Severe weather threat moves to New Mexico after rare tornado watch

TAKEAWAYS

• A Level 2 of 5 Severe Weather Threat has been issued for southern New Mexico. Damaging wind gusts are expected to be the main threat, but a few tornadoes are also possible.
• A Level 2 of 4 flash flood risk covers parts of southern New Mexico and west Texas, while a broader Level 1 risk covers much of the rest of New Mexico, including Albuquerque and Santa Fe.
• Colorado Governor Jared Polis verbally declared a state of emergency in response to flooding in the southwest part of the state.

Another round of severe and dangerous weather will move eastward and develop over New Mexico Friday afternoon after storms triggered flash flooding and evacuations in parts of the Four Corners region Thursday.

THREAT OF SEVERE WEATHER TARGETS FOUR CORNERS AS NEW MEXICO SEES ITS FIRST TORNADO SIGHTING IN 28 YEARS

Severe storms will move away from Arizona and Utah, giving both states a break as an upper-level low moves east into New Mexico.

A severe weather threat of 2 in 5 covers much of central New Mexico, with large and destructive hail being the primary concern. A few tornadoes are also possible.

A 2 in 4 flash flood threat is also in place, with precipitation rates potentially exceeding 2 to 3 inches per hour, raising concerns about localized flash flooding.

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Colorado Gov. Jared Polis verbally declared a state of emergency Thursday evening in response to flooding in the southwest part of the state.

Widespread flooding continued Friday in South Fork, Colorado, with mandatory evacuations remaining in effect after parts of the Rio Grande and local streams overflowed their banks.

The town of Pagosa Springs, near the New Mexico border, declared a local state of emergency due to flooding.

Flash flooding also hit parts of Utah again Thursday, including the town of Hurricane, where floodwaters inundated several areas.

City officials said at least 130 homes and RVs were damaged.

Residents living near Gould Wash were ordered to immediately evacuate as floodwaters inundated the area.

WATCH: UTAH CITY FORCED TO EVACUATE IMMEDIATELY AS DANGEROUS FLASH FLOODS INVODE AREA

Heavy rains transformed the typically dry landscape, turning streets into rushing waterways.

Meanwhile, four people were rescued Thursday by helicopter from the roof of a pickup truck surrounded by floodwaters near Rimrock, Arizona.

Severe weather conditions began Wednesday, bringing powerful wind gusts, hail and widespread flash flooding that continued through Thursday. The storms also triggered two rare Tornado Watches in the area.

WHAT IS A SUPERCELL STORM?

Arizona saw a Tornado Watch on Wednesday for the first time since October 2010, followed by another on Thursday. In New Mexico, a Tornado Watch was issued for the first time since 1998.

National Weather Service crews will assess damage from a suspected tornado that struck Heber, Arizona, on Wednesday as severe storms moved through the area. Fire officials said one person was taken to the hospital with non-life-threatening injuries.

The storms also produced powerful wind gusts, including a 72 mph gust recorded in Flagstaff.

Beyond the severe storms, flash flooding was reported across Arizona and southern Utah.

HOW HIGH PRESSURE AND LOW PRESSURE DETERMINE TIME

Farther south in northern Arizona, the Moenkopi Wash near Tuba City reached a record high. The previous record stood at 29.79 feet, but as of 7 p.m. ET Thursday, the water level had climbed to 32.48 feet, almost 3 feet above the previous record.

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The threat of flooding in New Mexico and West Texas is expected to last through Saturday morning.

Check back for updates on this developing story.