Flash Flood and Heavy Rain in New Mexico, October 4, 2017

Name: Flash Flood and Heavy Rain in New Mexico, October 4, 2017
Start: 2017-10-04T16:00
End: 2017-10-04T18:30
Location: New Mexico

October 4, 2017 · NWS EPZ · 2 events in 1 county or zone

A deep south to southeast low level flow brought plenty of moisture into southern New Mexico. A weak disturbance aloft helped to trigger thunderstorms over the region which moved very slowly and produced locally heavy rain and flash flooding around Animas.

Where it happened

Every event with a place to put it. Tap one for its entry below.

Tornadoes
Tropical storms and surge
Floods
Wind
Hail
Winter weather
Heat and drought
Cold
Fire, smoke and dust
Marine and coastal
Other

Open the live radar over this ground

The toll

Deaths: 0
Injuries: 0
Property damage: None recorded
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.

What happened

The episode as NWS EPZ wrote it up.

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 El Paso, TX wrote its last area forecast discussion before the first event at Oct 4, 12:56 PM MST, 3 hours 4 minutes earlier.

Area forecast discussion, Oct 4, 12:56 PM MST, 3 hours 4 minutes before

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Hazardous weather outlook, Oct 4, 3:17 AM MST, 12 hours 43 minutes before

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In the hours before

Special weather statement, Oct 4, 2:40 PM MST, 1 hour 20 minutes before

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Special weather statement, Oct 4, 3:27 PM MST, 33 minutes before

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Special weather statement, Oct 4, 3:36 PM MST, 24 minutes before

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Special weather statement, Oct 4, 3:40 PM MST, 20 minutes before

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The radar

The Tucson radar (KEMX), 178 km away, was scanning. The volume nearest the first event began at 22:59 UTC.

Open the radar archive at this moment

Event by event

1 heavy rain, 1 flash flood. Local standard time, as filed.

Heavy Rain, Hidalgo

When: October 4, 4:00 PM MST to 5:30 PM MST
Where: Hidalgo County, 3.77 mi ESE of Animas
Reported by: COOP Observer
Coordinates: 31.927, -108.742

A total of 3.60 inches of rain was reported about 3 miles southeast of Animas.

Flash Flood, Hidalgo

When: October 4, 5:00 PM MST to 6:30 PM MST
Where: Hidalgo County, 2.11 mi WNW of Animas to 5.25 mi SSW of Animas
Cause: Heavy Rain
Reported by: COOP Observer
Coordinates: 31.958, -108.835

Dirt roads were washed out just to the southeast of Animas.

What these are

Heavy Rain: Rainfall totals unusual for the place and season that did not produce a flood.
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.

The same day elsewhere

Every storm in New Mexico in 2017 Every state in 2017 This day in weather history Warnings in New Mexico, October 2017

Sources

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: 723807, 723808.