61
Recorded events
1
Direct deaths
0
Direct injuries
$5.2M
Property damage
Flash Flood in Sierra County, New Mexico: 61 recorded events between 1996 and 2025. The strongest on record measured 0. That places the county #440 nationally and #12 statewide for this hazard.
Decade by decade
Flash Flood in Sierra County, New Mexico: events per decade
Reporting practice changed over time — early decades are undercounted, not calmer.
The busiest decade for flash flood in Sierra County is the 2010s, when 27 of the county's 61 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 Sierra County archive, flash flood makes up 40.9% of all recorded severe weather across 7 hazard types. Nationally the county sits at #440 for this hazard and #12 within New Mexico, putting it in the 85.3 percentile of all U.S. counties.
Seasonality
Events by month
Jul is the peak month for flash flood in Sierra County with 20 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sep 13, 2013 | (TCS)TRUTH/CONSQNCES | 0 | 1 | 0 | $500K |
Most recent
Latest recorded events
| Date | Location | Magnitude | Damage |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sep 28, 2025 | MONTICELLO | 0 | $0 |
| Jul 29, 2025 | CROCKER | 0 | $0 |
| Jul 18, 2025 | ELEPHANT BUTTE | 0 | $0 |
| Jul 22, 2024 | WILLIAMSBURG | 0 | $0 |
| Aug 20, 2022 | PLACITA | 0 | $0 |
| Jun 22, 2022 | HILLSBORO | 0 | $0 |
| Jun 21, 2022 | CHLORIDE | 0 | $0 |
| Jul 27, 2020 | WILLIAMSBURG | 0 | $2.4M |
| Sep 10, 2019 | TRUTH OR CONSEQUENCE | 0 | $0 |
| Jun 26, 2017 | WINSTON | 0 | $0 |
Other hazards here
More from Sierra County
- Hail 41
From the record
What the reports say
Written by National Weather Service staff at the time of the event · public domain
The Sierra County Emergency Manager reported several bridges washed out and evacuations taking place around Truth or Consequences. A total of 3.35 inches of rain was reported at the New Mexico State Veterans Home. One death was reported by State Police in Ash Canyon near Elephant Butte Dam. A newspaper report said several dams were breached and over 200 homes were evacuated. Several roads were closed and bridges washed out due to flooding including along Highway 187.
There was extensive flash flooding of roads and buildings around Truth or Consequences and Williamsburg. Near-zero visibility was reported in the heavy rain along with pea sized hail. A trained spotter reported 4.10 inches of rain in about one hour. A car was washed off the road. Multiple homes were evacuated around the two towns. The Rio Grande was threatening to exit its banks, therefore causing Elephant Butte Dam having to be closed.
Persistent heavy rains from thunderstorms repeatedly moving over the same area resulted in Cuchillo creek spilling out of its banks and damaging most of the roads from Cuchillo northwestward toward Monticello. Residents around Cuchillo were told to evacuate. Floodwaters, initially a flash flood, remained at least until the following morning. Estimates of two inches of rain fell on ground saturated from days of previous heavy rains.
Quick answers
Frequently asked
How many flash flood events are on record in Sierra County, New Mexico?
61 flash flood events are recorded in Sierra County between 1996 and 2025, causing 1 direct deaths.
What is the strongest flash flood recorded in Sierra County?
The strongest flash flood on record in Sierra County measured 0.
Where does the flash flood data for Sierra 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 Sierra County, New Mexico.” Severe Weather History. severeweatherhistory.com/county/new-mexico/sierra-county/flash-flood/ · Data: NOAA/NCEI, FEMA, U.S. Census — public domain.