Flood in Cibola County, New Mexico

State EOC Situation Report #6 indicated heavy rainfall produced flooding around many areas of Tohajiilee, including a school, homes, roads, and the fire department. One lane of Interstate 40 was closed due to a sink hole at the Tohajiilee exit. An ICP was set up to assist with flooding situation.

A stationary upper level low pressure system that settled into the Great Basin around the 10th provided a steady stream of near record subtropical atmospheric moisture over New Mexico. At least 4 back-to-back upper level disturbances pushed north and east across the region and interacted with the monsoon moisture plume through the 14th to produce widespread historic rainfall amounts. Significant flooding impacted the state as rainfall amounts over this 5-day period averaged 3 to 6 inches and in some areas just over 10 inches. Several river gauges reported record to near record crests and in a couple cases gauges were completely destroyed. Emergency management reported disastrous impacts to residential, commercial, and transportation infrastructure. A total of 14 counties, 4 cities and towns, 5 pueblos, and the Navajo Nation were included in a statewide and Presidential disaster declaration. The New Mexico State EOC was staffed at Level 2 operations for several days. Damages from this widespread historic rainfall event for northern and central New Mexico likely exceeded 10 million dollars.