Lightning in Chaves County, New Mexico

Lightning struck a tree in the front yard of a residence at 207 Linden Street in Hagerman, NM. The large and very alive tree was split down its main trunk with large branches causing damage to the roof of the house and their vehicle.

Record levels of monsoon moisture remained in place across NM as an upper level disturbance approached from the west and pushed the upper level high over the state south into New Mexico. Showers and thunderstorms developed over the high terrain in northeastern New Mexico midday June 26th, spreading over central and eastern NM during the afternoon and evening hours. These outflow boundaries produced severe wind gusts of up to 63 mph at Cannon AFB and at a mesonet station along I-40 in Cibola County. Additionally storms and several landspouts developed along a boundary in eastern Chaves County. A 91 mph wind gust was measured by a trained spotter just east of Hagerman, with damage being reported across town. There were at least two confirmed landspouts, one on the east side of town and another on the west side of town. Reports relayed to the Hagerman Police Chief indicate there could have been another landspout, but this is unable to be verified. After a lull in activity, overnight into the morning hours of June 27th, more showers and thunderstorms developed across the state by midday as the upper level disturbance moved across the state. These storms resulted in a severe thunderstorm wind gust of 63 mph at the Gallup Municipal Airport, flash flooding on U.S. Highway 64 at the Arizona border, and on NM Highway 605 just north of Milan in Cibola County. Storms moved east and gradually dissipated late in the day.

Key Words: Landspout, Thunderstorm Wind Gust, Flash Flooding.