NWS ABQ 2013 September Flooding-StormData Table

News Headlines

*** 2024 Ruidoso Burn Scar StoryMap ***

Preliminary Storm Data by County for Northern & Central New Mexico: September 10-18, 2013

Bernalillo	Date	Summary
Albuquerque	9/13/2013	Intense heavy rainfall from thunderstorms moving over the west side of Albuquerque forced mudslides up to 3 feet deep into the backyards of several homes along the Petroglyph National Monument. Several home interiors were impacted.
Catron	Date	Summary
Gila Cliff Dwellings	09/12-09/15/2013	Flooding along the Gila River caused closures of FR 614 into Lower Forks Campground and FR 528 into Grapevine Campground. Additional long duration heavy rainfall in the area forced the Gila River to rise 15 feet near the Gila Cliff Dwelling Monument with significant flooding. Access to monument and visitor center not possible. All campgrounds in the region closed, including Lower and Upper Scorpion. Five to 8 feet rapid water rise with debris in the Middle Fork Gila River near the Gila Cliff Dwellings Visitor Center. Observer never witnessed anything like it and was concerned flood would wipe out USGS gauge. Bridge did not get washed out. Search and rescue efforts initiated for 2 stranded hikers.
Pietown	09/12-09/15/2013	A creek overflowed its banks into nearby ranch buildings northeast of Pietown. Numerous roads washed out across northeastern Catron County including York Ranch Road.
Near Reserve	09/13-09/15/2013	Flooding along Tularosa Creek and nearby arroyos lead to flooding on Tularosa River.
Alma	09/14-09/15/2013	San Francisco River breached its banks and levees at Reserve, Elm, and Glenwood. Power outages occurred in the community of Wild Horse. 18 hunters were evacuated and another 18 hunters were stranded near the San Francisco River. An elk fence was washed away and nearby fields flooded at Alma. Mineral Creek measured a peak flow of 868 cfs (4.39 feet) at 145am on the 15th which was 7 to 8 times higher than any other flow ever observed. US 180 closed due to water from Mineral Creek flooding roadway. NM 159 closed east of US 180 as well. Water in several homes in Alma.
Glenwood	09/14-09/15/2013	Catastrophic flooding in the Glenwood area. Whitewater Creek topped the US 180 bridge at Pleasanton. The San Francisco River at Glenwood rose to its 2nd highest crest ever observed at 29,900 cfs (18.7 feet) at 2am then fell sharply around sunrise. A flash flood emergency was posted for Glenwood. A levee at Circle Drive in Glenwood was breached flooding 16 residences with about 3 feet of water. A large metal barn was moved into the river bed. The Catwalk area northeast of Glenwood was completely destroyed. Whitewater Creek at the Catwalk measured a peak flow of 16,100 cfs (19.07 feet) at 1115pm on the 14th which was 5 to 6 times higher than any other flow ever observed. The suspended portion of the Catwalk area within the canyon was washed out. A 30 feet section of a concrete girder bridge was destroyed. The campground was completely covered in silt with minor damage. Trails within the park were destroyed.
Mogollon	09/14-09/15/2013	The road to the community of Mogollon was completely destroyed. All homes and business along the creek in Mogollon were flooded and damaged. Several vehicles were carried away, destroyed, and left in the bottom of the creek bed. The USFS delivered MREs, water, and sanitary supplies to Mogollon by foot and with 2 mules.
Chaves	Date	Summary
Diamond-A Ranch	09/11/2013	The Rio Hondo at Diamond A Ranch experienced its 5th highest crest of 29,500 cfs around 4am on the 11th. This led to the 2nd highest crest at Roswell of 1,920 cfs around 815pm on the 12th. The US 70 relief route southwest of Roswell was flooded by the Rio Hondo as a result. Cars were stranded and water rescued took place.
Roswell	09/11/2013	Numerous low water crossings were flooded across Roswell with minor flooding in the city. Water levels began receding by the afternoon.
West of Roswell	09/11/2013	Portions of NM 246 washed out between mile markers 36 and 61.
Roswell	09/12/2013	Vehicles rescued along US 70 relief route due to Rio Hondo flooding. Water rescue also occurred along NM 246 near Berrendo Creek. River Road is closed along Pecos River and a small neighborhood has been evacuated with 3 houses flooded. A Red Cross shelter was opened and 2 people stayed overnight.
Lake Arthur	09/13/2013	Pecos River out of its banks below Acme with near record crest. The crest of 21,800 cfs at 815pm on the 12th was the 3rd highest crest ever observed dating back to 1954. The river remained above flood stage for several hours and above action stage for several days. Farmlands flooded. Evacuations took place along River Road. NM 249 closed around 924am on the 13th between mile markers 2 and 5 per NM DOT. The Pecos River at Lake Arthur reached action stage for several hours with a peak flow of 11,781 cfs (17.85 feet) at 1115am on the 13th. The combination of heavy rainfall and high flows along the river continued near action stage flows through the 17th. 8 to 15 homes were reported damaged from flooding between Dexter and Lake Arthur. Numerous roads closed into Dexter.
Near Dexter	09/16/2013	Flash flood crest in the Rio Felix overtopped the Y.O. Crossing Road bridge.
Cibola	Date	Summary
Tohajiilee	09/12/2013	Heavy rainfall produced flooding around many areas of Tohajiilee, including a school, homes, roads, and the fire department. One lane of Interstate 40 was closed due to a sink hole at the Tohajiilee exit. An ICP was set up to assist with flooding situation.
Grants-Milan	09/13-09/14/2013	Areal flooding developed after flash flooding with continued heavy rainfall. 25 to 30 homes partially under water around Bluewater Village. Milan endangered by flooding with 4 residents displaced to shelter. The "Grants West" Centurlink box was flooded and cell phone services lost in the area. CR 23A closed due to high water. A total of 50 structures were damaged from this multi-day event.
Colfax	Date	Summary
Raton Crews Airport 6 S	09/11-09/13/2013	Large culvert washed out with major bank erosion near county road A6 along Canadian River and Tinaja Creek.
Maxwell 1 ENE	09/11-09/13/2013	Bridge washed away with major bank erosion near county road A7 along Canadian River.
Curry	Date	Summary
N/A
De Baca	Date	Summary
Taiban	09/12/2013	NM 294 closed due to flooding.
Guadalupe	Date	Summary
Santa Rosa	09/11/2013	Law enforcement and emergency management reported major flooding along El Rito Creek and at Power Dam. NM 91 was closed between mile markers 0 and 9. The El Rito Creek South Bridge was nearly topped. Large chunks of concrete from Power Dam were destroyed. A railroad bridge over El Rito Creek was compromised and engineers closed rail traffic to assess the bridge. Extensive damage was done to nearby Park Lake Trail. A bridge carrying a water line to Puerto de Luna was extensively damaged. Low lying areas near Brush Dam were flooded in Puerto de Luna. Extensive road damaged has occurred to city and county roads.
Santa Rosa	09/11/2013	Blue Hole Road closed due to flooding. The Santa Rosa golf course and a pump house flooded with extensive damage. Entire golf course was under water. Flooding was also reported near the KSRR transmitter.
Santa Rosa	09/11-09/12/2013	Widespead heavy rainfall and flooding around Santa Rosa led to a near record crest on the Pecos River at Puerto de Luna. The crest peaked at 35,800 cfs at 615pm on the 11th, which is the 2nd highest crest ever observed going back to 1942. The gage was above flood state for several hours.
Colonias	09/17/2013	The Gallinas River at Colonias was above action stage for several days and above flood stage between around 330am and 1130am on the 17th. Low lying areas around the river were flooded. This flood wave surged downstream from Colonias toward Santa Rosa Lake.
Harding	Date	Summary
N/A
Lincoln	Date	Summary
Bonito Lake	09/13-09/14/2013	Heavy rainfall over the Rio Bonito watershed lead to a 23 feet rise on Bonito Lake. The lake rose from 22 feet below the spillway to 8 inches over the spillway. Emergency operations were in place due to significant concerns regarding a breach of the spillway. No breach occurred. Eagle Creek out of banks overnight flooded nearby playground along NM 48.
Los Alamos	Date	Summary
N/A
McKinley	Date	Summary
Near Gallup	09/10/2013	NM 118 was closed on the 10th due to flood waters, mud, and debris over roadway.
Crownpoint	09/13-09/15/2013	Intense rainfall caused evacuations due to high water in Crownpoint. Longer duration rainfall after this event lead to widespread areal flooding through the 14th. 30 to 40 families were evacuated around Crownpoint as dams protecting Smith Lake and "Old PHS" were at risk of being compromised. A shelter was established.
Bluewater Lake	09/13/2013	NM 412 closed between Prewitt and Bluewater Lake. Debris reported over NM 612.
Near Gallup	09/13/2013	US 491 closed between Twin Lakes and Naschitti due to flooding. CR 5 bridge closed in Superman Canyon due to flooding from arroyo.
Mora	Date	Summary
Mora	09/13/2013	NM 434 closed from mile markers 17 to 24 due to flooding over roadway. Severe flooding throughout the county with numerous county roads washed out.
Quay	Date	Summary
N/A
Rio Arriba	Date	Summary
Santa Clara Pueblo	09/15/2013	Water flowing over NM 30 around mile marker 7. 13 homes were flooded in Santa Clara Pueblo including a health center. Flooding debris reported over numerous roads in the pueblo. A public walk way and skate park damaged due to erosion. A total of 79 structures were damaged in this multi-day event.
Roosevelt	Date	Summary
Portales	09/11/2013	Three feet of standing water in Portales along 1st and 2nd Street from Avenue C to K. Numerous roads flooded in Portales.
Sandoval	Date	Summary
Cochito Pueblo	09/12-09/13/2013	NM 85 and 90 were initially flooded with 5,000 cfs flow through the area on the 12th then extremely heavy rainfall created severe flooding through the 13th. Numerous roads were flooded and partially destroyed. Kasha-Katuwe Tent Rocks National Monument was isolated. Evacuations took place in Cochiti Pueblo.
Bandelier National Monument	09/13/2013	Worst flash flood event ever recorded at Bandelier National Monument as the creek near the visitor center crested to 11 feet at 830am. Several points of infrastructure were damaged. The entrance road to the park was undermined and nearly destroyed.
Rio Rancho	09/13/2013	Northern Boulevard and 10th washed out by nearby arroyo. Southern washed over with significant amounts of water as well. Damage to roadway occurred near Hondo Avenue. Unser and 10th also washed out due to high water from arroyo. 12 families evacuated homes due to high water in nearby arroyo. Heavy flows in these arroyos led to flooding downstream into the Harvey Jones Canal in Corrales where the Harvey Jones Bridge was overtopped.
San Felipe Pueblo	09/13/2013	Flooding in the area near San Francisco Dam spillway was severe. Water Tank Dam was full and clogged. Many village roads were damaged. Approximately 40 occupants were sheltered at the San Felipe Elementary School.
San Ysidro	09/13/2013	Jemez River out of banks along NM 4 near San Ysidro damaging fiber line and water infrastructure. Several homes flooded with up to 3 feet of water. NM 4 has been damaged.
La Cueva	09/13/2013	Road in Elk Run Estates washed out near La Cueva. 100 residences in La Cueva reported loss of telephone service.
Sile	09/13/2013	All roads washed out in the community of Sile.
Algodones	09/14/2013	Water and debris flooding over Interstate 25 near Algodones.
San Felipe Pueblo	09/14/2013	Mud and water washed into several homes in San Felipe Pueblo. One foot of mud and rocks covered portions of the San Felipe Casino gas station parking lot. A 2 feet section of the lot west of the casino was undermined exposing a large conduit.
Bernalillo	09/14-09/15/2013	Water entered several business and homes in Bernalillo. Cars were stuck in water. NM 313 is impassible between Bernalillo and Tramway Road due to water and mud over highway. All Sandia Pueblo holding ponds and the Bernalillo Canal were at capacity. Bernalillo filed a disaster declaration. A water line break created a sink hole in a subdivision in Bernalillo.
San Juan	Date	Summary
Farmington	09/10/2013	Widespread flash flooding was observed in Farmington. Numerous crashes and stalled vehicles were stranded in flood waters. Several flooded and damaged drainage systems along Peace Valley Road, Hubbard Road, East Navajo Street, Main Street, Butler Street, Apache Street, and San Juan Boulevard caused widespread flooding of parking lots, low lying areas, homes and businesses. Mud, rocks, and debris flows were reported at Webb Chevrolet, KFC, Si Senors, Taco Bell, and Park-n-Sell.
Near Fruitland	09/10/2013	A 50-yard section of NM 36 was washed over and partially destroyed from several feet of water, rocks, mud, and debris.
Near Shiprock	09/10/2013	Tropical funnel cloud touched ground for a couple minutes near Shiprock. Location and time determined from radar imagery and photos sent from print media and a NWS family relative. No damage reported.
Near Fruitland	09/13/2013	N 562 Road in Fruitland was completely undermined and affected nearly 300 residences. Area completely isolated. A 72 inch pipe was damaged by flood water. N 36 highway also damaged.
San Miguel	Date	Summary
Near Sabinoso	09/11/2013	NM 419 closed from mile markers 0 to 47 due to flooding of roadway.
Las Vegas	09/13/2013	Major flooding along Gallina Creek near Las Vegas. Evacuations ordered for areas along river from Montezuma east to Las Vegas. A major breach occurred on the Storrie Lake Diversion Channel and crews are working to restore channel. Estimated one year supply of water storage capacity lost for drinking water due to breach. A Red Cross shelter was established at Robertson High School. An elderly couple was rescued overnight by the National Guard from the Pine Camp area. NM 283 was closed west of Las Vegas. Sink hole reported near South Diversion River Crossing Catwalk with damage to waste water components. A couple homes and numerous vehicles and roadways damaged. A bridge on CR-A1 near Sapello was closed due to high water. A total of 1,040 structures were damaged in this multi-day event.
Near Pecos	09/13/2013	Pecos River breached banks in Pecos Canyon. NM 63 north of Pecos flooded and closed. Creek behind residences rising fast and evacuations possible.
Santa Fe	Date	Summary
Otowi	09/13/2013	Water over roadways and several bridges along NM 502 and 30. One car was stuck in the water. Mudslide reported along NM 502 at Totavi gas station. Power lines also downed in the area. Significant flooding along NM 30.
Madrid	09/15/2013	10 businesses were flooded in Madrid. Most significant damage done to Mine Shaft Tavern and nearby museums. Mud and coal damage to most structures. Gold Mine Road, Rogersville Road, and Puebla Road 76 were cleared of flooding debris.
Near Galisteo	09/15/2013	The Galisteo Creek below Galisteo Dam measured its highest crest on record dating back to 1971. The gage was above action stage between 9pm on the 15th and 3pm on the 16th with a record peak crest of 2,850 cfs. Low lying areas along the creek were flooded. NM 22 and Pueblo Route 85 were closed due to flooded arroyo over roadways.
Socorro	Date	Summary
Countywide	09/10-09/17/2013	The initial round of intense rainfall on the 10th and 11th flooded numerous roadways and homes then subsequent heavy rainfall through the 15th created extreme flooding. County emergency management indicated a total of at least 16 roads were washed out and damaged severely across the county, including NM 408 and CR 91 between Escondida and Lemitar, and NM 1 between San Antonio and Luis Lopez. The Rio Puerco and Rio Grande rivers both flooded into nearby low lying areas and threatened nearby communities. A breach in a levee on the Rio Puerco flooded several homes and the community of San Francisco was evacuated. The US 380 bridge east of San Antonio was overtopped. US 60 was closed at mile marker 166.
Near Bernardo	09/15-09/17/2013	Widespread heavy rainfall led to a near record crest on the Rio Puerco at Bernardo. The peak flow of 7,120 cfs at 1130pm on the 15th was the second highest crest ever observed dating back to 1941. The river was above action stage for several days and was above flood stage between 7pm on the 15th and 10am on the 16th. Flooding occurred areas along the river. The Rio Grande at Acacia reported a 9,000 cfs at 130pm on the 16th, which was the highest crest ever observed.
San Antonio	09/10-09/12/2013	Water flooded several homes near San Antonio. Several roads around San Antonio were still under water as of noon on the 12th and then finally cleaned up by around 630 pm on the 12th.
Socorro	09/10/2013	Franklin Street flooded and closed due to high water. Other streets in western Socorro also flooded out from heavy rainfall.
San Antonio	09/15-09/16/2013	US 380 closed between San Antonio and Carrizozo due to flooding. A levy broke leading to heavy erosion along the roadway. NM 1 is also closed between mile markers 21 and 22 due to a wash out.
Taos	Date	Summary
Pilar	09/13/2013	NM 68 closed due to rockslides and debris flow over roadway.
Torrance	Date	Summary
Near Estancia	09/11/2013	Roads became impassible and a vehicle was stranded near a ranch. A barn and nearby building were flooded. Flash flooding turned into areal flood as rain continued and water remained over roadways through the following morning. Low lying areas throughout the area ended up flooded.
Union	Date	Summary
N/A
Valencia	Date	Summary
Countywide	09/10/2013	Numerous dirt and gravel roads across Valencia County were impassible and sandbags were requested due to heavy rainfall on the 10th.
Highland Meadows	09/13-09/14/2013	40 families were evacuated from Highland Meadow neighborhood due to flooding. A culvert 25' wide by 10' deep was completely destroyed and National Guard assisted recovery effort using mobile bridge. Another 20 families affected. A total of 7 structures were damaged in the mult-day event.

ABQ RSS Feed