42
Recorded events
1
Direct deaths
1
Direct injuries
$3.0M
Property damage
Flash Flood in Mora County, New Mexico: 42 recorded events between 1999 and 2025. The strongest on record measured 0. That places the county #779 nationally and #17 statewide for this hazard.
Decade by decade
Flash Flood in Mora County, New Mexico: events per decade
Reporting practice changed over time — early decades are undercounted, not calmer.
The busiest decade for flash flood in Mora County is the 2020s, when 37 of the county's 42 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 Mora County archive, flash flood makes up 19.6% of all recorded severe weather across 7 hazard types. Nationally the county sits at #779 for this hazard and #17 within New Mexico, putting it in the 74.5 percentile of all U.S. counties.
Seasonality
Events by month
Jul is the peak month for flash flood in Mora County with 21 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Aug 7, 2022 | EL TURQUILLO | 0 | 1 | 1 | $20K |
Most recent
Latest recorded events
| Date | Location | Magnitude | Damage |
|---|---|---|---|
| Aug 27, 2025 | CLEVELAND | 0 | $50K |
| Jun 25, 2025 | CLEVELAND | 0 | $0 |
| Jun 24, 2025 | HOLMAN | 0 | $0 |
| Sep 21, 2024 | CHACON | 0 | $0 |
| Aug 10, 2024 | LUCERO | 0 | $0 |
| Aug 3, 2024 | MORA | 0 | $0 |
| Jul 22, 2024 | GUADALUPITA | 0 | $0 |
| Aug 13, 2023 | HOLMAN | 0 | $0 |
| Jul 21, 2023 | GASCON | 0 | $10K |
| Jul 21, 2023 | LUCERO | 0 | $0 |
Other hazards here
More from Mora County
- Hail 141
From the record
What the reports say
Written by National Weather Service staff at the time of the event · public domain
Heavy rain on the Calf Canyon burn scar caused flash flooding on Highway 434 near El Turquillo. A vehicle containing the 30-year-old driver John Vasquez and a 64-year-old passenger Benjamin Torres attempted to cross the flooded roadway, but were unsuccessful as the vehicle was caught in the flood waters. Vasquez was able to escape through an open car window with only minor injuries, but Torres remained trapped in the vehicle. Once the flood waters receded, first responders discovered Torres deceased in the vehicle 100 yards downstream. Vasquez was arrested and charged with vehicular homicide while under the influence of alcohol and fleeing an accident with knowledge of death or great bodily harm. Damages are estimated for the loss of the vehicle.
Heavy rain across the Luna burn scar resulted in major flash flooding in Luna Canyon and surrounding areas, and the force of the water altered the landscape. Water and debris destroyed one bridge and many roads became impassable. An observer reported that the water in the narrow Luna Canyon was several feet high. A CoCoRaHS observer near Chacon reported that the Luna Creek, which is usually just a few feet wide became 100 yards wide. Campsites on private land were demolished. The New Mexico Governor declared a state of emergency in Mora County for the significant flooding.
An estimated one to two inches of rain across the northern portion of the Hermits Peak and Calf Canyon burn scar in Mora County. This caused significant flash flooding across the burn scar with Highway 518 and the Holman area hit particularly hard. Highway 518 was washed out from near the Taos County line to Cleveland. Video obtained from multiple broadcast media sources showed fast moving water and debris flow impacting numerous residences in Holman, Chacon, and Cleveland. Canoncito Creek was had major overflow with water flowing onto pastures, around homes, across area roadways, and one spotter remarked that it created a lake in some places. Damages are estimated.
Quick answers
Frequently asked
How many flash flood events are on record in Mora County, New Mexico?
42 flash flood events are recorded in Mora County between 1999 and 2025, causing 1 direct deaths.
What is the strongest flash flood recorded in Mora County?
The strongest flash flood on record in Mora County measured 0.
Where does the flash flood data for Mora 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 Mora County, New Mexico.” Severe Weather History. severeweatherhistory.com/county/new-mexico/mora-county/flash-flood/ · Data: NOAA/NCEI, FEMA, U.S. Census — public domain.