Heavy Rain in Bernalillo County, New Mexico

An intense burst of rainfall dropped a quick one half inch to one inch of rainfall along with abundant hail in the Midtown area of Albuquerque. Six individuals occupying the urban flood control system were swept away. Five individuals were rescued but the sixth succumbed to flood waters.

A deep fetch of moisture surged north and west into New Mexico on May 21, 2018 ahead of an upper level low pressure system approaching from Arizona. The combination of strong afternoon heating and moist instability allowed showers and thunderstorms to develop along the Continental Divide during the mid to late morning hours of the 21st. Hail, high winds, and funnel clouds were reported along the Continental Divide before spreading northeastward into the Rio Grande Valley during the early afternoon. A cluster of thunderstorms that developed just southwest of the Albuquerque Metro Area around 3 pm dumped copious amounts of hail and torrential rainfall across the city. Some parts of Albuquerque reported up to one inch of rain in less than 20 minutes. One woman was killed and five others injured when they were swept away in the urban drainage system designed to carry flood waters. These storms shifted east into the high plains of eastern New Mexico through the late afternoon and evening hours with more widespread severe weather. The Raton area also saw copious amounts of hail and heavy rainfall. Lincoln County was particularly hard hit with large hail up to the size of golf balls. Hail accumulated to at least one foot east of Alto as several severe storms moved over the same area. A funnel cloud was also spotted to the northeast of Ruidoso Downs. Heavy rainfall and small hail spread eastward into the plains through the overnight hours where many parts of eastern New Mexico picked up between one and two inches of rainfall.