Flash Flood in Cibola County, New Mexico

Three bridges were damaged from flood waters northeast of Grants. A dozen jersey barriers were washed 100 yards downstream at low water crossings along Lobo Canyon. The most significant damage occurred to the George Hannish Bridge. Bridges along county roads 19A and 19D were also impacted.

An unseasonably strong upper level storm system that slowly moved east from southern California produced scattered showers and thunderstorms with heavy rainfall over New Mexico. An area of strong thunderstorms that moved toward the northeast over Cibola County during the mid to late afternoon hours on the 4th produced significant flash flooding around the Grants area. Rainfall reports were not incredibly impressive. However, the heaviest amounts fell in an area susceptible to flash flooding. The abundant amount of hail that also occurred with the storm made conditions much worse as culverts became clogged with ice, mud, rocks, and debris. The northwest slope of Mount Taylor to near Encinal and Bibo were particularly hard hit. Several bridges were damaged from flooding along with numerous roads, culverts, and jersey barriers. The most significant damage impacted the area around the George Hannish Bridge and county roads 19A and 19D.