Chaves storm history

Historically bad flash flooding across Roswell, reported by numerous emergency officials and the public. Thunderstorms training over Roswell dumped an all-time one-day rainfall record of 5.78 at the Roswell Airport with numerous other public weather stations across town ranging f…

The roof of a barn collapsed and killed an elderly man.

The NM Department of Transportation reported river flooding along the Rio Felix south of Roswell overtopping and damaging the U.S. Highway 285 bridge, and overtopping the NM State Highway 2 bridge just north of Hagerman closing both bridges. Flooding from heavy rains and poor dra…

Old Y O Crossing was closed due to flooding along the Rio Felix. One pickup truck was stranded in the flood waters of approximately 3 feet deep.

Repeated rounds of moderate to heavy rainfall resulted in standing water estimated up to a foot deep over an estimated one tenth of a mile stretch of highway along NM 13 at mile marker 29 approximately six miles west of U.S. Highway 285.

The ASOS at the Roswell Air Center measured a 64 mph wind gust on the leading edge of a line of severe thunderstorms.

State Road 2 was closed at the intersection with East Jackson Road due to flooding along the normally dry Walnut Arroyo. Based on photo provided, floodwaters looked to be about 1 foot deep and not moving.

Flash flooding over U.S. Highway 82 near Jay Powell Ranch with high flows out of banks along the Rio Penasco.

Utility poles blown down with arcing powerlines and electric service disrupted for residents in Roswell. Damage is an estimate.

Multiple cars and a fire truck stuck in deep water. Damage is unknown.

The public reported quarter size hail that lasted until 5:20 pm MDT.

A mesonet station measured a severe thunderstorm wind gust of 61 mph.

The Roswell Airport ASOS measured a severe thunderstorm wind gust of 74 mph.

Outflow winds from nearby thunderstorms resulted in a 67 mph gust at the Roswell Air Center.

A driver on U.S. Highway 380 and 70 just west of Roswell reported quarter to ping pong ball size hail resulting in damage to his vehicle windshield and exterior roof.

Roswell emergency dispatch at Mcgaffey and Spencer Road observed a funnel cloud in the distance.

Pea to nickel size hail a few blocks southwest of downtown Roswell, with a few ping-pong ball size stones reported.

A trained spotter reported a landspout northwest of the Roswell Correctional Facility, lasting only a few minutes. Path and length are an estimate based on radar imagery and report information.

Several storm chasers on U.S. Highway 70 and dirt roads around Acme observed up to 3 brief tornado touchdowns. Start and end time and path of tornado is estimated based on storm chaser reports.

A storm chaser along U.S Highway 70 just southwest of Acme observed tennis ball size hail from a tornadic producing supercell.

U.S. Highway 285 and State Road 2 (Old Dexter Highway) in and around Dexter were impassible due to flood water moving across the respective roadways. Additionally, the neighborhood area near Ken Road west of U.S. Highway 285 was under 2 to 3 feet of water. Flooding also occurred …

Video shows the water flowing over Bottomless Lakes Road north of Bottomless Lakes State Park. The road was closed due to being impassible from the floodwaters. Additionally, water was flowing across U.S. Highway 380 at mile marker 177 and at a rest stop next to the Mescalero San…

Water from Walnut Creek overflowed onto State Road 2, resulting in the closure of the roadway.

Flooding of crop fields and area highways across southern Chaves, between Midway and Lake Arthur, continued for the rest of the calendar day after the flash flooding ended. U.S. Highway 285 and State Road 2 remained closed during this time.

Historically bad flash flooding across Roswell from storms dropping 4 to 9 inches across town, including an all-time one-day precipitation record of 5.78 at the Roswell airport caused major damage. This flooding was reported to have persisted through Monday October 21st. Damage a…

A forecasted rise in the Pecos River at the ACME gauge just north of U.S. Highway 70 was to 13.2 feet, or to minor flood stage. The rise in the river ended up washing out the river gauge allowing for only an estimated gauge measurement. These floodwaters continued south along the…

Heavy rains resulting in the devastating flash flooding in Roswell swelled the Pecos River on October 20th, reaching the Lake Arthur gauge near the southern Chaves County line. River levels surpassed minor flood level at 20 feet at 17:30 MST, peaking at 20.34 feet at 7:30pm MST b…

A severe storm dropped ping pong ball size hail in northern Chaves County near Mesa.

Quarter size hail was reported at the Burnt Well Guest Ranch from a severe thunderstorm.

Thunderstorms produced a peak wind gust of 66 mph at the Roswell Air Center.

U.S. Highway 285 washed out at mile marker 137 and mile marker 151 due to heavy rainfall from thunderstorms. Additionally, NMDOT closed U.S. Highway 285 from mile marker 135 to 138 due to flash flooding. Flash flooding resulted in vehicles being stuck in several inches of water a…

Two feet of water reported at the Burnt Well Guest Ranch where roadways near the ranch were flooded.

A storm chaser on social media reported 2 inch hail while driving along U.S. Highway 285 north of Roswell in Chaves County.

A video shared on social media showed a portion of Highway 2 south of Lake Arthur in southern Chaves County under six inches of water. Radar and gauge readings showed the likely period of flooding rains occurred in the morning from 8am to 9am MDT, while the reports were received …

A trained spotter shared video of flood waters within the normally dry Rio Penasco well outside of banks overtopping a low water crossing. These flood waters were a response to an estimated three to six inches of rainfall over the prior two days over the nearby Sacramento Mountai…

A wind gust of 69 mph from a thunderstorm downburst was observed at the Roswell Air Center.

A mesonet at Dunken measured a wind gust of 68 mph from nearby thunderstorms.

The Dunken mesonet station observed a peak wind gust of 65 mph from a severe thunderstorm.

Multiple reports of a landspout, or landspouts were relayed by the Hagerman Police Chief on the west side of town. This landspout was reported to have begun on the southwest side of town reaching the RV Park at Argyle Street and Wichita Road. No damage was attributed to this indi…

A peak wind gust of 91mph was reported by a trained spotter near Hagerman. Corresponding thunderstorm wind damage as relayed by the police chief and the Roswell Daily News included a barn and pivot on Morgan Road, a portion of a metal roof being torn off from a residence, and 40 …

Lightning struck a tree in the front yard of a residence at 207 Linden Street in Hagerman, NM. The large and very alive tree was split down its main trunk with large branches causing damage to the roof of the house and their vehicle.

The Roswell Air Center recorded a peak wind gust of 66 mph. This was from an outflow boundary spreading east from storms west of town. The wind from the outflow boundary also resulted in blowing dust reducing visibility to 0.25 miles.

A thunderstorm outflow gust reached 60 mph at the Dunken RAWS station. Timing is estimated based on radar rather than the 1 hour reporting time on the RAWS.

A resident near the Roswell Correctional Facility reported golf ball sized hail from a severe thunderstorm moving east across southern Chaves County.

Golf ball size hail from a severe thunderstorm moving east across southern Chaves County damaged a car travelling along U.S. Highway 285.