Footage shot Monday shows a torrent of water flowing through Las Vegas, New Mexico, as a result of a “fierce storm” that seemed to be made up mostly of hail.
A slew of videos shared online between Monday and Tuesday showed the absolute pandemonium in New Mexico as thick, unprecedented levels of hail hit the state, AccuWeather reported. Roads were flooded and piles of ice made it almost impossible to do anything or move anywhere, according to the NAU Channel.
Roads apparently turned into hail rivers and forced drivers to make their way through the icy waterways. Several inches of hail coated the region, making it look like the first snowfall of the winter season, according to KOAT. Except, it’s not winter. It’s barely even fall, but that didn’t stop the extreme weather event from plaguing the city, forcing drivers into some pretty unsafe situations.
“We literally have a river!” 🧊
New Mexico roads were transformed into hail rivers after a fierce storm, forcing motorists to drive through icy flooding. #NMwx pic.twitter.com/LuRlQwltR2— AccuWeather (@accuweather) October 3, 2023
Reports of hailstorms throughout New Mexico have increase dramatically over the last 30 years, according to the National Weather Service. Between 1955 to 1979, an average of 11 hail reports were made every year. By 2019, that number rose to 168. (RELATED: Video Shows Aftermath Of Rare Apocalyptic Weather Event)
However, the population of New Mexico has increased from 785,000 in 1955 to more than 2.1 million in 2020, according to MacroTrends. This population spike, coupled with the widespread use of smartphones and social media, could mean that hailstorms are not becoming more frequent. We’re just seeing them more because there are more of us, and we’re more connected.