Flash Flood in De Baca County, New Mexico

Heavy rain with totals of two to three inches within an hour produced flash flooding along New Mexico State Highway 272. A trained spotter reported that the highway near Fort Sumner was impassable due to water over the roadway. Damages are estimated.

A storm system over southeast New Mexico combined with an abundant amount of atmospheric moisture resulted in numerous thunderstorms across eastern New Mexico on August 12, 2021. Thunderstorms formed early in the afternoon across the high terrain, and steering flow tracked thunderstorms in a southerly to southwesterly direction. Steering flow was fast enough to limit a widespread flooding threat, but one particular thunderstorm near Fort Sumner produced very heavy rainfall. Rainfall amounts of two to three inches near Fort Sumner and Taiban in De Baca County resulted in flash flooding in the area. Meanwhile, a decaying thunderstorm near Clayton produced a brief strong downburst that resulted in a 59 mph gust.