New Mexico, 2000

Tornadoes and Hail in New Mexico, October 23, 2000

October 23, 2000 · NWS ABQ · 5 events in 1 county or zone

Several small but fast moving thunderstorms moved north through north central San Juan County with gusty winds and hail. A 49 year old man was slightly injured when winds overturned his tractor-trailer while traveling south on Highway 391.

Where it happened

Every event with a place to put it; 1 filed by county or forecast zone are drawn at its center, in a lighter ring. Tap one for its entry below.

  • Tornadoes
  • Tropical storms and surge
  • Floods
  • Wind
  • Hail
  • Winter weather
  • Heat and drought
  • Cold
  • Fire, smoke and dust
  • Marine and coastal
  • Other

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The toll

Deaths
0
Injuries
1
Property damage
$20,000
Crop damage
None recorded
Events
5

Deaths and injuries are direct and indirect together, as the offices filed them. Damage is property and crops in the dollars of the year, not adjusted for inflation, and only where an office estimated it.

What happened

The episode as NWS ABQ wrote it up.

Several small but fast moving thunderstorms moved north through north central San Juan County with gusty winds and hail. A 49 year old man was slightly injured when winds overturned his tractor-trailer while traveling south on Highway 391. Several small and brief tornadoes or possible gustnadoes were reported over the rangeland west and southwest of La Plata to the Sheriff's office, but no damage was reported nor were any observed by emergency coordinators and trained spotters. Hail and rain also filled normally dry washes and arroyos causing police to block several lanes on Highway 516 and County Road 5569.

The radar

The national radar mosaic for the moment the first event began.

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Event by event

2 thunderstorm wind, 2 tornado, 1 hail. Local standard time, as filed.

Thunderstorm Wind, San Juan

When
October 23, 10:59 AM MST
Where
San Juan County, 30 mi S of Farmington
Injuries
1 direct, 0 indirect
Property damage
$20,000
Reported by
NEWSPAPER
Coordinates
36.300, -108.200

Thunderstorm Wind, San Juan

When
October 23, 11:20 AM MST
Where
San Juan County, Kirtland
Reported by
NEWSPAPER
Coordinates
36.509, -108.321 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Tornado, San Juan

When
October 23, 11:36 AM MST
Where
San Juan County, La Plata
Rating
F0
Path length
0.1 mi
Path width
20 yd
Reported by
GENERAL PUBLIC
Coordinates
36.917, -108.183

Tornado, San Juan

When
October 23, 11:51 AM MST
Where
San Juan County, La Plata
Rating
F0
Path length
0.1 mi
Path width
20 yd
Reported by
GENERAL PUBLIC
Coordinates
36.917, -108.183

Hail, San Juan

When
October 23, 1:00 PM MST
Where
San Juan County, Bloomfield
Measured
1 in hail
Reported by
EMERGENCY MANAGER
Coordinates
36.717, -107.983

What these are

Thunderstorm Wind
Winds from a thunderstorm of 50 knots (58 mph) or more, or lower winds that caused damage or casualties. Measured gusts are marked MG, estimated EG.
Tornado
A violently rotating column of air in contact with the ground and extending from a thunderstorm, filed with its path, width and Fujita or Enhanced Fujita rating from the damage survey.
Hail
Hail three-quarters of an inch or larger, or smaller hail that caused damage, filed with the largest stone measured.

After NWS Directive 10-1605, the rules offices file Storm Data by.

The same day elsewhere

More

Every storm in New Mexico in 2000Every state in 2000This day in weather historyThe tornado archive for New Mexico, 2000Warnings in New Mexico, October 2000

Sources

NOAA National Centers for Environmental Information, Storm Events Database, compiled from the National Weather Service’s monthly Storm Data. Complete through 2026-06; NCEI adds each month about 75 days after it ends and revises past years a few times a year. Rebuilt 2026-09-30. Each event’s entry at NCEI: 5160103, 5160107, 5160104, 5160105, 5160106.