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What kinds of natural disasters happen in New Mexico?

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What kinds of natural disasters happen in New Mexico?


NEW MEXICO (KRQE) – New Mexico is well known for its many days of sunshine, but in a desert climate, severe weather can hit rapidly. If you live in or visit New Mexico here are the types of severe weather to be prepared for:

KRQE’s Weather Forecasts

Thunderstorms and Flash Floods

One of the most prevalent types of hazardous weather in New Mexico is the thunderstorm. All New Mexico counties experience intense thunderstorms that produce strong winds, large hail, heavy rain, and even deadly lightning strikes. Large storms occur most frequently in eastern areas of the state from April through June and throughout the rest of the state from July through August.

Thunderstorms can also lead to flash flooding, which can quickly become dangerous and can harm people, structures, and the surrounding environment. Flash flooding is the most devastating after wildfires and is often seen in locations with burn scars, such as the Hermit’s Peak/Calf Canyon fire burn scar area and the South Fork/Salt fire burn scar area.

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PICTURES: Rain over burn scars causes flooding in New Mexico communities

Tornadoes

Although mostly weak and short-lived, tornadoes have occurred in most New Mexico counties, typically taking place about 10 times per year. When it comes to tornadoes, the most at-risk part of the state is in the east from April through July, during thunderstorm season. However, more common than tornadoes in New Mexico are landspouts, which are tornado variations similar to dust devils that can form without the presence of strong thunderstorms.

Eastern New Mexico cleans up after 2 tornados roll through area

Earthquakes

Earthquakes can also occur in New Mexico from both human and natural causes. Human activity like mining, fracking, and weapon testing can shake those nearby while faults and volcanic activity can cause more significant earthquakes.

New Mexico doesn’t typically see very large earthquakes, but smaller ones are fairly common along the Rio Grande Valley, due to the geology of the Rio Grande Rift, and near Socorro, due to the activity of magma. Because most earthquakes take place on plate boundaries, New Mexico is spared from the more severe earthquakes that affect states on the coasts.

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Two earthquakes reported in Bernalillo County

Wildfires

Wildfires are some of the most devastating natural disasters that occur in New Mexico. Drought has its own disaster implications, but it also contributes to the start and spread of wildfires throughout the state, as do strong winds and dry vegetation. Since the year 2000, over 7 million acres total have been burned by fires in New Mexico. Most of the state’s wildfires are human or lightning-caused and can range from small blazes to burning thousands of acres.

KRQE’s Wildfire Coverage

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For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to KRQE NEWS 13 – Breaking News, Albuquerque News, New Mexico News, Weather, and Videos.

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New Mexico

Love 4 Pets with Woody, Zwei, Kenai

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Love 4 Pets with Woody, Zwei, Kenai


Woody is up for adoption with the City of Albuquerque’s Animal Welfare Department. Meet him here!

ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. — In this Love 4 Pets, we have Woody, Zwei and Kanai, who are all up for adoption at the City of Albuquerque’s shelters.

Woody is looking for a loving home after going through the ringer. He came to Albuquerque Animal Welfare about a month ago after he was hit by a car. He’s healing from some pelvic fractures and is moving slowly so he can hang out in the backyard and go for short walks.

Woody is very smart and can sleep all night. They believe he is about nine years old and is believed to be a Lab mix. He’s very sweet and is house-trained.

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Woody is set to be 100% ready soon. You can meet him in the video above or at the Eastside Animal Shelter (details).

We also have Zwei and Kenai.

Zwei:

An Australian Shepherd mix, Zwei is a little tripod who is a great companion, has wonderful manners and loves to lean into you for hugs. She walks beautifully on a leash and doesn’t miss a beat, even with only three legs.

Zwei is currently in foster care. If you are interested in adopting her, contact Albuquerque Animal Welfare to set up a time to visit her.

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Kenai:

Kenai is a Labrador retriever mix. He is a friendly, affectionate boy who enjoys being around people and has good manners. He walks well on a leash and is very excited about exploring the world.

Kenai loves attention, toys (especially stuffed animals) and car rides. So, if you’re looking for an adventure buddy, you can meet him at the Westside Animal Shelter (details).



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Warm start to the week across New Mexico

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Warm start to the week across New Mexico


Grant’s Monday Night Forecast

A few evaporating rain showers are possible again Tuesday with warmer temperatures. Windier weather later this week will bring a high fire danger back to New Mexico.

It’s been a warm day with a few isolated showers and thunderstorms across central and northern New Mexico. Some of that rain has made it to the ground, while other showers have evaporated before reaching the surface. Temperatures have climbed into the 70s and 80s for most of the state. Showers will fade after sunset, with mostly clear skies overnight and mild temperatures.

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Even warmer weather is on the way Tuesday with lighter winds. More areas will reach the 80s by the afternoon. A few spotty showers will develop again, especially near the mountains, with some of that rain evaporating before reaching the ground.

Winds pick up Wednesday afternoon, with gusts between 25 and 45 mph. This will begin another stretch of high fire danger across the state. The strongest winds arrive Thursday, with westerly gusts of 35 to 55 mph. That will expand the fire danger statewide. A dry cold front will move through Thursday as well, but temperatures will only drop slightly, ending up closer to average.

Breezy conditions continue Friday through the weekend as the jet stream pulls more moisture into New Mexico. That will bring increasing chances for rain and thunderstorms this weekend, with a few lingering into early next week.



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Landlord AC ordinance, Rio Grande water levels, Spotty rain, New legislative office, New Mexico Motorfest

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Landlord AC ordinance, Rio Grande water levels, Spotty rain, New legislative office, New Mexico Motorfest


Monday’s Top Stories

Monday’s Five Facts

[1] ABQ City Councilor aims to bolster protections for renters amid unseasonable warmth – Albuquerque city councilor is looking to make sure city landlords are not only providing cooling systems, but also ensuring they actually work when they’re needed. City Councilor Tammy Fiebelkorn spearheaded an ordinance in December of 2024, requiring all Albuquerque rental properties to have a cooling system. Now, Fiebelkorn is taking it a step further, hoping to establish cooling system performance requirements. The ordinance is expected to be voted on in final action at Monday’s city council meeting.

[2] Rio Grande showing dry spots in Valencia County amid record-low snowpack – Portions of the Rio Grande are now seeing dry spots earlier than expected. Officials say the timing is not normal. In Valencia County, parts of the river are already running dry. Near the river crossing in Los Lunas, the river has open pockets. Further south, it is being reported as dry as well. There is a slight positive outlook for the monsoon season, with forecasters and officials predicting a strong season in the Middle Rio Grande Valley.

[3] Very spotty rainfall, warmer, & mostly calm week – Warmer weather will continue building in across the state throughout the upcoming week. A few isolated rain chances will return Monday in parts of New Mexico, but some of that rain may evaporate before reaching the ground. Temperatures will continue to increase through the middle of the week.

[4] NM representatives celebrate grand opening of new office with open house – A new state legislative office made its debut for representatives Eleanor Chavez and Yanira Gurrola. The new location is just one of the handful of new legislative offices now open across the state. They hosted a grand opening for the building that was open to the public. Representative Gurrola says it’s just one step towards modernizing the state’s legislature. The new office will allow residents to stay more connected to each representative.

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[5] New Mexico Motorfest 2026 takes place in celebration of Route 66 Centennial – Another Route 66 celebration took place over the weekend and this one was all about cars. The New Mexico Motorfest happened at the Expo New Mexico racetrack. Over 300 vehicles from classic hot rods to lifted trucks were featured at the event. Some of the proceeds went to New Mexico veterans.



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