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Rains Saturate the Ground Causing Flooding east of Raton

June 12, 2023

By Marty Mayfield
KRTN Mutli-Media

After several days of rain in the Raton area, Monday saw several showers that left the area with well over a couple of inches of rain and saturated grounds that left much of the area east of Raton running water and overflowing ponds and low spots.

The National Weather Service station at the Raton Airport reported 3.98 inches as rains that moved up from the Cimarron area leaving US 64 underwater and closed Monday afternoon with traffic being rerouted down Highway 505. Highway 445 was also closed as water flooded over parts of that road.

West of Des Moines the Bonds Ranch received 2.24″ of rain. Further south in the Gladstone area they received golf ball to tennis ball sized hail Sunday evening with the area receiving over two to four inches of rain Sunday evening into Monday.

Clayton received small hail and just over an inch of rain mostly falling Sunday evening according to weather reporting stations in that area.

Down in the Cimarron area one weather reporting station saw 3.23″ of rain with most of it coming on Monday. Those rain clouds moved to the northeast and dropped the rain that closed US 64 from Colfax to I-25.

Water ran deep on Tiger Drive filling up one lane of traffic Monday afternoon.
Raton creek runs bank to bank through north Raton Monday afternoon after rains dropped over two inches of rain in the area.
The Chicorica Creek is flowing fast yet still within its banks Monday afternoon as it crosses under US 64/87.
About seven miles east of Raton water gushes through an outlet pipe in the earthen dam that helps prevent flooding from the mesa to the north of Hwy 64/87.
This normally dry arroyo is filled with runoff water from Johnson Mesa to the north of Highway 64/87 east of Raton.
Fast running water has damaged this fence line and runs under highway 64/87 east of Raton Monday afternoon.
The ground has reached a saturation point with water now beginning to run everywhere, Here the water runs down a normally dry arroyo to a cement culvert under US 64/87 east of Raton.
This dam east of Raton on the north side of US 64/87 is filled to capacity and is overflowing into a cement culvert and on south to another dam that is also overflowing Monday afternoon.
rough water exits a cement culvert on US 64/87 east of Raton Monday afternoon after rains left the area saturated.
Water drains through a culvert under Highway 64/87 Monday afternoon leaving this Mercedes deep in the water on the north side of the highway.
This SUV slid off US 64/87 Monday afternoon damaging the guard rail and blocking the water from draining on down the bar ditch.
These two cars will be sitting in the high water on US 64/87 after sliding off the highway in heavy rains Monday afternoon.

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