A broad upper high was centered over New Mexico with weak flow throughout the atmosphere allowing for slow moving thunderstorms that produce heavy rain. A severe wind gust was reported in El Paso as well.
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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 EPZ wrote it up.
A broad upper high was centered over New Mexico with weak flow throughout the atmosphere allowing for slow moving thunderstorms that produce heavy rain. A severe wind gust was reported in El Paso as well.
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 El Paso, TX wrote its last area forecast discussion before the first event at Aug 17, 2:25 PM MST, 1 hour 5 minutes earlier.
AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE EL PASO TX/SANTA TERESA NM 325 PM MDT WED AUG 17 2011 .SYNOPSIS... A SERIES OF WEAK UPPER LEVEL DISTURBANCES WILL CONTINUE OUR EVENING THUNDERSTORMS TONIGHT. FOR THE END OF THE WEEK INTO THE WEEKEND WE WILL CONTINUE TO SEE ISOLATED TO SCATTERED THUNDERSTORMS WITH TEMPERATURES RUNNING A FEW DEGREES ABOVE NORMAL. && .DISCUSSION... BOTH THE 00Z GFS AND NAM SHORT TERM MODELS INDICATED A SERIES OF VORT MAXES WOULD MOVE ACROSS SOUTHERN NEW MEXICO AND BOTH MODELS HAD INCREASED POPS FOR TODAY AND THIS EVENING. SO FAR CONVECTION IS GOING EARLY AND IT IS FAIRLY WIDESPREAD SO THE CURRENT SHORT TERM FORECAST LOOKS GOOD. AS I HAD MENTIONED A COUPLE OF DAYS AGO...WE WOULD SEE DOWN DAYS LIKE YESTERDAY AND WE WOULD SEE MORE ACTIVE DAYS LIKE TODAY. IT DOES MAKE FORECASTING CHALLENGING. AFTER TODAY THERE ARE AGAIN NO CLEAR SIGNALS FOR EITHER HEIGHTENED OR LOWERED POPS FOR THE NEXT COUPLE OF DAYS...SO I HAVE CONTINUED THE BROAD BRUSHED ISOLATED TO SCATTERED POPS. FOR THE WEEKEND BOTH THE GFS AND NAM INDICATE THAT THE UPPER LEVEL HIGH WILL MAKE A BRIEF VISIT TO EAST TEXAS...BUT THERE WILL CONTINUE TO BE A RIDGE ACCESS ACROSS MUCH OF NEW MEXICO SO THIS WILL AGAIN KEEP SOME WHAT OF A LID ON CONVECTION. FOR THE FIRST PART OF NEXT WEEK BOTH THE GFS AND ECMWF BRING THE UPPER LEVEL RIDGE BACK OVER NEW MEXICO AND THIS TIME WITH SOME DRIER AIR SO I HAVE CONTINUED THE TREND TO LOWER POPS FOR THE FIRST PART OF NEXT WEEK. LOOKING AHEAD FOR THE REST OF NEXT WEEK. THE MODELS INDICATE THAT THE UPPER HIGH WILL CONTINUE TO HANG AROUND FOR MOST OF NEXT WEEK...BUT WITH JUST ENOUGH MOISTURE TO CONTINUE OUR SLIGHT CHANCE FOR AFTERNOON AND EVENING THUNDERSTORMS. WITH LITTLE CHANGE TO OUR WEATHER WE WILL SEE LITTLE VARIATION IN OUR AFTERNOON HIGHS (OR MORNING LOWS FOR THAT MATTER). FOR MOST OF THE NEXT SEVEN DAYS WE WILL SEE HIGHS RUNNING FOUR TO EIGHT DEGREES ABOVE NORMAL. && .AVIATION...VALID 18/00Z-19/00Z. MOSTLY VFR WITH LIGHT WINDS...BUT AFTERNOON AND EVENING SHOWER AND THUNDERSTORM ACTIVITY WILL CONTINUE. EXPECT GENERALLY P6SM FEW-SCT050-080 SCT-BKN120-150 SCT-BKN200-250 WITH LIGHT WINDS. HOWEVER...SCATTERED SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS WILL CAUSE AREAS OF 1-3SM TSRA BKN030-060 WITH STRONG AND GUSTY WINDS. HAIL IS ALSO POSSIBLE...ESPECIALLY IN HIGHER ELEVATIONS. && .FIRE DISCUSSION... HIGH PRESSURE ALOFT STRETCHING FROM NORTHERN ARIZONA TO CENTRAL TEXAS WILL CONTINUE TO BRING VERY MOIST SUBTROPICAL AIR FROM THE THE GULF OF MEXICO. THE VERY MOIST AIR...COMBINED WITH STRONG DAYTIME HEATING AND WEAK STEERING FLOW ALOFT...WILL LIKELY PRODUCE SLOW MOVING SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS WITH THE THREAT OF LOCALLY HEAVY RAIN EACH DAY. MINIMUM HUMIDITY WILL RANGE FROM THE MID 20S TO THE MID 30S ACROSS THE LOWER DESERTS EACH AFTERNOON. WINDS WILL REMAIN GENERALLY LIGHT WITH VERY LOW (2 OR 3) HAINES INDICES. THIS PATTERN WILL MOST LIKELY REMAIN IN PLACE THROUGH THE WEEKEND. THAT HIGH PRESSURE ALOFT MAY STRENGTHEN OVER CENTRAL NEW MEXICO FOR THE FIRST HALF OF NEXT WEEK. THIS WOULD TEND TO SUPPRESS...BUT NOT ELIMINATE...SHOWER AND THUNDERSTORM ACTIVITY. && .PRELIMINARY POINT TEMPS/POPS... EL PASO 75 96 76 97 75 / 30 20 30 20 30 SIERRA BLANCA TX 70 94 71 96 70 / 30 20 20 20 30 LAS CRUCES 72 94 73 96 72 / 30 20 30 20 30 ALAMOGORDO 71 94 72 98 71 / 40 20 20 20 30 CLOUDCROFT 52 74 52 76 51 / 40 30 30 30 30 TRUTH OR CONSEQUENCES 71 92 72 94 71 / 40 30 30 20 30 SILVER CITY 64 85 65 85 64 / 40 40 40 30 30 DEMING 72 96 72 97 71 / 30 30 30 20 30 LORDSBURG 72 96 72 96 71 / 40 30 40 30 30 && .EPZ WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES... NM...NONE. TX...NONE. && BRICE/PARK
HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE EL PASO TX/SANTA TERESA NM 1118 AM MDT WED AUG 17 2011 NMZ022>025-030>032-TXZ055-056-181730- SOUTHWEST MOUNTAINS/LOWER GILA REGION-SIERRA COUNTY LAKES REGION- TULAROSA BASIN/SOUTHERN DESERT-SOUTHERN SACRAMENTO MOUNTAINS- SOUTHWEST DESERT/BOOTHEEL-SOUTHWEST DESERT/MIMBRES BASIN- SOUTHERN DESERT-EL PASO-HUDSPETH- 1118 AM MDT WED AUG 17 2011 THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR PORTIONS OF SOUTH CENTRAL NEW MEXICO...SOUTHWEST NEW MEXICO AND SOUTHWEST TEXAS. .DAY ONE...THIS AFTERNOON AND TONIGHT SCATTERED AFTERNOON AND EVENING THUNDERSTORMS WILL PRODUCE BRIEF HEAVY RAINS. ISOLATED FLASH FLOODING MAY BE POSSIBLE WITH THE SLOWER MOVING STORMS. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...THURSDAY THROUGH TUESDAY WE WILL CONTINUE TO SEE ISOLATED TO SCATTERED AFTERNOON AND EVENING THUNDERSTORMS EACH DAY. WE MAY SEE A DOWN TURN IN RAIN CHANCES FOR THE FIRST PART OF NEXT WEEK. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... SPOTTER ACTIVATION IS NOT ANTICIPATED.
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE EL PASO TX 317 PM MDT WED AUG 17 2011 NMZ024-032-TXZ055-172200- EL PASO TX-SOUTHERN DESERT NM-TULAROSA BASIN/SOUTHERN DESERT NM- 317 PM MDT WED AUG 17 2011 ...STRONG THUNDERSTORMS THREATENING SOUTHEASTERN DONA ANA... SOUTHWESTERN OTERO AND EL PASO COUNTIES THROUGH 400 PM MDT... AT 306 PM MDT...NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE METEOROLOGISTS WERE TRACKING SEVERAL STRONG THUNDERSTORMS IN EL PASO PASO COUNTY AND SOUTHWEST OTERO COUNTY. HAIL UP TO ONE-HALF INCH IN DIAMETER AND WIND GUSTS UP TO 55 MPH ARE EXPECTED WITH THESE STORMS...ALONG WITH FREQUENT DANGEROUS LIGHTNING....AND BRIEF TORRENTIAL DOWNPOURS PRODUCING LOW AREA FLOODING. STORMS MAY PRODUCE UP TO 1 AND 1.5 INCHES OF RAIN IN ISOLATED LOCATIONS. THESE STORMS WERE GENERALLY TRACKING TO THE WEST AROUND 5 TO 10 MPH. LOCATIONS IMPACTED INCLUDE... MCGREGOR RANGE BASE... MISSION VALLEY... EAST EL PASO... NORTHEAST EL PASO... WEST EL PASO... SUNLAND PARK... CHAPARRAL... ANTHONY... HORIZON CITY... FABENS... FRANKLIN MOUNTAINS STATE PARK... TORRENTIAL RAIN MAY FLOOD LOW LYING AREAS SUCH AS DITCHES AND UNDERPASSES. DO NOT DRIVE YOUR VEHICLE ON A FLOODED ROADWAY. NOVLAN
PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE EL PASO TX
408 PM MDT WED AUG 17 2011
..TIME... ...EVENT... ...CITY LOCATION... ...LAT.LON...
..DATE... ....MAG.... ..COUNTY LOCATION..ST.. ...SOURCE....
..REMARKS..
0350 PM FLOOD EL PASO 31.78N 106.48W
08/17/2011 EL PASO TX TRAINED SPOTTER
WATER OVER STREET CURB IN YARBOROUGH MONTWOOD AREA.
&&
EVENT NUMBER EPZ1100348
FKSPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE EL PASO TX 424 PM MDT WED AUG 17 2011 NMZ023-031-032-172315- SIERRA COUNTY LAKES REGION NM-SOUTHERN DESERT NM-SOUTHWEST DESERT/MIMBRES BASIN NM- 424 PM MDT WED AUG 17 2011 ...STRONG THUNDERSTORMS THREATENING DONA ANA...EXTREME SOUTHERN SIERRA AND EASTERN LUNA COUNTIES THROUGH 515 PM MDT... AT 413 PM MDT...NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE METEOROLOGISTS WERE TRACKING STRONG THUNDERSTORMS ...MOVING WEST NORTHWEST AT 5 TO MPH. HAIL UP TO ONE-HALF INCH IN DIAMETER AND WIND GUSTS UP TO 55 MPH ARE EXPECTED WITH THIS STORM...ALONG WITH HEAVY RAIN WITH BRIEF LOW AREA FLOODING AND FREQUENT DANGEROUS LIGHTNING. LOCATIONS IMPACTED INCLUDE... LEASBURG... LAS CRUCES... HATCH... PLACITAS... PICACHO... EAST MESA... TALAVERA... BERINO... SAN MIGUEL... FAIRACRES... AGUIRRE SPRINGS... SOLEDAD CANYON... DRIPPING SPRINGS... KILBOURNE HOLE... TORRENTIAL RAIN MAY FLOOD LOW LYING AREAS SUCH AS DITCHES AND UNDERPASSES. DO NOT DRIVE YOUR VEHICLE ON A FLOODED ROADWAY. NOVLAN
PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE EL PASO TX
430 PM MDT WED AUG 17 2011
..TIME... ...EVENT... ...CITY LOCATION... ...LAT.LON...
..DATE... ....MAG.... ..COUNTY LOCATION..ST.. ...SOURCE....
..REMARKS..
0430 PM FLASH FLOOD EL PASO 31.78N 106.48W
08/17/2011 EL PASO TX BROADCAST MEDIA
HEAVY FLOODING AT WEDGEWOOD AND MCRAE STREETS AND ALSO
MONTWOOD AND YARBROUGH STREETS
&&
EVENT NUMBER EPZ1100349
LUNDEENThe El Paso radar (KEPZ), 34 km away, was scanning. The volume nearest the first event began at 22:30 UTC.
1 flash flood, 1 thunderstorm wind. Local standard time, as filed.
Heavy flooding was reported at the intersections of Wedgewood and McRae streets and also Montwood and Yarbrough streets in East El Paso.
A 60 mph wind gust was reported near Montwood and Lee Trevino in East El Paso.
After NWS Directive 10-1605, the rules offices file Storm Data by.
Every storm in Texas in 2011Every state in 2011This day in weather historyWarnings in Texas, August 2011
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: 339676, 339677.