Upper high was located just west of the Big Bend with an area of deep moisture across the Rio Grande Valley. The weak flow aloft combined with the moisture to produce slow moving storms induced flash flooding in the Vado and Sunland Park areas.
Every event with a place to put it. Tap one for its entry below.
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.
Upper high was located just west of the Big Bend with an area of deep moisture across the Rio Grande Valley. The weak flow aloft combined with the moisture to produce slow moving storms induced flash flooding in the Vado and Sunland Park areas.
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 15, 2:11 PM MST, 6 hours 19 minutes earlier.
AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE EL PASO TX/SANTA TERESA NM 311 PM MDT THU AUG 15 2013 .SYNOPSIS... UPPER LEVEL HIGH PRESSURE WILL CONTINUE TO TRY AND LIMIT OUR AFTERNOON AND EVENING THUNDERSTORMS...BUT ENOUGH MOISTURE REMAINS TO CONTINUE TO SEE A SLIGHT CHANCE FOR THUNDERSTORMS EACH DAY THROUGH THE WEEKEND. THE FIRST PART OF NEXT WEEK MAY SEE AN INCREASE IN THUNDERSTORM ACTIVITY AS THE UPPER LEVEL HIGH MOVES OFF. TEMPERATURES FRIDAY THROUGH THE WEEKEND WILL RUN WELL ABOVE NORMAL. MANY LOWLAND LOCATIONS WILL FLIRT WITH THE CENTURY MARK ON SATURDAY AND SUNDAY. && .DISCUSSION... UPPER LEVEL HIGH PRESSURE ALOFT WILL BATTLE WITH LOW LEVEL MOISTURE AND INSTABILITY CREATED BY HEATING TO SEE IF WE WILL SEE ANY RAIN THE NEXT FIVE DAYS. THIS EVENING WITH HEATING AND WHAT IS LEFT OF A WASHED OUT COLD FRONT WILL HELP FIRE OFF SOME SCATTERED CONVECTION. ON FRIDAY AND THE WEEKEND THE RIDGE WILL BE A LITTLE STRONGER AND WE WILL BE WELL ABOVE NORMAL TEMPERATURE WISE...BUT WITHOUT THE BOUNDARY TO HELP ADD SOME INSTABILITY IT LOOKS LIKE THE RIDGE WINS OUT AFTER TODAY. WE WILL CONTINUE TO SEE A SLIGHT CHANCE FOR RAIN...BUT MOST OF US WILL SEE VERY WARM AND DRY WEATHER THIS WEEKEND. MANY LOWLAND LOCATIONS WILL FLIRT WITH THE TRIPLE DIGIT MARK ON SATURDAY AND SUNDAY. FOR THE START OF NEXT WEEK AN UPPER LEVEL TROUGH WILL TRY AND PUSH INTO CALIFORNIA AND INTO THE UPPER LEVEL RIDGE. THE RIDGE WON'T BUDGE FOR A BIT...BUT IT WILL START TO SLOWLY SLIDE OFF TO THE NORTH. THIS SHOULD ALLOW FOR AN UPTICK IN CONVECTIVE ACTIVITY FOR THE START OF THE WEEK. IN ADDITION THERE IS SOME HINT THAT ANOTHER BACKDOOR COLD FRONT/EAST PUSH WILL TRY AND PUSH INTO THE AREA...SO THAT MAY GET ADDED TO THE POT...WHICH MAY ALSO HELP INCREASE OUR RAIN CHANCES. THE ECMWF DOESN'T DRIFT THE UPPER RIDGE VERY FAR...BUT THE GFS AND ESPECIALLY THE DGEX REALLY START TO SET UP A NICE MONSOON FLOW FOR THE END OF THE COMING WEEK. NEEDLESS TO SAY WITH THE INCREASE OF MOISTURE AND THE UPPER RIDGE MOVING OFF A BIT WE WILL SEE OUR AFTERNOON HIGHS SLIDE BACK TO NEAR SEASONAL NORMAL. && .AVIATION...VALID 15/00Z-16/00Z. VFR CONDS THRU PD. SCT MTN AND ISOLD LOWLAND TS COVERAGE WITH 1-3SM BKN020-040 AND GUSTS TO 45KTS WITH ANY THUNDERSTORMS IN HEAVY RAIN THRU 06Z AND AGAIN AFT 18Z. CLOUDS GENERALLY FEW-SCT060-080 SCT-BKN150-200. && .FIRE WEATHER... UPPER HIGH WILL REMAIN OVER THE NM/AZ BORDER REGION THROUGH THE FORECAST PERIOD. EXPECT THE USUAL DAILY SCATTERED MOUNTAIN ISOLATED LOWLAND THUNDERSTORMS TO CONTINUE THROUGH FRIDAY WITH A SLIGHT DECREASE IN COVERAGE FOR THE WEEKEND OVER THE MOUNTAINS AS SOME DRIER AIR MOVES IN. TEMPERATURES WILL REMAIN ABOUT 3-7 DEGREES ABOVE NORMAL WITH MINIMUM RELATIVE HUMIDITIES IN THE 15 TO 25 PERCENT RANGE LOWLANDS AND 25 TO 40 PERCENT FOR THE MOUNTAINS WITH VERY GOOD TO EXCELLENT RECOVERIES CONTINUING. WINDS WILL CONTINUE TO REMAIN UNDER 15 MPH THROUGH THE PERIOD. && .PRELIMINARY POINT TEMPS/POPS... EL PASO 73 97 76 99 76 / 30 10 10 10 20 SIERRA BLANCA 71 97 73 102 73 / 30 10 10 10 20 LAS CRUCES 69 95 71 98 70 / 20 10 10 10 20 ALAMOGORDO 68 97 70 97 69 / 30 20 10 10 20 CLOUDCROFT 49 73 50 74 51 / 40 30 10 20 20 TRUTH OR CONSEQUENCES 65 96 67 96 66 / 20 10 20 10 20 SILVER CITY 60 88 62 89 62 / 20 30 20 20 20 DEMING 67 98 69 99 68 / 20 10 20 10 20 LORDSBURG 65 97 67 98 66 / 20 10 20 10 20 WEST EL PASO METRO 71 97 74 99 74 / 20 10 10 10 20 DELL CITY 65 99 68 99 68 / 30 10 10 10 20 FORT HANCOCK 72 98 75 102 75 / 30 10 10 10 20 LOMA LINDA 66 96 69 96 71 / 30 10 10 10 20 FABENS 71 98 74 100 74 / 30 10 10 10 20 SANTA TERESA 66 96 72 99 72 / 20 10 10 10 20 WHITE SANDS HQ 71 92 73 100 72 / 20 10 10 10 20 JORNADA RANGE 68 98 70 100 69 / 20 10 10 10 20 HATCH 68 95 70 96 69 / 20 10 20 10 20 COLUMBUS 66 98 70 99 70 / 20 10 20 10 20 OROGRANDE 71 98 72 99 72 / 30 10 10 10 20 MAYHILL 55 81 55 82 57 / 40 30 10 20 20 MESCALERO 52 83 53 84 55 / 40 30 10 20 20 TIMBERON 54 79 55 80 57 / 40 30 10 20 20 WINSTON 54 79 57 81 56 / 20 30 20 20 20 HILLSBORO 62 92 65 93 66 / 20 20 20 10 20 SPACEPORT 66 96 68 96 67 / 20 10 10 10 20 LAKE ROBERTS 55 81 58 84 59 / 20 30 20 20 20 HURLEY 60 88 63 90 64 / 20 20 20 10 20 CLIFF 56 92 55 95 56 / 20 20 20 10 20 MULE CREEK 54 91 56 92 56 / 20 20 20 10 20 FAYWOOD 62 91 65 92 66 / 20 20 20 10 20 ANIMAS 65 97 67 97 66 / 20 10 20 10 20 HACHITA 65 98 67 99 67 / 20 10 20 10 20 ANTELOPE WELLS 63 96 65 96 65 / 20 10 20 10 20 CLOVERDALE 60 91 63 92 65 / 20 20 20 10 20 && .EPZ WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES... NM...NONE. TX...NONE. && BRICE/GRZYWACZ
HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE EL PASO TX/SANTA TERESA NM 101 PM MDT THU AUG 15 2013 NMZ401>417-TXZ418>424-161915- UPPER GILA RIVER VALLEY-SOUTHERN GILA HIGHLANDS/BLACK RANGE- SOUTHERN GILA FOOTHILLS/MIMBRES VALLEY- SOUTHWEST DESERT/LOWER GILA RIVER VALLEY-LOWLANDS OF THE BOOTHEEL- UPLANDS OF THE BOOTHEEL-SOUTHWEST DESERT/MIMBRES BASIN- EASTERN BLACK RANGE FOOTHILLS-SIERRA COUNTY LAKES- NORTHERN DONA ANA COUNTY-SOUTHERN DONA ANA COUNTY/MESILLA VALLEY- CENTRAL TULAROSA BASIN-SOUTHERN TULAROSA BASIN- WEST SLOPES SACRAMENTO MOUNTAINS BELOW 7500 FEET- SACRAMENTO MOUNTAINS ABOVE 7500 FEET- EAST SLOPES SACRAMENTO MOUNTAINS BELOW 7500 FEET-OTERO MESA- WESTERN EL PASO COUNTY-EASTERN/CENTRAL EL PASO COUNTY- NORTHERN HUDSPETH HIGHLANDS/HUECO MOUNTAINS-SALT BASIN- SOUTHERN HUDSPETH HIGHLANDS- RIO GRANDE VALLEY OF EASTERN EL PASO/WESTERN HUDSPETH COUNTIES- RIO GRANDE VALLEY OF EASTERN HUDSPETH COUNTY- 101 PM MDT THU AUG 15 2013 THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR PORTIONS OF NM AND TX. .DAY ONE...THIS AFTERNOON AND TONIGHT TODAY WE WILL SEE THE THREAT FOR MORE AFTERNOON AND EVENING THUNDERSTORMS. UPPER LEVEL WINDS A WEAK SO STORM MOTIONS WILL BE SLOW. ISOLATED 2 TO 3 INCHES RAIN TOTALS WILL BE POSSIBLE. THIS AMOUNT OF RAIN COULD LEAD TO AREAS OF FLASH FLOODING. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...FRIDAY THROUGH WEDNESDAY OUR DAILY RAIN THREAT WILL CONTINUE THROUGH ON FRIDAY. WE MAY SEE A LITTLE LESS COVERAGE IN THUNDERSTORM ACTIVITY ON THE WEEKEND. FOR THE FIRST PART OF NEXT WEEK WE WILL SEE AN UPTICK IN THUNDERSTORM ACTIVITY AS THE UPPER LEVEL RIDGE MOVES OFF. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... SPOTTERS SHOULD REPORT ANY OBSERVED HAZARDOUS WEATHER OR FLOODING TO THIS OFFICE AND LOCAL LAW ENFORCEMENT.
The El Paso radar (KEPZ), 13 km away, was scanning. The volume nearest the first event began at 03:28 UTC.
2 flash flood. Local standard time, as filed.
Dona Ana Emergency Manager reported a water rescue was necessary in Sunland Park due to flooding with one person transported to an El Paso hospital with unknown injuries.
Emergency Manager reported 24 people were displaced due to major flooding that flooded their homes in Vado. The Red Cross established shelters for the families.
After NWS Directive 10-1605, the rules offices file Storm Data by.
Every storm in New Mexico in 2013Every state in 2013This day in weather historyWarnings in New Mexico, August 2013
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: 473946, 473947.