New Mexico, 2015Flash Flooding in New Mexico, October 4, 2015
October 4, 2015 · NWS ABQ · 2 events in 1 county or zone
An unseasonably strong upper level storm system that slowly moved east from southern California produced scattered showers and thunderstorms with heavy rainfall over New Mexico. An area of strong thunderstorms that moved toward the northeast over Cibola County during the mid to late afternoon hours on the 4th produced significant flash flooding around the Grants area.
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- Deaths
- 0
- Injuries
- 0
- Property damage
- $300,000
- Crop damage
- None recorded
- Events
- 2
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.
An unseasonably strong upper level storm system that slowly moved east from southern California produced scattered showers and thunderstorms with heavy rainfall over New Mexico. An area of strong thunderstorms that moved toward the northeast over Cibola County during the mid to late afternoon hours on the 4th produced significant flash flooding around the Grants area. Rainfall reports were not incredibly impressive. However, the heaviest amounts fell in an area susceptible to flash flooding. The abundant amount of hail that also occurred with the storm made conditions much worse as culverts became clogged with ice, mud, rocks, and debris. The northwest slope of Mount Taylor to near Encinal and Bibo were particularly hard hit. Several bridges were damaged from flooding along with numerous roads, culverts, and jersey barriers. The most significant damage impacted the area around the George Hannish Bridge and county roads 19A and 19D.
What forecasters said that day
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 Oct 3, 4:53 PM MST, 21 hours 7 minutes earlier.
Area forecast discussion, Oct 3, 4:53 PM MST, 21 hours 7 minutes before
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</html>Flash Flood, Cibola
- When
- October 4, 2:00 PM MST to 3:00 PM MST
- Where
- Cibola County, 7.09 mi ENE of Grants to 6.77 mi S of San Mateo
- Cause
- Heavy Rain
- Property damage
- $250,000
- Reported by
- Emergency Manager
- Coordinates
- 35.184, -107.722
Three bridges were damaged from flood waters northeast of Grants. A dozen jersey barriers were washed 100 yards downstream at low water crossings along Lobo Canyon. The most significant damage occurred to the George Hannish Bridge. Bridges along county roads 19A and 19D were also impacted.
Flash Flood, Cibola
- When
- October 4, 2:30 PM MST to 3:30 PM MST
- Where
- Cibola County, 2.19 mi NE of Encinal to 0.73 mi N of Encinal
- Cause
- Heavy Rain
- Property damage
- $50,000
- Reported by
- Trained Spotter
- Coordinates
- 35.140, -107.440
Flood damaged roads along low water crossings near Encinal and Bibo. Jersey barriers erected to protect from flood waters were washed away.
- Flash Flood
- Flooding that begins within six hours of the rain that causes it, or of a dam or levee failure or ice jam release, often with deadly speed.
After NWS Directive 10-1605, the rules offices file Storm Data by.
- Flooding in South Carolina, October 4 to 19, 2015$28 million · 3 events
- Flash Flooding and Winter Weather in California, October 4 to 5, 2015$3.1 million · 11 events
- Flash Flooding and Hail in Nevada, October 4 to 5, 2015$114,000 · 1.25 in hail · 11 events
- Strong Wind in Georgia, October 4, 2015$110,000 · 4 events
- Heavy Rain in Georgia, October 4, 2015$25,000 · 1 event
- Coastal Flood in Maryland, October 4 to 5, 20153 events
- Heavy Rain in California, October 4 to 5, 20153 events
- Marine High Wind in South Atlantic Coastal Waters, October 4, 201553 kt wind · 1 event
- Damaging Wind in Arizona, October 4, 2015$2,000 · 50 kt wind · 1 event
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: 597857, 597859.