Newcomb, New Mexico — Three people, including two adults and one child, have died after being caught in flooding in northwest New Mexico, as dangerous rainfall threatens to trigger more flash flooding across parts of the Southwest.
Police received a report overnight that people had been washed away near Newcomb, according to local media reports. The three victims were later found dead, and authorities said they appeared to have drowned.
Officials had not immediately released additional details about how the victims were swept away or identified the victims. The area remained under a flood watch as officials warned that dangerous water conditions could continue.
The deaths came as a broader weather threat was developing across neighboring Arizona, where forecasters warned that intense rainfall could produce rapidly rising floodwaters.
Arizona faces dangerous flash flooding
Northern Arizona could see considerable to potentially life-threatening flash flooding through early Wednesday evening, with extremely heavy rainfall possible in a short period.
Some locations could receive up to 1 inch of rain in just 15 minutes, a rate capable of quickly overwhelming normally dry channels and low-lying areas.
The threat is especially important across areas where people may be outdoors, including hikers, drivers and visitors exploring remote desert terrain.
Officials warned people to stay away from creek beds, canyons, dry slots and arroyos, even when those areas appear completely dry and there is no rain falling nearby.
Flooding can develop rapidly when heavy rain falls upstream, meaning dangerous water can reach an area that has not experienced rainfall directly.
Flash flood warnings issued across the Southwest
Several flash flood warnings have been issued across Arizona, including areas around the Grand Canyon.
Additional warnings have also been issued in parts of Utah and Colorado as the region deals with a period of unusually deep moisture and intense rainfall.
Authorities have emphasized that people in remote areas should not assume they are safe simply because conditions appear calm. Warning reception can also be unreliable in some canyons and other isolated locations.
That makes avoiding flood-prone terrain particularly important while the threat remains active.
Tropical moisture intensifies the weather threat
The dangerous rainfall is not simply a typical monsoon event.
Forecasters said moisture affecting the region Wednesday and Thursday will be amplified by a decaying tropical system that moved north from the Gulf of California and southwest Mexico.
That additional deep tropical moisture can produce rainfall rates much greater than those normally associated with an ordinary Southwest monsoon day.
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According to the weather outlook described in the report, this type of deep tropical moisture is unusual for the Southwest, occurring only once or twice a year.
The combination of abundant moisture and intense rainfall is increasing the potential for rapid flooding in vulnerable locations.
Monsoon season nearing its end
The Southwest’s monsoon season typically begins winding down around this time of year, generally ending in late September or early October.
But the approaching end of the season does not eliminate the possibility of dangerous storms. In this case, the added tropical moisture could help fuel significant rainfall even as the traditional monsoon period approaches its conclusion.
For people traveling through New Mexico, Arizona and neighboring states, the flooding threat highlights how quickly conditions can change during intense Southwestern storms.
The deaths near Newcomb serve as a deadly reminder of the danger posed by moving floodwater, particularly around waterways and normally dry washes.
Have you experienced flash flooding or sudden extreme weather in your area? Share your experience in the comments.