A thunderstorm over northwest Catron County produced cloud to ground lightning. One of the lightning strikes struck a man who was standing under a 30 foot tall tree to get out of the rain.
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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.
The episode as NWS ABQ wrote it up.
A thunderstorm over northwest Catron County produced cloud to ground lightning. One of the lightning strikes struck a man who was standing under a 30 foot tall tree to get out of the rain.
The local office's own words before the first event, as it sent them, from the Iowa Environmental Mesonet's archive of National Weather Service text.
NWS Albuquerque, NM wrote its last area forecast discussion before the first event at Aug 30, 2:00 PM MST, 1 hour earlier.
AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE ALBUQUERQUE NM 300 PM MDT SUN AUG 30 2009 .DISCUSSION... SHORT TERM (TODAY-TUESDAY)... OUR AIRMASS HAS MOISTENED SOME AT LOW LEVELS. AN EAST WIND BLEW THROUGH THE MOUNTAIN GAPS OVERNIGHT INCREASING BOUNDARY LAYER MOISTURE SLIGHTLY CENTRAL AND WESTERN PORTIONS OF THE CWA. SURFACE DEWPOINTS ARE AROUND 10 DEGREES HIGHER TODAY THAN YESTERDAY. THIS SUPPORTS WIDELY SCATTERED CONVECTION THIS AFTERNOON AND EVENING... ESPECIALLY OVER THE HIGHER TERRAIN OF THE NORTHERN...CENTRAL...CONTINENTAL DIVIDE...AND SOUTHWEST MOUNTAINS. THE MOST SIGNIFICANT CONVECTIVE ACTIVITY WILL ONCE AGAIN BE OVER THE NORTHEAST HIGHLAND AND EAST SLOPES OF THE SANGRE DE CRISTOS ...WHERE MOIST UPSLOPE FLOW WILL SUPPORT THE POSSIBILITY OF AN ISOLATED SEVERE STORM WITH HAIL AND GUSTY WINDS. THUNDERSTORM COVERAGE THIS AFTERNOON AND EVENING SHOULD BE MORE WIDESPREAD ACROSS THE NORTHERN MOUNTAINS...NORTHEAST HIGHLANDS AND EAST SLOPES THAN YESTERDAYS ACTIVITY ...ADDITIONALLY EXPECT MORE CONVECTIVE ACTIVITY TODAY ALONG THE CONTINENTAL DIVIDE IN THE WEST AND ALONG THE CENTRAL MOUNTAINS WHERE SURFACE CONVERGENCE WILL AID IN THUNDERSTORM DEVELOPMENT. THIS AFTERNOON AND EVENING THE 500 MB HIGH PRESSURE WILL BE CENTERED NEAR SHOW LOW AZ AND EXTEND INTO WESTERN NEW MEXICO. HOWEVER...THE RATHER SMALL AREAL EXTENT AND WEAK NATURE OF THIS HIGH CENTER WILL ALLOW FOR AN EASTERLY AND SOUTHERLY FLOW COMPONENT TO ADVECT MOISTURE INTO THE LOWER TROPOSPHERE ACROSS NEW MEXICO. MONDAY AND TUESDAY THE PATTERN CHANGES LITTLE AS THE UPPER HIGH MEANDERS TOWARD CENTRAL NEW MEXICO...WITH LOW LEVEL MOISTURE INFLUX CONTINUING ACROSS THE CWA. THIS WILL CREATE A VARIABLE WIND FLOW REGIME ALOFT...AND ELIMINATE THE NORTHWEST FLOW ALOFT OVER NORTHEAST SECTIONS. AS A RESULT... MONDAY AND TUESDAY WE WILL SEE A RECYCLED MOISTURE CONVECTIVE MODE...WITH CONVECTION PREFERRING THE HIGHER TERRAIN. LONG TERM (TUESDAY NIGHT-SATURDAY)... WEDNESDAY AND THURSDAY THE UPPER HIGH CONTINUES TO MEANDER BETWEEN CENTRAL NEW MEXICO AND EAST CENTRAL ARIZONA WHILE A HIGH AMPLITUDE RIDGE BUILDS THAT EXTENDS NORTH INTO MONTANA AHEAD OF A RATHER VIGOROUS LONG WAVE TROUGH THAT PUSHES INTO THE PACIFIC NORTHWEST ON THURSDAY AND FRIDAY. ON FRIDAY THE PAC NW TROUGH ADVANCES INLAND OVER NORTHERN CA/NV DISPLACING THE UPPER HIGH/RIDGE OVER NEW MEXICO TO OUR EAST. WITH THE UPPER HIGH DISPLACED EAST THIS OPENS THE DOOR LATE FRIDAY INTO SATURDAY FOR AN INFLUX OF DEEP TROPICAL/SUBTROPICAL MOISTURE TO ADVECT INTO WESTERN NEW MEXICO. ECMWF AND GFS MODEL SOLUTIONS DIFFER QUITE A BIT ON THIS POTENTIAL FRIDAY/SATURDAY MOISTURE PLUME. THE ECMWF PROGS A WEAK UPPER LEVEL SHORTWAVE TO MOVE ACROSS THE CWA PRODUCING AN INCREASE IN PRECIPITATION. HOWEVER...THE ECMWF DOES NOT DEPICT A DEEP MOISTURE PLUME FROM THE SOUTH. THUS..FORECAST CONFIDENCE REMAINS LOW ON THIS FEATURE UNTIL WE SEE BETTER MID RANGE MODEL CONSENSUS. OUR CURRENT FORECAST PACKAGE DOES INDICATE A INCREASE IN MOISTURE AND POPS ON FRIDAY/SATURDAY ACROSS WESTERN AND NORTH CENTRAL PORTIONS OF THE CWA. BENNETT && .AVIATION... THUNDERSTORMS DEVELOPING THIS AFTERNOON OVER THE CENTRAL MOUNTAINS AND CONTINENTAL DIVIDE WILL SPREAD RAPIDLY TO THE NORTHEAST PLAINS THROUGH LATE AFTERNOON/EARLY EVENING. ISOLD EXCURSIONS TO IFR CIG AND VIZ IN THUNDERSTORMS CONTINUING THROUGH 03Z TONIGHT. FROM 03Z ONWARD...AREAS OF MT TOP OBSCURATION OVER THE CENTRAL MOUNTAINS IN LINGERING SHOWERS...WITH POTENTIAL FOR IFR CIGS AND VIZ OVER THE EASTERN PLAINS AFTER 06Z. 18Z TAFS FOR LVS AND TCC CONTAIN SCT015/SCT025 AS PLACEHOLDERS FOR IFR CIGS EARLY MONDAY MORNING WITH EASTERN PLAINS CIGS IMPROVING BY 18Z MONDAY NOON. SHY NEXT AVIATION DISCUSSION SCHEDULED FOR 09Z. SHY && .FIRE WEATHER... NO CRITICAL FIRE WEATHER EXPECTED THROUGH NEXT WEEKEND. RIDGE CORE OVER EASTERN ARIZONA/WESTERN NEW MEXICO WILL START SLOW JOURNEY EAST TO CENTER OVER NEW MEXICO WITH CONVECTION CONTINUING IN A MOISTURE RECYCLING LOOP FOR THE NEAR TERM. NORTHEAST RIDGE MARGINS WILL BE CLIPPED BY SOUTHEASTBOUND SHORTWAVES AFTER MIDWEEK...WITH RIDGE ERODING IN ADVANCE OF SIGNIFICANT GULF OF ALASKA TROUGH PUSHING INTO NORTHWEST NEW MEXICO BY LATE IN THE WORK WEEK AND SWEEPING THROUGH DURING THE WEEKEND. MODELS NOT LINING UP WELL ON THE TIMING AND STRENGTH OF THE FEATURE. DOMESTIC GFS DEEPEST AND FASTEST WITH TROUGH PASSAGE...WITH EUROPEAN COLLEAGUES FLATTER AND SLOWER. WEAK CONSENSUS...HOWEVER...DOES POINT TO A GENERAL SHIFT TO A WETTER...CLOUDIER...AND COOLER PATTERN FOR HEADING INTO NEXT WEEKEND. FOR THE REST OF TODAY...CONVECTION STARTING OVER THE CENTRAL AND NORTHERN MOUNTAINS AND CONTINENTAL DIVIDE EXPANDING INTO THE NORTHEAST PLAINS LATE THIS AFTERNOON. HUMIDITIES BOTTOMING IN THE LOW TEENS OVER NORTHWEST QUADRANT OF THE STATE COLLOCATED WITH WEAKEST SURFACE FLOW TO PRECLUDE CRITICAL FIRE WEATHER IN ANYTHING BUT NEARBY THUNDERSTORM GUSTS. CONVECTION ALONG AND EAST OF THE CENTRAL MOUNTAIN CHAIN WILL PUSH EASTERLY WINDS THROUGH CENTRAL MOUNTAIN GAPS ACROSS THE RIO GRANDE VALLEY FOR SEVERAL HOURS OVERNIGHT TONIGHT. GOOD OVERNIGHT RECOVERIES ON TAP FOR ALL BUT THE NORTHWEST PLATEAU. FOR MONDAY...RIDGE CORE SOLIDLY OVER NEW MEXICO FOR SLIGHT WARMING AND DRYING TREND...ESPECIALLY IN THE EAST. HUMIDITIES WILL BOTTOM IN THE MID 20S PCT IN THE EAST...WITH TEENS COMMON TO THE WEST. THUNDERSTORMS WILL START OVER THE SOUTHWEST MOUNTAINS...WITH ISOLATED DEVELOPMENT OVER THE CENTRAL MOUNTAINS...NORTHEAST HIGHLANDS AND NORTHEAST PLAINS THROUGH THE AFTERNOON. FOR TUESDAY...RIDGE CORE REMAINING OVER NEW MEXICO AS SURFACE LOW PRESSURE DEEPENS OVER NORTHERN NEW MEXICO. ENHANCED CONVERGENCE NEAR THIS FEATURE WILL SUPPORT ADDED THUNDERSTORM COVERAGE OVER THE NORTHERN MOUNTAINS AND NORTHEAST PLAINS...IN ADDITION TO USUAL AFTERNOON DEVELOPMENT OVER THE CONTINENTAL DIVIDE AND SACRAMENTO/GUADALUPE MOUNTAIN SLOPES. WARMING TRENDS CONTINUING WITH ANOTHER NOTCH OF DRYING IN PLAY TO THE EAST. MINIMUM HUMIDITIES WILL RUN BROADLY IN THE TEENS STATEWIDE. SOMEWHAT POORER OVERNIGHT HUMIDITY RECOVERIES TUESDAY NIGHT...WITH HUMIDITIES REMAINING IN THE 40S FOR THE NORTHWEST PLATEAU. OUTLOOK...WEDNESDAY THROUGH FRIDAY...RIDGE CORE REMAINING OVERHEAD WEDNESDAY WITH BREAKDOWN UNDERWAY THURSDAY INTO FRIDAY. SURFACE LOW PRESSURE DEEPENING OVER NORTHERN AND EASTERN NEW MEXICO WILL EXPAND SHOWER FOCUS TO THE NORTH AND EAST TO SET UP A CLOUDY AND SHOWERY PATTERN LEADING INTO THE WEEKEND. LEVEL TEMPERATURES ON WEDNESDAY GIVING WAY TO COOLING THURSDAY THROUGH FRIDAY AS COLD FRONT SAGS SOUTHWARD IN WAKE OF QUICK HITTER DISTURBANCE CLIPPING THE NORTHEAST PLAINS. MINIMUM HUMIDITIES IN THE TEENS BOOSTED WELL INTO THE 20S STATEWIDE WITH THESE COOLER TEMPERATURES AND INCREASED SHOWER COVERAGE. EXCELLENT OVERNIGHT HUMIDITY RECOVERIES IN A MOIST PATTERN. SHY && .PRELIMINARY POINT TEMPS/POPS... FARMINGTON...................... 58 91 56 92 / 10 0 0 10 DULCE........................... 44 84 45 86 / 20 5 5 10 CUBA............................ 44 82 46 84 / 20 5 10 10 GALLUP.......................... 49 86 48 86 / 10 10 10 10 EL MORRO........................ 45 79 44 81 / 10 10 10 20 GRANTS.......................... 48 85 47 86 / 10 10 10 10 QUEMADO......................... 49 80 48 81 / 10 20 10 20 GLENWOOD........................ 56 88 56 89 / 10 20 20 20 CHAMA........................... 43 79 42 81 / 20 5 10 10 LOS ALAMOS...................... 48 81 51 84 / 20 10 10 10 PECOS........................... 49 81 51 86 / 20 10 10 10 CERRO/QUESTA.................... 45 79 44 81 / 30 10 10 10 RED RIVER....................... 38 72 38 75 / 30 10 10 10 ANGEL FIRE...................... 36 75 38 77 / 30 10 10 10 TAOS............................ 45 80 45 83 / 30 10 10 10 ESPANOLA........................ 50 86 50 88 / 20 10 5 10 SANTA FE........................ 53 84 57 86 / 20 10 5 10 SANTA FE AIRPORT................ 53 85 54 88 / 20 10 5 10 ALBUQUERQUE FOOTHILLS........... 57 87 57 88 / 10 10 5 10 ALBUQUERQUE HEIGHTS............. 62 88 62 89 / 10 10 5 10 ALBUQUERQUE VALLEY.............. 56 87 56 88 / 10 10 5 10 ALBUQUERQUE WEST MESA........... 59 91 60 94 / 10 10 5 10 LOS LUNAS....................... 55 89 56 91 / 10 10 5 10 RIO RANCHO...................... 60 89 61 90 / 10 10 5 10 SOCORRO......................... 58 86 58 88 / 10 10 10 10 SANDIA PARK/CEDAR CREST......... 45 80 48 81 / 10 10 5 10 MORIARTY/ESTANCIA............... 50 83 52 86 / 20 10 10 10 CLINES CORNERS.................. 52 83 55 85 / 20 10 10 10 GRAN QUIVIRA.................... 52 84 52 85 / 20 10 10 10 CARRIZOZO....................... 54 85 58 88 / 20 10 10 10 RUIDOSO......................... 47 75 49 79 / 20 10 10 10 CAPULIN......................... 47 78 49 81 / 50 10 10 10 RATON........................... 48 82 49 88 / 50 10 10 10 LAS VEGAS....................... 48 80 50 85 / 30 10 10 10 CLAYTON......................... 54 81 56 88 / 50 10 5 5 ROY............................. 55 78 57 85 / 30 10 5 5 CONCHAS......................... 56 89 62 93 / 30 5 5 5 SANTA ROSA...................... 54 86 55 92 / 30 10 5 5 TUCUMCARI....................... 57 88 61 94 / 30 5 5 5 CLOVIS.......................... 58 86 60 91 / 20 5 0 5 PORTALES........................ 57 83 60 90 / 20 5 0 5 FORT SUMNER..................... 58 87 60 93 / 20 5 5 5 ROSWELL......................... 62 89 63 95 / 10 5 0 5 PICACHO......................... 57 85 60 89 / 10 5 5 10 ELK............................. 52 80 54 82 / 10 10 5 10 && .ABQ WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES... NONE. && BENNETT/SHY
HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE ALBUQUERQUE NM 556 AM MDT SUN AUG 30 2009 NMZ501>540-311200- NORTHWEST PLATEAU-CHUSKA MOUNTAINS-FAR NORTHWEST HIGHLANDS- NORTHWEST HIGHLANDS-WEST CENTRAL PLATEAU-WEST CENTRAL MOUNTAINS- WEST CENTRAL HIGHLANDS-SOUTHWEST MOUNTAINS- SAN FRANCISCO RIVER VALLEY-SAN JUAN MOUNTAINS-JEMEZ MOUNTAINS- WEST SLOPES SANGRE DE CRISTO MOUNTAINS- NORTHERN SANGRE DE CRISTO MOUNTAINS ABOVE 9500 FEET/RED RIVER- SOUTHERN SANGRE DE CRISTO MOUNTAINS ABOVE 9500 FEET- EAST SLOPES SANGRE DE CRISTO MOUNTAINS-UPPER RIO GRANDE VALLEY- LOWER CHAMA RIVER VALLEY-SANTA FE METRO AREA-ALBUQUERQUE METRO AREA- LOWER RIO GRANDE VALLEY-SANDIA/MANZANO MOUNTAINS-ESTANCIA VALLEY- CENTRAL HIGHLANDS-SOUTH CENTRAL HIGHLANDS-UPPER TULAROSA VALLEY- SOUTH CENTRAL MOUNTAINS-RATON RIDGE/JOHNSON MESA- FAR NORTHEAST HIGHLANDS-NORTHEAST HIGHLANDS-UNION COUNTY- HARDING COUNTY-EASTERN SAN MIGUEL COUNTY-GUADALUPE COUNTY- QUAY COUNTY-CURRY COUNTY-ROOSEVELT COUNTY-DE BACA COUNTY- CHAVES COUNTY PLAINS-EASTERN LINCOLN COUNTY-SOUTHWEST CHAVES COUNTY- 556 AM MDT SUN AUG 30 2009 THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR PORTIONS OF NORTH AND CENTRAL NEW MEXICO. .DAY ONE...TODAY AND TONIGHT THE PROBABILITY FOR WIDESPREAD HAZARDOUS WEATHER IS LOW. HOWEVER...A FEW STRONG TO MARGINALLY SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS WILL BE POSSIBLE THIS AFTERNOON AND EVENING FROM THE EAST SLOPES OF THE SANGRE DE CRISTO MOUNTAINS EASTWARD ACROSS THE NORTHEAST AND EAST CENTRAL PLAINS. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...MONDAY THROUGH SATURDAY NO HAZARDOUS WEATHER IS EXPECTED AT THIS TIME. HOWEVER...WEATHER CAN CHANGE VERY RAPIDLY. ALWAYS USE THE LATEST FORECASTS...WATCHES AND WARNINGS FOR PLANNING PURPOSES. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... SPOTTER ACTIVATION IS NOT ANTICIPATED. 44
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE ALBUQUERQUE NM 242 PM MDT SUN AUG 30 2009 NMZ515-529-302130- EAST SLOPES SANGRE DE CRISTO MOUNTAINS-NORTHEAST HIGHLANDS- 242 PM MDT SUN AUG 30 2009 ...STRONG THUNDERSTORM MOVING OVER SAN MIGUEL COUNTY... AT 237 PM MDT...NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DOPPLER RADAR INDICATED A STRONG THUNDERSTORM...CAPABLE OF PRODUCING WINDS UP TO 50 MPH AND HAIL UP TO ONE HALF INCH IN DIAMETER NEAR SAN IGNACIO. MOVEMENT WAS SOUTHEAST AT 10 MPH. LOCATIONS IN THE PATH OF THIS STORM INCLUDE EL PORVENIR...GALLINAS... MANUELITAS...MONTEZUMA...ROMEROVILLE AND SAN ANTONIO. THIS THUNDERSTORM WILL CROSS INTERSTATE 25 NEAR OR NORTH OF LAS VEGAS. SEVERE WEATHER IS NOT EXPECTED FROM THIS STORM. WARNINGS ARE NOT ANTICIPATED AT THIS TIME. LISTEN FOR POSSIBLE WARNINGS AND BE PREPARED TO TAKE APPROPRIATE ACTION. && LAT...LON 3570 10504 3549 10523 3572 10549 3586 10534 TIME...MOT...LOC 2039Z 307DEG 9KT 3573 10533
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE ALBUQUERQUE NM 400 PM MDT SUN AUG 30 2009 NMZ515-528-302245- EAST SLOPES SANGRE DE CRISTO MOUNTAINS-FAR NORTHEAST HIGHLANDS- 400 PM MDT SUN AUG 30 2009 ...STRONG THUNDERSTORM MOVING OVER MORA COUNTY NEAR OCATE... AT 357 PM MDT...NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DOPPLER RADAR INDICATED A STRONG THUNDERSTORM...CAPABLE OF PRODUCING WINDS UP TO 40 MPH AND HAIL UP TO ONE HALF INCH IN DIAMETER NEAR OCATE. MOVEMENT WAS SOUTHEAST AT 5 MPH. LOCATIONS IN THE PATH OF THIS STORM INCLUDE RURAL NORTH CENTRAL MORA COUNTY AND RURAL SOUTHWESTERN COLFAX COUNTY. ADDITIONALLY...FREQUENT LIGHTNING IS OCCURRING WITH THIS STORM. SEVERE WEATHER IS NOT EXPECTED FROM THIS STORM. WARNINGS ARE NOT ANTICIPATED AT THIS TIME. MONITOR THIS STORM CLOSELY...LISTEN FOR POSSIBLE WARNINGS AND BE PREPARED TO TAKE APPROPRIATE ACTION. && LAT...LON 3614 10471 3597 10495 3621 10514 3630 10499 TIME...MOT...LOC 2158Z 330DEG 6KT 3617 10502
The Albuquerque radar (KABX), 190 km away, was scanning. The volume nearest the first event began at 22:01 UTC.
1 lightning. Local standard time, as filed.
Harry Beggerly, 61, died near Quemado Lake from a lightning strike on the afternoon of August 30, while seeking shelter from the rain under a 30 foot tall tree.
As the offices recorded each death: direct deaths were caused by the weather itself, indirect ones by something it set in motion.
| Event | Date | Age | Sex | Where | Kind |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Lightning, Catron | 2009-08-30 | 61 | Male | Under Tree | Direct |
After NWS Directive 10-1605, the rules offices file Storm Data by.
Every storm in New Mexico in 2009Every state in 2009This day in weather historyWarnings in New Mexico, August 2009
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 2026-09-24. Each event’s entry at NCEI: 189038.