Flash flood warnings issued for Santa Fe County amid heavy storms
Eastern Sandoval and central Santa Fe County took the brunt as radar showed heavy rain and up to 2 inches had already fallen, with flood danger lasting until 5:15 p.m.
A flash flood warning for eastern Sandoval County and central Santa Fe County stayed in effect until 5:15 p.m. Tuesday after Doppler radar showed thunderstorms dumping heavy rain across north central New Mexico. At the time the warning was issued at 2:10 p.m. MDT, up to 2 inches of rain had already fallen in the warned area.
The immediate threat was flash flooding caused by excessive rainfall from the storms. The warning covered the parts of the county most exposed to sudden runoff, especially the low-lying drainages and crossing points that can fill fast when monsoon bursts hit the hills and mesas west and north of Santa Fe.
Other storm alerts were also posted across Santa Fe County and surrounding areas as the afternoon system strengthened. Severe thunderstorm warnings and flash flood warnings stretched through the evening hours in the broader region, and NWS Albuquerque tracked the storm complex across the Albuquerque forecast area.
Santa Fe County sits inside NWS Albuquerque’s warning coverage. Flash flooding is one of the region’s recurring summer risks. Summer storms can turn dry arroyos into fast-moving channels within minutes. NWS Albuquerque has a historical page on the September 2013 flooding in Santa Fe County.
For residents in the warned zone, the safest move was to stay out of floodwater and to avoid any arroyo, drainage or crossing already taking runoff from the storm. With 2 inches already on the ground in spots and more heavy rain falling over eastern Sandoval County and central Santa Fe County, conditions could change rapidly before sunset.
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