Hurricane Tracker Shows Heavy Rain Triggering Flash Flood Warnings in Texas and New Mexico
The National Weather Service has issued multiple flash flood warnings across parts of Texas and New Mexico, with a Flash Flood Emergency declared for Socorro, New Mexico, where up to 6 inches of rain have fallen and life-threatening flooding is occurring. Hurricane tracker monitoring of the ongoing thunderstorms has highlighted the rapid accumulation of rainfall that prompted these alerts.
Flash Flood Emergency Issued for Socorro, New Mexico
A Flash Flood Warning remains in effect until 1:15 AM MDT Saturday for central Socorro County. [2] At 11:17 PM MDT, the thunderstorms that produced heavy rain across Socorro and Luis Lopez have ended. [2] Up to 6 inches of rain have fallen. [2] Flooding impacts will continue, but no additional rainfall is expected. [2] Flash flooding is already occurring in Socorro. [2] A Flash Flood Emergency has been declared for Socorro and Luis Lopez. [2] This is a particularly dangerous situation. [2] People must seek higher ground now. [2] The hazard involves life-threatening conditions. [2] At 10:22 PM MDT, trained weather spotters reported thunderstorms producing heavy rain in northern Socorro. [5] Up to 6 inches of rain have fallen near and just west of the Socorro area. [5] Additional rainfall amounts up to 1.5 inches are possible in the warned area. [5] Flash flooding is already occurring. [5] A Flash Flood Emergency has been declared for Socorro. [5] Hurricane tracker updates continue to track the stalled moisture that led to these totals across the region.
Flash Flood Warning for Randall County, Texas
A Flash Flood Warning is in effect for western Randall County in the Texas Panhandle until 3:30 AM CDT. [1] At 12:36 AM CDT, Doppler radar indicated thunderstorms producing heavy rain across the warned area. [1] Between 0.5 and 1.5 inches of rain have fallen. [1] The expected rainfall rate is 0.5 to 1 inch in 30 minutes. [1] Additional rainfall amounts up to 2 inches are possible in the warned area. [1] Flash flooding is ongoing or expected to begin shortly. [1] These radar observations from the National Weather Service in Amarillo detail the intensity of the rain bands moving through the panhandle.
Warnings Extended Across Eastern New Mexico
A separate Flash Flood Warning covers north central Curry County and southeastern Quay County in New Mexico until 2:15 AM MDT. [4] At 11:10 PM MDT, Doppler radar indicated thunderstorms producing heavy rain across the warned area. [4] Between 1 and 2 inches of rain have fallen. [4] Additional rainfall amounts up to 1 inch are possible in the warned area. [4] Flash flooding is ongoing or expected to begin shortly. [4] The National Weather Service in Albuquerque issued this alert to cover the ongoing thunderstorm activity in east central New Mexico.
Impacts and Safety Guidance
The life-threatening hazard language in the Socorro alerts stresses that flash flooding is already occurring. [2] Flooding impacts will continue even though the thunderstorms that produced heavy rain across Socorro and Luis Lopez have ended. [2] No additional rainfall is expected in that area. [2] The Flash Flood Emergency for Socorro and Luis Lopez describes a particularly dangerous situation where people must seek higher ground now. [2] In the Randall County warning, flash flooding is ongoing or expected to begin shortly due to the heavy rain rates. [1] Similar language appears in the Curry and Quay counties alert, where flash flooding is ongoing or expected to begin shortly. [4] Residents in all warned areas face continued flooding impacts from the thunderstorms that have already dropped significant rain totals.
What to watch next: The Flash Flood Warning for western Randall County remains in effect until 3:30 AM CDT, the warning for central Socorro County until 1:15 AM MDT Saturday, and the warning for north central Curry County and southeastern Quay County until 2:15 AM MDT, with flooding impacts expected to persist in Socorro even without further rain.
