A Firehose In The Sky
Update: New Mexico Central received a total of 1.6 inches from yesterday’s storm, according to our rain gauge.
by John Weckerle
As I rode through Tijeras Canyon this afternoon, having finally escaped the 15 mph, storm-related slowdown on approach to Tijeras, I found myself listening to the dulcet tones of the emergency broadcast system klaxon. The system informed me that Albuquerque and eastern Bernalillo County were subject to flash flood warnings, and further clarified that some areas had received 2 inches of rain in 30 minutes. I arrived home just as the storm did, just a bit after 6 p.m., and was greeted by the sound of hail hitting the garage roof; it had started literally a second after I pulled in. A true gully-washer ensued, dropping about an inch in the first 20 minutes. It has been raining steadily since, and as of 8:40 this evening, we’ve measured 1.4 inches.
With the supply in the rain harvesting tanks nearly exhausted, this is all more than welcome. We do hope the hail – which was only pea-sized – didn’t do too much damage. We’d be interested in hearing how our readers fared, and how much rain you got!