An isolated thunderstorm that developed over the Albuquerque Foothills around 3pm on the 13th produced very heavy rainfall within the Embudo Arroyo drainage. In two separate events, a teenage girl and a homeless man were swept away by the flood waters within Embudo Arroyo.
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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.
An isolated thunderstorm that developed over the Albuquerque Foothills around 3pm on the 13th produced very heavy rainfall within the Embudo Arroyo drainage. In two separate events, a teenage girl and a homeless man were swept away by the flood waters within Embudo Arroyo. Several people witnessed said individuals in the urban arroyo channel and notified authorities. The National Weather Service had notified the Fire Department about the heavy rainfall and rescue teams were already positioned to assist the individuals to safety. This event resulted in a significant amount of local media coverage.
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 13, 4:40 PM MST, 3 hours 20 minutes earlier.
AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION...UPDATED NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE ALBUQUERQUE NM 540 PM MDT WED AUG 13 2014 .AVIATION... 00Z TAF CYCLE SCT SHRA/TSRA WILL CONTINUE OVER MUCH OF WESTERN/CENTRAL NM THROUGH 06Z. THEREAFTER...MODELS CONTINUE TO INDICATE THAT THE REMAINING STORMS WILL BE FOCUSED OVER THE RIO GRANDE VALLEY. THUS...AFTER A BRIEF BREAK...NOW THRU 02-03Z...RGV AREAS WILL ONCE AGAIN BE IMPACTED LATER TONIGHT. MT OBSCURATIONS AND MVFR VSBYS/CIGS ARE POSSIBLE IN THE STRONGEST STORMS...THOUGH LOCALIZED IFR CONDITIONS CAN NOT BE RULED OUT. MODELS ALSO INDICATE A POSSIBILITY OF LOW CIGS DEVELOPING LATE TONIGHT ACROSS PORTIONS OF CENTRAL/WESTERN NM...WITH BEST CHANCES BETWEEN 09Z AND 14Z. EXPECT UPDATES AS TSRA CONTINUES TO DEVELOP AND LOW CLOUDS FORM AS TIMING THAT IS CURRENTLY REFLECTED IN TAFS IS UNCERTAIN. 34 && .PREV DISCUSSION...301 PM MDT WED AUG 13 2014... .SYNOPSIS... SCATTERED TO WIDESPREAD SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS WILL PRODUCE PERIODS OF LOCALLY HEAVY RAINS ACROSS MUCH OF WESTERN AND CENTRAL NEW MEXICO THROUGH LATE TONIGHT. MODERATE TO LOCALLY HEAVY RAINS ARE POSSIBLE THURSDAY AS THE STORM FOCUS SHIFTS OVER CENTRAL NEW MEXICO. OTHERWISE...STORM ACTIVITY WILL TREND DOWN THROUGH THE WEEKEND AS DRY AIR MOVES INTO NORTHWEST PORTIONS OF THE STATE. EXPECT DAILY ROUNDS OF SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS OVER PRIMARILY THE HIGHER TERRAIN DURING THIS PERIOD. HIGH TEMPERATURES WILL SLOWLY WARM...REACHING NEAR TO ABOVE NORMAL LEVELS BY SUNDAY. && .DISCUSSION... THE KEPZ 12Z SOUNDING THIS MORNING SHOWED A PWAT OF 1.45 INCHES...WHICH IS AROUND 131 PERCENT OF NORMAL. THAT COLUMN OF MOIST AIR WILL CONTINUE TO BE ADVECTED NORTHWARD AHEAD OF AN UPPER LEVEL DISTURBANCE CURRENTLY OVER NORTHERN AZ. CLOUDS CLEARED ENOUGH FOR AMPLE INSTABILITY ACROSS WESTERN AND CENTRAL NM FOR FAIRLY ROBUST SHOWER AND THUNDERSTORM INITIATION EARLY THIS AFTERNOON. SCATTERED TO WIDESPREAD SHOWER AND THUNDERSTORM ACTIVITY WILL PERSIST OVERNIGHT TONIGHT AND THROUGH THURSDAY AFTERNOON AS THE UPPER LEVEL DISTURBANCE TRACKS ACROSS THE FOUR CORNERS REGION AND EAST ALONG THE NM/CO BORDER. THIS WILL BE THE LAST SIGNIFICANT MONSOONAL PUSH THROUGH THE FORECAST PERIOD AS THE UPPER LEVEL WAVE WILL DRAG DRY AIR IN BEHIND IT. THURSDAYS HIGHS WILL BE NEAR TO BELOW NORMAL WEST OF THE CENTRAL MOUNTAINS AND SLIGHTLY ABOVE NORMAL EAST. THE UPPER LEVEL HIGH WILL SHIFT WEST AFTER THE DISTURBANCE EXITS EARLY FRIDAY...AND GENERALLY BECOMING CENTERED OVER AZ THROUGH THE WEEKEND. TEMPERATURES WILL INCREASE DURING THIS PERIOD...BECOMING NEAR TO ABOVE NORMAL BY SUNDAY. DRY AIR WILL REMAIN FIXED OVER THE NORTHWEST AS RECYCLED MOISTURE LEADS TO DAILY ROUNDS OF SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS OVER THE HIGH TERRAIN. THE FORECAST BECOMES TRICKIER FOR THE NORTHEAST AND EASTERN PORTIONS OF THE STATE FRIDAY DUE TO MODEL TO MODEL INCONSISTENCIES. WITH THE HIGH TO THE WEST...MODELS ATTEMPT TO HAVE A SERIES OF WAVES ROUND THE HIGH THROUGH THE WEEKEND...WHICH COULD SET OFF AREAS OF SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS IN THE NORTHEAST. BUT THE STRENGTH/TIMING/LOCATION OF THESE WAVES VARY ENOUGH TO LOWER CONFIDENCE IN PEGGING THE AREAS WITH BEST PRECIP CHANCES. ADDITIONALLY...MODELS SHOW CONVECTIVELY ADDED WEAK BACKDOOR FRONTS ENTERING THE NE ON VARIOUS NIGHTS...THOUGH NONE QUITE AGREEING. THESE FRONTS...IF THEY DO OCCUR...COULD PROVIDE A MODEST MOISTURE BOOST AND UPSLOPE FLOW AND INCREASE CHANCES FOR STORMS TO DEVELOP. UPPED POPS TO AT LEAST HAVE MENTION OF STORMS FOR THE EAST DURING THIS PERIOD TO COVER LOWER CONFIDENCE. LONG RANGE MODELS ARE TRENDING TOWARD RECENT GFS SOLUTIONS FOR EARLY NEXT WEEK...WITH THE UPPER LEVEL HIGH REMAINING OVER THE DESERT SOUTHWEST REGION. THIS COULD ALLOW MORE UPPER LEVEL DISTURBANCES TO CLIP THE NE PORTION OF THE STATE WITH ATTENDANT WEAK BACKDOOR FRONTS ENTERING THE EASTERN PLAINS. THIS WOULD BE A SIMILAR PATTERN SEEN PREVIOUSLY THIS SUMMER...THE REVERSE MONSOON. BUT INDICATORS ARE TOO WEAK AT THIS TIME TO PEG ANY SIGNIFICANT UPTICK IN STORM ACTIVITY. && .FIRE WEATHER... MONSOON MOISTURE PLUME WILL GRADUALLY SHIFT EAST/SOUTHWARD DURING THE NEXT 36 HOURS. WESTERN/CENTRAL AREAS WILL BE FAVORED FOR ABUNDANT WETTING RAIN COVERAGE TODAY/TONIGHT AND THEN SHIFT OVER THE EASTERN AND SOUTHERN HALF ON THURSDAY. HUMIDITY VALUES WILL BE ABOVE NORMAL WITH COOLER THAN NORMAL TEMPERATURES MOST AREAS. MODELS STILL SHOW A DRYING TREND STARTING FRIDAY AND LASTING INTO THE WEEKEND. A MID LEVEL DRY INTRUSION CURRENTLY OVER SOUTHERN CALIF WILL FOLLOW THE WAVE PASSAGE THE NEXT COUPLE OF DAYS AND EVENTUALLY BRING LOWER DEWPOINTS AND HUMIDITY TO A LARGE PORTION OF THE AREA. INITIALLY STARTING OVER THE NORTHWEST THIRD TO HALF AND PROGRESSING SOUTH/EASTWARD. THIS DOES NOT MEAN WETTING RAIN WOULDNT BE POSSIBLE BUT COVERAGE WOULD BE MUCH LESS AND FAVOR THE MOUNTAIN AREAS AND ADJACENT HIGH PLAINS. THE FOOTPRINT OF WETTING RAIN WOULD CERTAINLY REDUCE. DUE TO THE ATMOSPHERIC DRYING...STRONGER OUTFLOW WINDS WILL BE POSSIBLE WITH THE CELLS THAT DO DEVELOP. THE ECMWF/CANADIAN REMAIN THE MOST BULLISH FOR MORE WIDESPREAD/WETTING ACTIVITY ACROSS THE EASTERN PLAINS DURING THIS TIME FRAME. GFS MODEL IS THE DRIEST AND IT APPEARS THAT THE NAM IS IN BETWEEN. EITHER WAY...HIGH CONFIDENCE THAT WETTING RAIN WOULD DECREASE AND HUMIDITY VALUES LOWER. ECMWF AND GFS MODELS SHOW THE UPPER HIGH RECENTERING ITSELF TO THE WEST OF THE STATE AS NEXT WEEK PROGRESSES. THE CANADIAN IS LESS BULLISH ON THIS SCENARIO AND SHOW A WEAK TROUGH DEVELOPING TO THE WEST. BASICALLY...THE LONG RANGE OPERATIONAL MODELS HAVE VERY LITTLE CONSISTENCY COMPARED TO EACH OTHER. THIS INCONSISTENCY HAS BEEN APPARENT THE PAST FEW DAYS. THEREFORE LONGER RANGE CONFIDENCE IN THE FORECAST IS REDUCED. IF THE DAY DOES BUILT TO THE WEST...THEN CANT RULE OUT BACK DOOR COLD FRONTAL INTRUSIONS ACROSS THE EAST. WILL CONTINUE TO MONITOR THAT TREND. 50 && .ABQ WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES... FLASH FLOOD WATCH THROUGH LATE TONIGHT FOR THE FOLLOWING ZONES... NMZ501>511-516>519-521. &&
HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE ALBUQUERQUE NM 502 AM MDT WED AUG 13 2014 NMZ501>540-141130- 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- 502 AM MDT WED AUG 13 2014 THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR PORTIONS OF NORTH AND CENTRAL NEW MEXICO. .DAY ONE...TODAY AND TONIGHT THUNDERSTORM COVERAGE WILL RAMP UP TODAY THROUGH THIS EVENING WITH A PARTICULAR EMPHASIS ACROSS WESTERN AREAS. RAINFALL COULD BECOME HEAVY AT TIMES...LEADING TO LOCALIZED FLASH FLOODING...PARTICULARLY OVER AND NEAR RECENT AND OLDER BURNS SCARES. ISOLATED LOCATION MAY RECEIVE UP TO 2 INCHES OF RAINFALL. A FEW STORMS MAY ALSO PRODUCE SMALL HAIL AND WINDS GUSTS TO 40 MPH. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...THURSDAY THROUGH TUESDAY ANOTHER ACTIVE DAY IS IN STORE THURSDAY AS DEEP MONSOON MOISTURE REMAINS OVER THE REGION. RAINFALL COULD BECOME HEAVY AT TIMES ONCE AGAIN WITH ISOLATED LOCATIONS RECEIVING UP TO 1.5 INCHES OF RAIN. LOCALIZED AREAS OF FLASH FLOODING...PARTICULARLY IN AND NEAR RECENT AND OLDER BURN SCARS...IS POSSIBLE. A DECREASE IN STORM COVERAGE IS EXPECTED FRIDAY THROUGH THE WEEKEND. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... SPOTTERS ARE ENCOURAGED TO REPORT RAINFALL AMOUNTS AND ANY FLOODING THROUGH THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE ALBUQUERQUE WEB SITE AT WEATHER.GOV/ABQ OR BY CALLING 1.888.386.7637. 33
The national radar mosaic for the moment the first event began.
1 heavy rain. Local standard time, as filed.
A 16-year-old girl and a homeless man were swept into the Embudo Arroyo channel in separate incidents. They were both rescued safely after a harrowing experience.
After NWS Directive 10-1605, the rules offices file Storm Data by.
Every storm in New Mexico in 2014Every state in 2014This day in weather historyWarnings in New Mexico, August 2014
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: 528109.