New Mexico Severe Weather Triggers Tornado and Flood Warnings
- Severe weather moving across New Mexico has triggered a series of emergency alerts, including a tornado watch for western New Mexico and a severe thunderstorm watch for Albuquerque.
- According to live updates from KOAT, evacuations were suggested at 5:13 p.m.
- The severe weather outbreak brought multiple overlapping watches and warnings to different regions of New Mexico throughout the day:
Severe weather moving across New Mexico has triggered a series of emergency alerts, including a tornado watch for western New Mexico and a severe thunderstorm watch for Albuquerque. The active weather system has also prompted suggested evacuations for properties along waterways due to flood concerns.
According to live updates from KOAT, evacuations were suggested at 5:13 p.m. for areas along the San Juan River in San Juan County due to possible flooding.
Watches and Warnings Issued Across the State
The severe weather outbreak brought multiple overlapping watches and warnings to different regions of New Mexico throughout the day:
- San Juan County: Evacuations suggested along the San Juan River at 5:13 p.m. due to potential flooding.
- Grant and Hidalgo Counties: A tornado warning was issued at 4:28 p.m. in southern New Mexico until 5:00 p.m., before being cancelled at 4:55 p.m.
- Bernalillo, Cibola, and Sandoval Counties: A severe thunderstorm warning was issued for far western areas until 5:00 p.m. at 4:10 p.m.
- Sandoval County: A severe thunderstorm warning was issued at 3:52 p.m. covering Jemez Springs until 4:30 p.m. An earlier warning for parts of Sandoval County was issued at 3:20 p.m., carrying main threats of 1.5-inch-sized hail and 60 mph winds.
- Central New Mexico: A severe thunderstorm watch was issued at 3:39 p.m. for Albuquerque, Santa Fe, and most of central New Mexico.
Earlier Tornado Activity and Radar Tracking
At 2:40 p.m., a severe thunderstorm capable of producing a tornado was located near Cebolletita, or 12 miles north of Laguna Pueblo, moving northeast at 40 miles per hour.
The National Weather Service noted that the tornado was a radar-indicated funnel. While a tornado warning continued for three counties at 3:10 p.m., the National Weather Service allowed the warning to expire at 3:12 p.m. after the storm’s tornado threat diminished.