Flash Flood in Catron County, New Mexico

Torrential rainfall created flash flooding within Bell and Kennedy canyons west of the Beaverhead Ranger Station. Roads in the area were damaged due to high flows in ditches and arroyos. Low lying areas filled up with significant amounts of standing water. The ranger station reported 1.31 inches of rainfall however much higher amounts were likely within the canyons west of the area.

A surface cold front sagged southward into eastern New Mexico on July 8th and set the stage for a battleground of showers and thunderstorms. Northwest flow aloft combined with deep low-level moisture behind the front and a very unstable atmosphere to produce several strong to severe thunderstorms over the northeast plains. The most significant thunderstorms developed along and east of Interstate 25 and along Interstate 40 from Santa Rosa westward. Many of the storms produced nickel to half dollar size hail along with heavy rainfall.