Landspout confirmed near Los Lunas, debris and power line sparks reported

A landspout was confirmed near Los Lunas on Thursday afternoon after video showed a debris cloud and flashing power lines west of town. The Emergency and Disaster Information Service logged the event at 21:30 UTC as about 1 mile west of Los Lunas, capturing the same scene of debris in the air and power lines sparking.

The fast-moving storm hit while northern Valencia County was already under a severe thunderstorm warning issued by National Weather Service Albuquerque at 3:34 p.m. MDT. That warning covered Los Lunas, Valencia, Bosque Farms, Los Chaves, Isleta Pueblo, Tome, Los Trujillos-Gabaldon and South Valley, and it warned of 60 mph wind gusts, roof, siding and tree damage, and blowing dust as storms moved northeast at 35 mph.

Local video quickly showed how little time there was between warning and impact. KRQE aired footage of the landspout and damage in Los Lunas at 7 p.m. MDT, while KOB 4 said the afternoon storm appeared to spin up near Interstate 25, with viewer video showing debris flying through the air and sparks jumping from electrical lines. Another report said the possible landspout left damaged homes, shattered cars and debris scattered across the village.

The pattern fit a storm system that could still turn hazardous after the main cell passed. The National Weather Service forecast for Los Lunas called for a high near 93 degrees on Friday, June 26, with a 30% chance of showers and thunderstorms after noon, and Valencia County’s official website showed an active emergency alert for a burn ban in effect.

For Valencia County residents, the episode underscored how quickly a spinning storm can turn from a weather alert into a road and utility problem. Power lines, scattered debris and damaged vehicles can make travel unsafe even when a tornado is not immediately confirmed, and the warning for 60 mph gusts showed that the strongest threat can arrive before a landspout is fully visible.