Flash Flood — Catron, New Mexico

2013-09-14 to 2013-09-15 · near Mogollon, Catron, New Mexico

Event narrative

Portions of Bursum Road to the community of Mogollon was completely destroyed by flash flooding. All homes and business along the creek in Mogollon were flooded and damaged, many severely. Several vehicles were carried away, destroyed, and left in the bottom of the creek bed. The USFS delivered MREs, water, and sanitary supplies to Mogollon by foot and with 2 mules. An 83-year old Arizona man was found dead 8 miles downstream from where his vehicle was located and destroyed in Mineral Creek.

Wider weather episode

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.

View location on OpenStreetMap → (33.3869, -108.7465)

Source: NOAA Storm Events Database, event_id 469205. Narrative written by the NWS forecast office that issued the report.