New Mexico

New Mexico Earthquake Hazard Mitigation Legislation

(NM‐1) 12‐11‐23 to ‐25, Emergency Powers Code, 2005, as amended: provides state funds to be expended for disaster relief for any disaster declared by the Governor that is beyond local control. Such funds may also be used as a match for federal disaster relief grants.

(NM‐2) 12‐10‐2 to ‐5, NMSA 1978 as amended: The State Civil Emergency Preparedness Act. This Act establishes the basic structure of Emergency Management as a state agency and defines the role of local government in emergency preparedness.

(NM‐3) New Mexico Administrative Code Title 14 (Housing and Construction): All new buildings in the state are required to meet or exceed the standards in the International Building Code or the International Residential building code. This code requires a certain level of protection be installed in new buildings, to protect against wind, snow loads, fires, earthquakes and other natural hazards. In addition, the state subscribes to and enforces the International Building Code, which requires that certain earthquake and wind‐loading standards be met for specified categories of structures. Each county is responsible for monitoring its own development; the state does not have oversight on this.


Information taken from the Washington State Seismic Mitigation Policy Gap Analysis: A Cross-State Comparison, by Scott B. Miles, Ph. D. and Brian D. Gouran, L.G.