New Mexico Gets Good Water News

None of New Mexico is suffering from exceptional drought for the first time in 10 months, according to the most recent publication of the U.S. Drought Monitor map.

The state has faced multiple environmental threats this summer. In June, a wildfire prompted the immediate evacuation of 7,000 residents in Ruidoso. Then, severe storms threatened heavy rain and hail. At times, floods have been so severe that they stranded cars as the water washed over a highway.

The state’s recent emergence from exceptional drought has captured the attention of meteorologists.

“New Mexico is no longer in any “Exceptional Drought” category for the first time since September 2023,” KRQE chief meteorologist Grant Tosterud posted on X (formerly Twitter) on Thursday from Albuquerque. “This is also the highest percentage of the state not in any drought or abnormal dry category since July 2023.”

Joshua Schroeder, the National Weather Service’s (NWS) science and operations officer, told Newsweek that New Mexico’s monsoon season began a little earlier than usual this year, contributing to the excessive rain. Daily thunderstorms typically start around July 4, he said, but began roughly 10 to 14 days earlier this year. Burn scars from recent wildfires contributed to the flood risk.

As of Friday, much of New Mexico was under a flood watch as the threat of excessive rainfall remained.

Although the excessive rain is causing enhanced flood danger, it also is helping the state emerge from drought that has affected New Mexico since last September. At that time, no part of New Mexico was free from drought, and nearly 7 percent of the state struggled with exceptional drought, the worst classification.

However, since that time more than 17 percent of the state is free from drought, a 4 percent improvement over last week. There is no evidence of exceptional drought. Nearly 83 percent of the state is considered abnormally dry, 48 percent is classified as under moderate drought, 23 percent of the state is struggling with severe drought, and 9 percent is battling extreme drought.

The worst of the drought is centered in the southern part of New Mexico. Much of the state that is now considered free from drought is concentrated in the area that is under the NWS flood watch.

The flood watch is expected to remain in place at least through Friday evening, the NWS alert said. It is concentrated over parts of central, north-central, northeast and west-central New Mexico.

The alert warned that rainfall rates could occur at 1 to 2 inches per hour, which can cause rapid runoff and flash flooding.

“Excessive runoff may result in flooding of rivers, creeks, streams, and other low-lying and flood-prone locations,” the alert said. “Flooding may occur in poor drainage and urban areas.”

Monsoon season is expected to last in New Mexico through mid-September.