Flood in Chaves County, New Mexico

Flooding of crop fields and area highways across southern Chaves, between Midway and Lake Arthur, continued for the rest of the calendar day after the flash flooding ended. U.S. Highway 285 and State Road 2 remained closed during this time.

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.