Power Outage in Costilla, NM

Thunderstorm Wind. Snow squall. An intense line of thunderstorms with rain and snow moved quickly through Taos County early in the morning. An AWOS station in Taos measured a peak wind gust of 62 mph, but damage estimates within the city and surrounding areas indicate wind speeds of 80 to 100 mph as these high winds caused extensive damage. These thunderstorms produced a 2.9 mile long swath of damage from Blueberry Hill Road to El Prado oriented in an east-northeast direction. Six to seven homes sustained roof damage while one single wide mobile home was moved off its foundation. Numerous trees were snapped at the base with other large limbs downed, and at least two power poles were snapped at their bases. Two homes sustained significant roof damage with the aluminum roofing peeled completely off the homes. On a two story home, three-quarters of its roof was missing with part of its second story destroyed. At another home, a trampoline was found fifty feet in the air stuck in a tree. A radio tower was also downed which resulted in a power outage to the northern half of the city. Several schools in the area cancelled classes for the day while government offices were also closed. Taos County declared a State of Emergency, and COVID-19 vaccination sites were temporarily transformed into shelters for displaced people. Damages are a rough estimate.

December 15, 2021