Updated Aug. 24 at 2:10 p.m.
Severe flooding caused by monsoon rains late this August has been widely reported in areas impacted by the Calf Canyon–Hermits Peak Fire, which reached 100 percent containment on Aug. 21 but left massive burn areas around Mora County that have caused several destructive floods this summer. But a deluge that overflowed the banks of an old arroyo in El Prado in Taos County Monday afternoon (Aug. 22), damaging several homes along Tafoya Lane, underscored the danger flooding can pose just about anywhere heavy rains fall.
"I was driving home, and where the road dips down, it was like a river," said Gabrielle Sanchez, a Taos News employee who lives on a property she shares with her mother, grandparents, uncles and aunt.
"It swept away our propane tank," she said, adding that the flood waters skirted the trailer where she lives but didn't actually enter her home or the trailers that house her family members.
Some of her neighbors weren't so lucky. Some had to evacuate from their homes, which in some cases sustained several inches of standing water. Sanchez said another neighbor lost her fence.
A radio report overheard on a police scanner stated that at least one vehicle became stuck when its driver attempted to cross the deep flood waters blocking Tafoya Road, but a dispatcher reported that its occupants were able to reach safety without incident.
A similar scenario in Mora resulted in tragedy on July 7, when a Guadalupita man attempted to cross a flooded portion of NM 434 near milepost 7, causing his truck to overturn and his 64-year-old passenger to drown.
The National Weather Service reports that monsoon storms late this summer across New Mexico, Arizona, Colorado and Utah have been extraordinary, with up to 8 inches of rainfall in some areas of New Mexico from Friday through Sunday (Aug. 19-21).
A "monsoon" is described by The National Weather Service as "large-scale wind shifts that transport moist tropical air to dry desert locations, such as the southwestern United States."
"Intense heating of the land over Mexico and the southwestern United States in the early summer months creates the wind shifts in the low levels. Moisture begins to be carried off of the Gulf of California and eastern Pacific Ocean (the two main sources for monsoonal moisture in northern Arizona). These winds transport moisture northward into Mexico and the American Southwest," according to weather.gov.
The United States is currently in the midst of what most experts consider the peak time of year for flash floods as well, which mostly take place between late April and mid-September. Flash floods are defined as happening very quickly over a short period of time, triggered by heavy rainfall. Weather.gov reports that a total of 65 New Mexicans died in flash floods from 1959-2009.
As of Aug. 8, a total of 4 people had died in flooding in New Mexico so far in 2022.
While the National Weather Service will often generate flash flood warnings to New Mexico residents when weather conditions indicate a high danger, due to their quickly evolving nature, experts advise utilizing common sense by checking weather forecasts, watching the sky, avoiding low areas during heavy rain events and never attempting to cross a flooded area either on foot or in a vehicle; the CDC states that as little as 6 inches of water can cause drivers to lose control of their vehicle.
The CDC also advises keeping emergency supplies on hand in one's home and vehicle, following local news outlets for weather updates and preparing one's home to prevent flood damage, which can include bringing outdoor items indoors, such as lawn furniture, grills and trash cans. If evacuation is necessary, it's recommended that residents first shut off all utilities to their homes.
As of press time Wednesday (Aug. 24), thunderstorms and scattered showers — usually in the afternoons and evenings — were forecast for the remainder of the week, with the chances of precipitation between 20 and 50 percent.
(1) comment
Dear John, the affected areas I know of Re: Aug 22nd Flash Flooding acequias, Tafoya Lane, Camino Coyote, Lower Las Colonias and areas of Los Cordovas. What County Commissioners and Emergency Management Planning are out here assessing the damage to land, homes, and agriculture ? Looking forward to your update.
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