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Category: Front Page News Front Page News
Published: 02 July 2013 02 July 2013

FLASH FLOOD WATCH IN EFFECT THROUGH WEDNESDAY MORNING...

THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN EL PASO TX/SANTA TERESA HAS ISSUED A

* FLASH FLOOD WATCH FOR A PORTION OF NM... INCLUDING THE FOLLOWING AREAS... EASTERN BLACK RANGE FOOTHILLS... SIERRA COUNTY LAKES... SOUTHERN GILA FOOTHILLS/MIMBRES VALLEY AND SOUTHERN GILA HIGHLANDS/BLACK RANGE.*

THROUGH WEDNESDAY MORNING

* THE SILVER FIRE HAS BURNED OFF VEGETATION FROM A LARGE PORTION OF THE BLACK RANGE... LEAVING BARE SOIL THAT WILL NOT BE ABLE TO SOAK IN EVEN MODERATE AMOUNTS OF RAINFALL OF A HALF INCH OR MORE. THIS MAKES THE BURNED AREA AND DRAINAGES ORIGINATING WITHIN THE BURNED AREA PARTICULARLY SUSCEPTIBLE TO FLASH FLOODING. SCATTERED SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS ARE EXPECTED TO OCCUR THIS AFTERNOON AND TONIGHT.

* CREEKS AND DRAINAGES MAY EXPERIENCE RAPIDLY RISING WATER FILLED WITH DEBRIS... LOGS AND ASH THAT COULD FLOOD AREAS DOWN STREAM.

PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS...

A FLASH FLOOD WATCH MEANS THAT CONDITIONS MAY DEVELOP THAT LEAD TO FLASH FLOODING. FLASH FLOODING IS A VERY DANGEROUS SITUATION.

YOU SHOULD MONITOR LATER FORECASTS AND BE PREPARED TO TAKE ACTION SHOULD FLASH FLOOD WARNINGS BE ISSUED.

. FLASH FLOOD WATCH FOR GILA REGION NEAR SILVER FIRE BURN SCAR....THE SILVER FIRE ON THE BLACK RANGE IN THE GILA NATIONAL FOREST HAS REMOVED VEGETATION FROM A LARGE PORTION OF THE BURNED AREA LEAVING BARE SOIL. THIS HAS MADE THE AREA PARTICULARLY SUSCEPTIBLE TO FLASH FLOODING FROM EVEN MODERATE AMOUNTS OF RAINFALL. A HALF AN INCH OR GREATER RAINFALL WILL BE SUFFICIENT TO CAUSE FLOODING ALONG THE CREEKS AND DRAINAGES THAT ORIGINATE WITHIN THE BURNED AREA. THIS WATCH IS FOR COMMUNITIES IN WESTERN SIERRA AND EASTERN GRANT COUNTIES THAT ARE CLOSE TO THE BURNED AREA... INCLUDING HILLSBORO AND SAN LORENZO. SCATTERED SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS ARE EXPECTED TO OCCUR WITHIN THE AFFECTED AREA OVER THE NEXT SEVERAL DAYS. CREEKS AND DRAINAGES MAY SEE RAPIDLY RISING WATER FILLED WITH DEBRIS AND ASH AS RUNOFF FROM EXCESSIVE RAINFALL OCCURS.