Print
Category: Front Page News Front Page News
Published: 09 September 2013 09 September 2013

...EXTENDED PERIOD OF HEAVY RAIN POTENTIAL LEADS TO ELEVATED FLASH
FLOOD RISK ACROSS SOUTHERN NEW MEXICO AND FAR WEST TEXAS TONIGHT
THROUGH WEDNESDAY...

.A DEEP AND HEALTHY PLUME OF SUBTROPICAL MOISTURE WILL GET FOCUSED
OVER THE BORDERLAND BETWEEN AN UPPER TROUGH TO OUR WEST AND HIGH
PRESSURE TO OUR EAST. THE REGION WILL LINGER UNDER AN
EXCEPTIONALLY MOIST AND MODERATELY UNSTABLE AIRMASS. ISOLATED TO
SCATTERED THUNDERSTORMS ARE EXPECTED TO DEVELOP OVER FAR SOUTHWEST
NEW MEXICO THIS AFTERNOON AND EVENING. THIS AREA OF PRECIPITATION
WILL SHIFT WEST AND BRING WIDESPREAD AND NUMEROUS RAIN SHOWERS AND
STORMS TO THE REST OF SOUTHWEST AND SOUTH CENTRAL NEW MEXICO AND
FAR WEST TEXAS TUESDAY AND WEDNESDAY. MANY LOCATIONS WILL SEE
RAINFALL TOTALS THIS WEEK BETWEEN 1 AND 4 INCHES. FLASH FLOODING
POTENTIAL WILL INCREASE WITH CONTINUED AND REPEATED PERIODS OF
MODERATE TO HEAVY RAIN AS SOILS BECOME SATURATED. DRIER AIR AND
REDUCED STORM CHANCES AND COVERAGE ARE EXPECTED BY WEEKS END.


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-
INCLUDING THE CITIES OF...GILA HOT SPRINGS...BUCKHORN...
MULE CREEK...CLIFF...SILVER CITY...LAKE ROBERTS...KINGSTON...
FORT BAYARD...MIMBRES...FAYWOOD...HURLEY...GRANT COUNTY AIRPORT...
LORDSBURG...REDROCK...VIRDEN...ANIMAS...HACHITA...
ANTELOPE WELLS...CLOVERDALE
503 AM MDT MON SEP 9 2013

...FLASH FLOOD WATCH IN EFFECT FROM THIS AFTERNOON THROUGH
TUESDAY AFTERNOON...

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...LOWLANDS OF THE BOOTHEEL...SOUTHERN GILA
  FOOTHILLS/MIMBRES VALLEY...SOUTHERN GILA HIGHLANDS/BLACK
  RANGE...SOUTHWEST DESERT/LOWER GILA RIVER VALLEY...UPLANDS OF
  THE BOOTHEEL AND UPPER GILA RIVER VALLEY.

* FROM THIS AFTERNOON THROUGH TUESDAY AFTERNOON

* A LONG-DURATION EVENT WITH COPIOUS MOISTURE AND AN UNSTABLE
  ATMOSPHERE WILL PROMOTE WIDESPREAD AND NUMEROUS RAIN SHOWERS AND
  THUNDERSTORMS WITH HEAVY RAIN. RAINFALL OF 1 TO 4 INCHES IS
  EXPECTED.

* IMPACTS MAY INCLUDE: MAJOR STREET FLOODING...ESPECIALLY IN URBAN
  AREAS. FLOODING AND WASHOUTS OF LOW WATER CROSSINGS AND
  UNDERPASSES. ROAD CLOSURES DUE TO DEEP STANDING WATER. POSSIBLE
  FLOODING OF RESIDENTIAL AND COMMERCIAL BUILDINGS. WET SOIL WILL
  MAKE TREES MORE SUSCEPTIBLE TO TOPPLING AND CAUSE POWER OUTAGES.

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.