Debris Flow — Lincoln, New Mexico

2025-08-26 · near Alto, Lincoln, New Mexico

Event narrative

Slow moving thunderstorms developed over the McBride burn scar back building east over the South Fork burn scar. Heavy rainfall rates first resulted in flash flooding on the McBride burn scar with debris flow resulting in the closure of Gavilan Canyon Road between Hull Road and Warrior Drive and Gavilan Canyon Road at Meander Drive. Debris flows and flash flooding then quickly occurred on the South Fork burn scar resulting in the closure of many roads including White Mountain Drive at Warren Tucker Drive, Alpine Village Road at University, Brady Canyon Road at Ponderosa Drive, Ash Drive, and Mechem Drive, Cree Meadows Drive, Sudderth Drive and Mechem Drive intersection, and Paradise Canyon Drive at Hull Road and Leon Farrar. The flash flooding and debris flows resulted in vehicles rushing down the road on Sunny Slope Drive and a water rescue of one male.

Wider weather episode

Higher moisture moved into eastern and central New Mexico behind a backdoor front resulting in a greater coverage of showers and thunderstorms across the middle Rio Grande Valley, central mountain chain, and northeast New Mexico. Repeated round of thunderstorms resulted in flash flooding on the Ruidoso area burn scars, State Highway 117 in central Cibola County south of Grants and downstream of the Hermits Peak and Calf Canyon burn scar on State Highways 58 and 434 just north of Cleveland and Mora, respectively, in Mora County. Highway 434 in Mora County were closed down for a couple of days to allow for extensive repairs.

View location on OpenStreetMap → (33.3793, -105.7164)

Source: NOAA Storm Events Database, event_id 1279742. Narrative written by the NWS forecast office that issued the report.