69
Recorded events
0
Direct deaths
0
Direct injuries
$3.5M
Property damage
Flash Flood in Otero County, New Mexico: 69 recorded events between 1999 and 2025. The strongest on record measured 0. That places the county #349 nationally and #8 statewide for this hazard.
Decade by decade
Flash Flood in Otero County, New Mexico: events per decade
Reporting practice changed over time — early decades are undercounted, not calmer.
The busiest decade for flash flood in Otero County is the 2020s, when 24 of the county's 69 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 Otero County archive, flash flood makes up 22.1% of all recorded severe weather across 7 hazard types. Nationally the county sits at #349 for this hazard and #8 within New Mexico, putting it in the 88.6 percentile of all U.S. counties.
Seasonality
Events by month
Jul is the peak month for flash flood in Otero County with 30 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.
Most recent
Latest recorded events
| Date | Location | Magnitude | Damage |
|---|---|---|---|
| Jul 31, 2025 | WHITE TAIL | 0 | $0 |
| Jul 31, 2025 | WHITE TAIL | 0 | $0 |
| Jul 29, 2025 | BENT | 0 | $0 |
| Jul 27, 2025 | WHITE TAIL | 0 | $0 |
| Jul 24, 2025 | MESCALERO | 0 | $0 |
| Jul 23, 2025 | TULAROSA | 0 | $0 |
| Jul 14, 2025 | TULAROSA | 0 | $0 |
| Jul 13, 2025 | MESCALERO | 0 | $0 |
| Jun 25, 2025 | TULAROSA | 0 | $0 |
| Jun 24, 2025 | OROGRANDE | 0 | $0 |
Other hazards here
More from Otero County
- Hail 121
- Thunderstorm Wind 91
From the record
What the reports say
Written by National Weather Service staff at the time of the event · public domain
Heavy rainfall along the western slopes of the southern Sacramento Mountains led to excessive runoff and major flooding in Alamogordo and Boles Acres. Numerous roads throughout the area were closed, covered with water and debris. There were also some rescues of people trapped in their homes.
Several thunderstorms with heavy rains moved southward across the southern Sacramento Mountains, dropping 2 to 3 inches of rain. Flash flooding occurred from Cloudcroft to Timberon, with many roads washed out and structures damaged in the Timberon area.
A stationary thunderstorm dropped several inches of rain on Mayhill, with some residents and area ranchers reporting up to 5 inches in an hour. This resulted in a wall of water 9 to 10 feet high down the Rio Penasco River. Extensive flash flooding closed Highway 82, and damaged roads, bridges and homes.
Quick answers
Frequently asked
How many flash flood events are on record in Otero County, New Mexico?
69 flash flood events are recorded in Otero County between 1999 and 2025, causing 0 direct deaths.
What is the strongest flash flood recorded in Otero County?
The strongest flash flood on record in Otero County measured 0.
Where does the flash flood data for Otero 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 Otero County, New Mexico.” Severe Weather History. severeweatherhistory.com/county/new-mexico/otero-county/flash-flood/ · Data: NOAA/NCEI, FEMA, U.S. Census — public domain.