Flash Flood — Chaves, New Mexico

2024-11-02 · near Dexter, Chaves, New Mexico

Event narrative

U.S. Highway 285 and State Road 2 (Old Dexter Highway) in and around Dexter were impassible due to flood water moving across the respective roadways. Additionally, the neighborhood area near Ken Road west of U.S. Highway 285 was under 2 to 3 feet of water. Flooding also occurred in fields along U.S. Highway 285 at East Ottawa Road inundating the highway.

Wider weather episode

Return flow developed during the day on November 1st increasing surface moisture across southeast NM. Lift ahead of a weak upper level disturbance resulted in the development of showers and thunderstorms after sunset November 1st continuing into the morning hours of November 2nd. Storms ended up moving from southwest to northeast over the same areas across Chaves and Roosevelt County resulting in flash flooding across southern and eastern Chaves County and in northern Roosevelt County west of Portales. Another round of storms developed across southeast NM around midday November 2nd before exiting east into West Texas during the evening hours.

View location on OpenStreetMap → (33.2812, -104.3245)

Source: NOAA Storm Events Database, event_id 1215288. Narrative written by the NWS forecast office that issued the report.