Flash Flood — Chaves, New Mexico

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

Event narrative

Video shows the water flowing over Bottomless Lakes Road north of Bottomless Lakes State Park. The road was closed due to being impassible from the floodwaters. Additionally, water was flowing across U.S. Highway 380 at mile marker 177 and at a rest stop next to the Mescalero Sands North Dune area.

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 → (33.3651, -104.3582)

Source: NOAA Storm Events Database, event_id 1215289. Narrative written by the NWS forecast office that issued the report.