Flash Flood in Sandoval County, New Mexico

Heavy rain from slow moving thunderstorms resulted in mud and rockslides onto the Cochiti Golf Course and across the road at the entrance of the course. Additionally, the golf cart barn got an inch or so of water in it. Property damage is an estimate.

A new multi-day plume of monsoon moisture advected northward into New Mexico between an upper level trough over the southern Baja Peninsula and an upper high over the south-central CONUS. Daily rounds of afternoon thunderstorms producing heavy rain developing over the mountains of New Mexico before moving over surrounding lower elevations through the evening resulted in several events of flash flooding and isolated reports of large hail. Rainfall rates of 4 inches per hour totaling 2 inches in 30 minutes produced flash flooding in Magdalena on July 20th. The Cochiti Golf Course experienced flash flooding July 21st. The highest coverage of thunderstorms during this period occurred July 22nd with thunderstorms moving over the Ruidoso area burn scars just after sunset. Flash flooding and debris flows on and below the South Fork and Salt burn scars resulted in brief road closures. The Albuquerque metro experienced flash flooding from heavy rainfall rates of 2 inches per hour totaling 1 to 1.50 inches in 30 minutes over the North Valley neighborhood. Finally, thunderstorms producing heavy rainfall on July 24th directly over the South Fork burn scar totaling just over 2 inches produced flash flooding and debris flows down Cedar Creek and the Rio Ruidoso to Ruidoso Downs.