Nora to bring rain

  • Nora to bring rain
    Nora to bring rain

CIBOLA COUNTY, N.M. – Hurricane Nora made landfall in Mexico last week, losing a lot of wind and destructive energy. The storm isn’t over yet, however, as Nora now threatens the Southwestern United States with tropical rainfall. Cibola County may be affected by the rains, with experts expecting heavy rain in the eastern edges of the storm.

Hurricane Nora made landfall on Sunday in Mexico’s Puerta Vallarta, killing a teenage boy from Spain. The hurricane then entered the Gulf of California where it weakened to a tropical storm. The now Tropical Storm Nora is expected to cause large mudslides across areas that receive rain, especially areas in and near burn scars, which Cibola hosts multiple of.

According to AccuWeather Global Weather Center, “Moisture from the former hurricane is expected to surge over Arizona, New Mexico, Utah and Colorado into Thursday. Across far southeastern California, the risk of locally heavy rainfall will be limited to through Tuesday night.”

Phoenix, Tucson, and Flagstaff Arizona have already been placed on Flash Flood Watches in anticipation of the storm. Experts heed extra caution when travelling on Interstate 40 due to the potential for limited visibility.

“Forecasters urge motorists to use extreme caution on the roadways as some routes could be flooded and blocked by swift-moving water. Drivers should never attempt to drive through floodwaters, as the water is likely deeper than it appears and the roadway underneath could be compromised,” Accuweather explained. New Mexicans may be more familiar with the term, “Turn around, Don’t drown.”

Additional rainfall may impact the current drought conditions along the west which has been suffering from severe drought. “Much of the Four Corners region has experienced above-normal rainfall since the start of the monsoon, which has helped to significantly cut into the ongoing drought. Still, severe to extreme drought conditions remain prevalent for much of the area. Any non-flooding rainfall this week will prove beneficial in continuing to ease drought conditions,” AccuWeather reports. Drought conditions for Cibola County since August 27 range from moderate to extreme drought.

Tropical storm Nora is expected to continue moving along Northwestern Mexico, brining rainfall with it to areas in the US suffering from drought.