Jul 24, 2018
Abundant monsoon moisture in place over New Mexico with strong afternoon heating set the stage for showers and thunderstorms with locally heavy rainfall. A strong thunderstorm that developed to the northwest of Cimarron Canyon drifted southeast over the Ute Park burn scar during the late afternoon hours of July 24th. Very heavy rainfall over the burn scar resulted in flash flooding along the Cimarron River. Flood waters topped U.S. Highway 64 forcing large boulders onto the highway.
Source: NOAA National Weather Service Storm Events Database (event 759203). Narrative written by NWS staff at the time of the event.
This event is one of many recorded floods in Colfax County. See the full FEMA flood zone map, NFIP claim totals, and disaster history for the area.