Search
Menu

Explore

Hazards

Analysis

Rankings

Reference

Rio Hondo above Roswell

Highest listed crest 28.78 ftFlood stage 26.0 ft20 crests since 1941

The Rio Hondo above Roswell crested at major flood stage 1 time among the 20 crests the National Weather Service lists from 1941 to 2010. The highest, 28.78 ft on September 22, 1941, was major flooding, 2.78 feet above flood stage.

The gauge

Highest listed crest
28.78 ft
September 22, 1941; 27,000 cubic feet per second
Flood stage
26.0 ft
Major flooding from 28.0 ft
Crests at major
1
6th of 46 gauges in New Mexico
Most recent flood crest
September 12, 1996
26.02 ft, minor flooding
Location
Chaves County
New Mexico

Flood stages

The thresholds the National Weather Service uses for this gauge today, and how many listed crests reached each.

Flood categories, Rio Hondo above Roswell
Action stage25.04Aug 16, 2006The level at which the NWS or its partners begin to take action
Flood stage (minor)26.09Sep 12, 1996Minimal or no property damage, but possibly some public threat
Moderate flood stage27.03Oct 6, 1954Some inundation of structures and roads near the stream
Major flood stage28.01Sep 22, 1941Extensive inundation of structures and roads

Every listed crest

20 crests from 1941 to 2010. Filled: at or above flood stage. Hover a crest for its date and stage.

Listed crests at the Rio Hondo above Roswell, 1941 to 2010 202224262830ft Flood stage 26.0 ftMajor 28.0 ft May 29, 1941: 27.45 ft, moderate flooding; 14,600 cubic feet per secondSep 22, 1941: 28.78 ft, major flooding; 27,000 cubic feet per secondSep 29, 1941: 27.90 ft, moderate flooding; 17,800 cubic feet per secondJun 3, 1948: 26.10 ft, minor flooding; 7,960 cubic feet per secondSep 24, 1950: 25.70 ft, action stage; 7,400 cubic feet per secondOct 6, 1954: 27.12 ft, moderate flooding; 23,000 cubic feet per secondJun 18, 1965: 26.40 ft, minor flooding; 54,800 cubic feet per secondJun 28, 1965: 24.98 ft, below flood stage; 8,160 cubic feet per secondJul 29, 1965: 25.35 ft, action stage; 11,600 cubic feet per secondJul 5, 1968: 26.20 ft, minor flooding; 36,600 cubic feet per secondAug 1, 1971: 26.20 ft, minor flooding; 12,900 cubic feet per secondSep 10, 1972: 26.16 ft, minor flooding; 16,300 cubic feet per secondAug 18, 1981: 26.06 ft, minor flooding; 11,700 cubic feet per secondAug 20, 1984: 26.04 ft, minor flooding; 32,200 cubic feet per secondJun 26, 1986: 26.39 ft, minor flooding; 54,000 cubic feet per secondSep 12, 1996: 26.02 ft, minor flooding; 6,380 cubic feet per secondJun 8, 1997: 25.58 ft, action stage; 3,900 cubic feet per secondAug 16, 2006: 25.46 ft, action stage; 14,100 cubic feet per secondJul 28, 2008: 23.06 ft, below flood stage; 3,970 cubic feet per secondApr 15, 2010: 21.95 ft, below flood stage; 3,620 cubic feet per second Highest, 28.78 ft, Sep 22, 1941 1950196019701980199020002010

Crests at or above flood stage, by decade

Crests at or above flood stage per decade, Rio Hondo above Roswell 1940s: 4 4 1950s: 1 1960s: 2 1970s: 2 1980s: 3 1990s: 1 2000s: 0 2010s: 0 1940s1950s1960s1970s1980s1990s2000s2010s
  1. These are the crests the local National Weather Service office lists for the gauge: the highest on record and recent crests. Lesser floods between them may be missing, so counts by decade are a floor.
  2. Categories use today's flood stages. Levees, dams and channel changes since a crest can make old and new stages not directly comparable.

Highest crests

Highest listed crests, Rio Hondo above Roswell
1Sep 22, 194128.78+2.78Major27,000
2Sep 29, 194127.90+1.90Moderate17,800
3May 29, 194127.45+1.45Moderate14,600
4Oct 6, 195427.12+1.12Moderate23,000
5Jun 18, 196526.40+0.40Minor54,800
6Jun 26, 198626.39+0.39Minor54,000
7Jul 5, 196826.20+0.20Minor36,600
8Aug 1, 197126.20+0.20Minor12,900
9Sep 10, 197226.16+0.16Minor16,300
10Jun 3, 194826.10+0.10Minor7,960
11Aug 18, 198126.06+0.06Minor11,700
12Aug 20, 198426.04+0.04Minor32,200
13Sep 12, 199626.02+0.02Minor6,380
14Sep 24, 195025.70−0.30Action7,400
15Jun 8, 199725.58−0.42Action3,900
16Aug 16, 200625.46−0.54Action14,100
17Jul 29, 196525.35−0.65Action11,600
18Jun 28, 196524.98−1.02Below flood stage8,160
19Jul 28, 200823.06−2.94Below flood stage3,970
20Apr 15, 201021.95−4.05Below flood stage3,620

Other gauges in Chaves County

Flood gauges in Chaves County
Lake Arthur20.021.90 ft, Sep 24, 19410
Acme13.017.37 ft, Aug 21, 20221

Chaves County: every hazard · River floods across the country · New Mexico

NOAA National Water Prediction Service, gauge DARN5, retrieved October 30, 2026. Stages in feet on the gauge's own datum, not elevation. Crests are as the National Weather Service lists them; preliminary values may be revised.