2 storms drop almost an inch of rain on ABQ
Weather system from tropical storm sets city record for June 16
Albuquerque received a record amount of daily rainfall on Saturday after a second storm rolled through town around 6 p.m.
National Weather Service meteorologist Jennifer Shoemake said the Albuquerque Sunport had recorded 0.83 of an inch by around 6:45 p.m., making the rainiest June 16 in Albuquerque history.
The previous record was 0.06 of an inch on June 16, 1946.
“It came down fast and furious here in the last little bit,” Shoemake said.
Moisture from Tropical Storm Bud in the Pacific moved north a bit quicker than meteorologists initially anticipated.
Rain started in some parts of New Mexico on Friday afternoon, while predictions earlier this week had anticipated the precipitation would start Saturday.
“We sped things up by 12 hours or so,” National Weather Service meteorologist Chuck Jones said Saturday afternoon.
Most of Albuquerque had received just a quarter to a third of an inch of rain as of noon Saturday, although some areas in the foothills had received 0.44 of an inch.
While the first rainfall earlier Saturday didn’t yield much, one woman was rescued from the North Diversion Channel in Northeast Albuquerque on Saturday morning.
Officer Simon Drobik said the woman entered the water in an apparent suicide attempt at Montgomery Boulevard and was rescued by officer Stephanie Cockerill.
Cockerill started CPR on the woman before moving her out of the channel.
“Stephanie definitely saved her life,” Drobik said. Drobik said Albuquerque Fire Rescue crews arrived soon after and took over lifesaving measures.
The woman is in stable condition at a local hospital, Drobik said.
Shoemake said storms are expected to continue to diminish, with small showers and storms possible throughout the day today.
Meteorologists had feared earlier this week that burn scars would be especially susceptible to flooding, but Shoemake said rains had been coming down light enough that no major flooding had occurred.
Heavy rains drenched much of southern New Mexico on Saturday, with flash flood advisories issued for the central Permian Basin area, including Lea and Eddy counties. The National Weather Service forecast for Lea County included overnight storms that could produce up to 3 inches of rain in some areas.
A storm earlier in the day in southeastern New Mexico had 60-mile-per-hour winds and nickel-size hail. Local emergency crews in Lea and Eddy counties did not report any damage or calls related to flooding, high winds or damage before 5 p.m.
The rain was welcome in southwest New Mexico’s Grant County and the Gila National Forest, where Stage II fire restrictions remain in place, including a ban on campfires, because of dangerously dry conditions.