0 |
| Truth or Consequences | Dmore damage than 90% | river and rain flooding | 7 |
| Hot Springs Landing | — | 110 residents; we grade 1,000+ | |
Hazard risk = FEMA’s expected yearly building damage per dollar of building value, vs. the 21,298 U.S. towns we grade; the map is shaded by fifths of the same scale. Flood claims = paid federal flood insurance claims on record.
Get ready for what Elephant Butte faces
A short kit for the hazards that drive the building damage here, what to check before you buy, and where neighbors get alerts.
- Turn around at flooded roads: a foot of moving water can carry off a car.
- Flood insurance usually takes 30 days to start, so buy it before the forecast.
- Keep papers and medicines up high, in a grab-and-go bag.
- Look up the address on FEMA’s flood map.
- Ask the seller or landlord whether it has ever flooded, and what flood insurance costs there.
- Get a flood insurance quote early: policies usually start 30 days after you buy.
Know where neighbors sign up for alerts? Add it to the Handbook so everyone has it.
Questions about natural hazards in Elephant Butte
Is Elephant Butte at risk for natural disasters?
On FEMA’s National Risk Index, Elephant Butte has higher expected damage per building than 52% of U.S. towns: B− for hazard risk. Most of the expected damage is river and rain flooding (95%). The figures are for the one census tract the town shares with its neighbors. This is FEMA’s model of an average year for today’s buildings, not a forecast.
Is Elephant Butte in a flood zone?
Flood zones are drawn street by street, so the answer depends on the address: look it up on FEMA’s flood map. In Sierra County, 0.3% of all homes carry federal flood insurance.
How much is flood insurance in Elephant Butte?
FEMA’s Community Rating System list shows no discount for Elephant Butte’s flood program. Premiums depend on the building; policies usually start 30 days after you buy, so get a quote early.
What was the biggest storm in Elephant Butte?
By FEMA money that reached Elephant Butte, Severe Storms, Flooding, and Mudslides (2013): $39K to the City of Elephant Butte for repairs.
Is Elephant Butte at risk from river and rain flooding?
It is the largest share of the building damage FEMA expects here (95%), and Elephant Butte’s rate for it is higher than 76% of U.S. census tracts.
Storm stories
Memories, warnings and help from neighbors in Elephant Butte.
Sources: FEMA National Risk Index v1.20 (December 2025), census-tract table, combined by where Elephant Butte’s residents lived in the 2020 census; 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. Homes: Census ACS 2020–24. Preparedness tips: Ready.gov. FEMA’s model is an average of expected damage, not a forecast. How hazard risk is graded.