Flash flooding kills 3 overnight in New Mexico, police say, as serious flood threat ramps up for Southwest

Key Points:

• Three people, including two adults and one juvenile, drowned after being swept away by flash flooding near Newcomb, New Mexico, early Wednesday, according to the Navajo Police Department.
• The Southwest, including New Mexico, Arizona, Utah, and Colorado, faces a significant flood threat with nearly 8 million people under flash flood watches until Thursday morning, and a rare Level 3 flood threat in parts of New Mexico and south-central Arizona.
• Intense storms have caused over 3 inches of rain in three hours around Phoenix, leading to flooded roads and water rescues; the heavy rainfall is fueled by moisture pulled from Baja California and a tropical disturbance in northern Mexico.
• Dry, compacted soil and steep terrain in the region contribute to rapid runoff and dangerous flash floods, with wildfire-scarred areas like New Mexico’s Sacramento Mountains at heightened risk for destructive mudflows.
• The flooding threat will ease by Thursday in Arizona but continue into the weekend in New Mexico, as the Southwest monsoon season, enhanced by tropical moisture, drives extreme rainfall events linked to climate change.