Flash Flood — Mckinley, New Mexico

2017-07-30 · near Wingate, Mckinley, New Mexico

Event narrative

Flash flooding with 10 feet of water and mud reported over state road 118.

Wider weather episode

A very moist back door cold front that entered northeastern New Mexico late on the 29th provided a reinforcing surge of low level moisture through the 30th. This front also acted as a focus mechanism for a couple strong to severe thunderstorms across parts of eastern New Mexico. Slow-moving showers and thunderstorms with torrential rainfall produced numerous reports of minor flooding. Some of the more significant storms impacted the area along the Sandia Mountains where pea to nickel size hail accompanied torrential rainfall amounts of two to three inches. Flash flooding was reported along Las Huertas Creek in Placitas. A wet microburst in south central Curry County produced a wind gust to 71 mph at the Cannon Air Force Base and 65 mph at the Clovis Fire Department. A stationary thunderstorm east of Church Rock produced another round of flash flooding along state road 118. Another storm moving slowly southeast out of southwest Colorado produced flash flooding along U.S. Highway 64 east of Bloomfield around sunset. Clayton set a new daily rainfall record of 1.52 inches, breaking the previous record of 1.23 inches from 2015. Outflow from a wet microburst during the early morning hours east of Fort Sumner produced a 71 mph wind gust at the Columbia Scientific Balloon Facility.

View location on OpenStreetMap → (35.5300, -108.5500)

Source: NOAA Storm Events Database, event_id 705520. Narrative written by the NWS forecast office that issued the report.