Flash flood warning issued for Bernalillo County amid monsoon rains

The National Weather Service issued a flash flood warning for Bernalillo County until 5:30 p.m. MDT on July 18 after radar showed flooding in the area. The warning came during an active monsoon pattern that has repeatedly turned heavy rain into fast-moving water across central New Mexico.

Flash floods can develop quickly from heavy rainfall, especially in urban areas and along arroyos and low-water crossings. The New Mexico Department of Homeland Security and Emergency Management has warned residents to be prepared for heavy rainfall, flash flooding and potential road closures throughout the week.

Bernalillo County includes heavily traveled roads, drainage channels and neighborhoods where water can rise faster than traffic can clear. Drivers heading into Albuquerque for work, school pickup or childcare pickup can run into flooded pavement, blocked crossings or water moving through drainage channels. A separate flash flood warning covered Bernalillo County and north-central Valencia County, including Los Lunas.

DHSEM Secretary Bianca Ortiz Wertheim said New Mexico has been experiencing a “very active monsoon season.” National Weather Service Albuquerque’s severe-weather summary recorded 79 flash flood reports across New Mexico last year, and 38 of those were tied to burn scars. In July 2024, five Flash Flood Emergencies were issued after heavy rain over burn scars, with dozens of swift-water rescues and no fatalities reported in that month’s summary.

A July 14 flash flood warning cited Doppler radar and said 0.50 to 1.50 inches of rain had already fallen, with more possible. Rainfall of that amount can flood arroyos, overwhelm drainage and force sudden road closures across the metro.