Flash Flood — Catron, New Mexico

2013-07-15 · near Negrito Arpt, Catron, New Mexico

Event narrative

Flooding occurred in Hail Canyon along Forest Road 141 on the northern periphery of the Whitewater-Baldy burn scar. Rainfall amounts ranging from 0.25 - 0.75 were reported across the entirety of the burn scar. Pictures showed significant amounts of large rocks and sediment were deposited on this road. Crews had to plow road before it was passable.

Wider weather episode

An unseasonably strong upper level low pressure system moved westward into portions of eastern New Mexico. Substantial atmospheric moisture paired with the destabilization from the incoming low produced slow-moving showers and thunderstorms with locally heavy rainfall. During the early afternoon, storms developed on the northern periphery of the Whitewater-Baldy burn scar in Catron County causing flooding in Hail Canyon along Forest Road 141.

View location on OpenStreetMap → (33.5305, -108.6009)

Source: NOAA Storm Events Database, event_id 453861. Narrative written by the NWS forecast office that issued the report.