94
Recorded events
1
Direct deaths
0
Direct injuries
$13.3M
Property damage
Flash Flood in Sandoval County, New Mexico: 94 recorded events between 1996 and 2025. The strongest on record measured 0. That places the county #191 nationally and #4 statewide for this hazard.
Decade by decade
Flash Flood in Sandoval County, New Mexico: events per decade
Reporting practice changed over time — early decades are undercounted, not calmer.
The busiest decade for flash flood in Sandoval County is the 2010s, when 59 of the county's 94 recorded events were logged. Comparing decades is useful for spotting active periods, but the earliest years are thin because systematic reporting for this hazard began later.
Within the Sandoval County archive, flash flood makes up 38.8% of all recorded severe weather across 10 hazard types. Nationally the county sits at #191 for this hazard and #4 within New Mexico, putting it in the 93.8 percentile of all U.S. counties.
Seasonality
Events by month
Jul is the peak month for flash flood in Sandoval County with 41 recorded events, while Jan is the quietest. Seasonality here is a property of the archive as much as the climate: reports cluster where population and spotter networks are densest.
Significant events
Deadliest on record
| Date | Location | Scale | Deaths | Injuries | Damage |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jul 3, 2025 | RIO RANCHO | 0 | 1 | 0 | $0 |
Most recent
Latest recorded events
| Date | Location | Magnitude | Damage |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sep 16, 2025 | ALGODONES | 0 | $0 |
| Aug 24, 2025 | JEMEZ SPGS | 0 | $0 |
| Jul 22, 2025 | COCHITI PUEBLO | 0 | $5K |
| Jul 3, 2025 | RIO RANCHO | 0 | $0 |
| Sep 5, 2024 | FRIJOLES | 0 | $20K |
| Sep 22, 2022 | SAN LUIS | 0 | $0 |
| Aug 22, 2022 | LA JARA | 0 | $0 |
| Aug 12, 2022 | JEMEZ SPGS | 0 | $0 |
| Aug 9, 2022 | PLACITAS | 0 | $20K |
| Aug 1, 2022 | RIO RANCHO | 0 | $0 |
Other hazards here
More from Sandoval County
- Hail 93
From the record
What the reports say
Written by National Weather Service staff at the time of the event · public domain
Heavy rain exceeding 2 inches caused thick dirt and debris runoffs over roadways across western Rio Rancho which caused at least one road closure and debris removal efforts. During debris removal efforts around sunrise, road crews located a deceased male near the intersection of Northern Blvd. and Calor Rd. NW.
Major flash flooding ensued after an estimated 3 to 4 inches of rain fell across the southern portion of the Las Conchas burn scar. Flooding in Frijoles Creek caused damage in and around Bandelier National Monument. Two barrier walls around the Visitors Center were overtopped and the septic system lift station was inundated with water. Major flooding was also reported in Peralta Canyon around Kasha Katuwe (Tent Rocks) National Monument. Damage was reported to the access road as well as other local roads. ||Along and downstream of Cochiti Canyon sustained the most damage from flood waters. Flows were reported to be 8 to 10 feet high when they reached Dixon's Apple Orchard. The flood waters damaged the owners personal residence, inundated the main storage facility with 10 feet of mud and debris, moved a semi truck approximately 200 yards and destroyed approximately 10 percent of the apple orchard. The water also wiped out a 50 yard long 4 foot by 4 foot rock retaining wall that was built in 1942.
During the damage survey of the previous days flooding, abundant rain above Cochiti Canyon resulted in another, more devastating flood, to Dixon's Apple Orchard which was witness first hand by the NWS Albuquerque Warning Coordination Meteorologist. The force of the flow was estimated to be 3 times as that of the previous days flood. At least 10 feet high, the width of the flood waters was approximately 100 yards wide. 20 to 40 percent more of the apple orchard was destroyed. Also, the main storage building that sustained damage in the previous days flood was wiped completely off its foundation. The semi truck that moved 200 yards before, was washed downstream and ended up in the Cochiti Lake Reservoir in pieces.
Quick answers
Frequently asked
How many flash flood events are on record in Sandoval County, New Mexico?
94 flash flood events are recorded in Sandoval County between 1996 and 2025, causing 1 direct deaths.
What is the strongest flash flood recorded in Sandoval County?
The strongest flash flood on record in Sandoval County measured 0.
Where does the flash flood data for Sandoval County come from?
All events come from the NOAA/NCEI Storm Events Database, the federal public-domain archive of severe weather reports. Dates are UTC, damage is as reported and not inflation-adjusted, and the most recent entries may still be revised.
Cite this page
“Flash Flood in Sandoval County, New Mexico.” Severe Weather History. severeweatherhistory.com/county/new-mexico/sandoval-county/flash-flood/ · Data: NOAA/NCEI, FEMA, U.S. Census — public domain.