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The Southwestern monsoons pale in comparison to the ones received in and around India where they can receive 25 inches of rain in one month - just to put things into perspective.
The Southwestern monsoon season typically starts around the end of June and runs through mid to late September. It is nothing more than a shift in the prevailing wind pattern to the south which brings in a humid gulf of Mexico air mass. With all of the humid air in place a catalyst is needed for storms to form being it orogaphic lifting (the Sandia's for example), frontal wedging (rare event during summer months) or intense heat from the sun.
The thing that is extremely unusal about this monsoon season is the consistant flow from the south of humid air. Typically the moisture ramps up, it rains than the humdity levels drop off.
So in essence we are talking about a record setting monsoon season here.
This is a not typical monsoon event for New Mexico.
Technically a monsoon is a Pacific hurricane, and you have to have an ocean for that. NM doesn't.
Actually, if we are speaking technically a Pacific hurricane would be a typhoon.
And while it is true that NM is land-locked, historically it has definitely been impacted by the seasonal monsoon dynamic fed by moisture from the Gulf of Mexico and the Pacific. We just haven't had much of it making it up this way the last few years. Guess we're making up for it in 2006.
However, should I be very concerned about living near the SF river? (like real near?)
Well, any time you live on the floodplain (and REAL NEAR is just that, a floodplain) that is part and parcel of any given river, the chances of your home flooding are that much greater.
When I get ready to move, I'm looking to be on much higher ground...and as far away from the river(s) as possible. It flooded in El Paso just as it is in New Mexico this year. Those living nearest the river (south, central and Canutillo/Doniphan Rds) got the brunt of the damaging water.
Ok, so I've been warned about the monsoon season and I can remember seeing the news clips of the recent deluge last August or so...
I'm wondering if there are areas of the city that are less likely to be affected by heavy rains (i.e the high and dry spots, I guess ) I've looked some at realtor.com and amazingly they include addresses (a lot of people don't seem to), so that's one of the reasons I ask. Also, is there anything a person can look at when examining a house to prove there has been flooding? For instance, the homes with gravel instead of yards? (or is there another reason for that).
Thanks
The events this last summer where of the 100 year plus variety. They're gonna happen now and then and fact is the houses that were the most damaged were right at the foothills of the mountains, ie "high and dry" it was a flowing arroyo that created it's own dam and the water flowed out of the banks. The terrain is fairly steep in that area so the damage wasn't from standing water, but from water flowing real fast. Flood insurance isn't that expensive (300/yr+-) if you're not in a "flood zone" which is where they have determined water will pool in a major event.
The storms out west are extremely intense at times but they are also very localized. As a result only two of the many arroyos flowing into alamo had heavy flow. In a wide spread major event, all arroyos would flow and the low lands or property in the flood zone would flood.
The gravel yards are refered to as "xeriscaping" and are very popular in the desert where water for "yards, er lawns" is expensive and better used for something more productive. I have xeriscaping in my yard and love the fact it doesn't need mowing.
city has a contact person + short essay on nature + location of flooding at;
http://ci.alamogordo.nm.us/Emergency/flood%20august%2017%20press%20release.pdf (broken link)
city has a contact person + short essay on nature + location of flooding at;
http://ci.alamogordo.nm.us/Emergency/flood%20august%2017%20press%20release.pdf (broken link)
Thanks for the link. Your moniker would imply that you're in my neck of the woods.
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Alamogordo - Monsoon / Floods
