Flash Flood — Mora, New Mexico

2022-07-21 · near Holman, Mora, New Mexico

Event narrative

An estimated one to two inches of rain across the northern portion of the Hermits Peak and Calf Canyon burn scar in Mora County. This caused significant flash flooding across the burn scar with Highway 518 and the Holman area hit particularly hard. Highway 518 was washed out from near the Taos County line to Cleveland. Video obtained from multiple broadcast media sources showed fast moving water and debris flow impacting numerous residences in Holman, Chacon, and Cleveland. Canoncito Creek was had major overflow with water flowing onto pastures, around homes, across area roadways, and one spotter remarked that it created a lake in some places. Damages are estimated.

Wider weather episode

While thunderstorm coverage was not as widespread compared to the previous day, July 21, 2022, was still a very active monsoon day for northern New Mexico in part due to the training of thunderstorms along the Hermits Peak and Calf Canyon burn scar. Thunderstorms developed early in the day with steering flow tracking them slowly towards the southeast. Thunderstorms continuously developed along the Sangre de Cristo Mountains through the daytime hours, and thus, kept impacting the same areas. The Hermits Peak and Calf Canyon burn scar was hit particularly hard with rainfall estimated of at least two to four inches with locally higher amounts likely. Highway 518 near Holman and Cleveland, which had been hit hard the previous day, were hit hard again with significant flooding and debris flow observed. The southern portion of the burn scar also received significant rainfall totals, and unfortunately, this flooding took the lives of three individuals at Camp Blue Haven.

View location on OpenStreetMap → (36.0677, -105.4627)

Source: NOAA Storm Events Database, event_id 1030605. Narrative written by the NWS forecast office that issued the report.