New Mexico doesn’t always make the headlines in the national news and, for the most part, that’s a good thing. The state is generally pretty quiet since it is free of most natural disasters, making it an ideal place to live, and that is why this particular list is on the short side for terrible disasters that have occurred here in the Land of Enchantment. Let’s take a look at some of them, many of which are the worst natural disasters in New Mexico to have occurred ever. 

1. Coal mining disaster in Dawson, 1913
Albert Mock/Flickr
This coal mining disaster occurred on October 22, 1913, and was one of the deadliest of its time. An explosion inside the mine (believed to be caused by dynamite igniting coal dust) resulted in the deaths of 263 miners, many of them immigrants. To this day it's one of the worst coal mining disasters in U.S. history.
2. Coal mining disaster in Dawson, 1923
Albert Mock/Flickr
Almost one decade after the mining explosion that killed 263 miners, another explosion occurred in a Dawson mine. This one took place on February 8, 1923, and resulted in the deaths of 123 miners, many of them the children of miners killed in the previous disaster. That makes two for two on mining disasters in Dawson, which is now one of the creepiest ghost towns of New Mexico.

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3. Massive blizzard across the state, 1967
The National Guard/Flickr
It’s not every day you hear of a blizzard taking place in the desert Southwest but a massive one occurred in mid-December 1967. The storm blanketed New Mexico and Arizona in feet of snow, in some cases reaching rooftops and preventing people from being able to leave their homes for days. This resulted in the National Guard delivering food, water, and other supplies to rural residents. Even so, the storm caused the deaths of 51 people across New Mexico and Arizona. It's not every day you get a blizzard in New Mexico, let alone a bad one.
4. Pipeline explosion near Carlsbad, 2000
WildEarth Guardians/Flickr
In the early morning hours of August 19, 2000, a pipeline owned by El Paso Natural Gas exploded. It reportedly left a crater measuring 80 feet long and 20 feet deep, producing a massive fireball that could be seen from the nearest town, Carlsbad, about 20 miles away. The disaster was caused by severe corrosion to the pipeline and it resulted in the deaths of 12 people, including children and infants, camping nearby.
5. Gold King Mine waste water spill, 2015
Jay Canode/Flickr
This recent disaster originated in Colorado as toxic mine wastewater spilled into the Animas River, eventually moving into the waterways of nearby states Arizona, Utah, and New Mexico. The waste contained dangerous heavy metals and toxins, including cadmium, lead, and arsenic. Here in New Mexico, the acidic wastewater reached the San Juan River and affected the water supply to rural communities, especially in the Navajo Nation.

Want to read more crazy history in New Mexico? Check out some of our other articles about notably bizarre events in New Mexico!

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Worst Natural Disasters in New Mexico

Tori Jane | June 21, 2022

What were some of the worst New Mexico disasters to occur in the 20th Century?  

New Mexico is a gorgeous place with lots to see, but unfortunately, its natural beauty does not exempt it from the occasional disaster, be it natural or man-made. Some of the worst New Mexico disasters of all time occurred in the 20th Century, like the infamous tornado outbreak sequence of 1962 (and 1970!) in which 198 tornadoes touched down in 20 states including New Mexico. During the 1970 outbreak, at least 33 tornadoes touched down across several states, including New Mexico, and several of these tornadoes were very strong. New Mexico is also no stranger to devastating wildfires, occasional earthquakes, and more – but more about these in a moment!  

What are some historic natural disasters in Albuquerque, New Mexico?  

Albuquerque, much like the rest of New Mexico, is no stranger to disaster, be they man-made or natural. Some notable natural disasters in Albuquerque have included scary events like earthquakes in both 1970 and 1971, which measured 3.8 and 4.2 on the Richter scale, respectively. Sure, these earthquakes may not sound disastrously large, but in a place like New Mexico – where seismic activity is relatively seldom – even a “weak” earthquake can do impressive damage, and these New Mexico earthquakes did exactly that. In October of 1974, an F2 tornado wandered through the suburbs of Albuquerque, claiming one life and injuring eight others. It did more than a quarter-million dollars worth of damage.  

What types of natural disasters occur in New Mexico?  

Oh, beautiful New Mexico, how do we love thee? Let us count the ways ... but in natural disasters. Natural disasters are beautiful and terrifying, scary, and stunning, all at the same time. New Mexico has a handful of natural disasters that occur occasionally, like tornadoes (the strongest of which was an F2 tornado in Lea County in 1982), wildfires (the worst of which thus far is still ongoing as of June 2022 and has burned nearly 800,000 acres in this time), earthquakes, the occasional blizzard, flooding, and – every so often, when the centuries feel like it – volcanic eruptions.   

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