Lincoln County, New Mexico — The National Weather Service in Albuquerque has issued a Flash Flood Warning for southeastern Lincoln County until 6:45 PM Mountain time tonight, as slow-moving thunderstorms dump heavy rain over the area.

What is happening:

Doppler radar picked up a line of thunderstorms dropping torrential rain over southeastern Lincoln County around 3:49 PM. Up to an inch and a quarter of rain has already fallen, and radar shows another three-quarters of an inch possible before the storms move on. Flash flooding is already happening in spots and is expected to start shortly in others.

The warned area covers the towns of Tinnie, Hondo, and Sunset, and includes U.S. Highway 380 between Mile Markers 284 and 300.

Local impacts:

The Weather Service calls this life-threatening flash flooding. Expect fast-moving water in creeks and streams, and flooding across streets, highways, and low underpasses. The region has plenty of low-water crossings in hilly terrain, and those can turn dangerous very quickly in heavy rain.

What to do:

- Turn around, don't drown. If a road is flooded, do not drive through it — most flood deaths happen in vehicles.

- Do not try to cross water of unknown depth or flowing water.

- Find an alternate route around flooded crossings; never assume the road bed is still there under the water.

Source: National Weather Service, Albuquerque NM. Issued September 25, 2026. Reported by TNW News.