High speed winds in Carlsbad damage residential roof, siding from clothing store

High speed winds south of Carlsbad damaged a home and a business during a passing thunderstorm Monday night, according to a meteorologist with the National Weather Service in Midland, Texas.

Rick Hluchan said a wind gust of 72 miles per hour was recorded around 7 p.m. at the Cavern City Air Terminal.

He said limbs from a tree fell on a roof and caused damage to a residence at Iris Street and North Avenue. High winds also knocked off some siding at Cato Fashions at 2521 South Canal Street.

Cavern City Air Terminal Manager Cari Pickens said no major damage was reported from the winds at the airport and two-tenths of an inch of rainfall was recorded at the airport during the storm.

For the year, she said 2.7 inches of rain has fallen at the Cavern City Air Terminal.

The New Mexico State University Agricultural Sciences Center south of Artesia received 18-hundredths of an inch of rain Monday as 3.20 inches has fallen so far in 2023.

More: Heatwave threatens New Mexico green chile crop. Local stores keep roasting iconic pepper.

Hluchan said the National Weather Service (NWS) did not receive any other damage reports in Eddy County Monday and no hail was reported.

NWS forecasted a 40 to 60 percent chance of rain and possible thunderstorms for Carlsbad on Tuesday afternoon.

Rain and thunderstorm chances continued through Monday for the Carlsbad area and cooler temperatures were forecast through Sept. 18 along with highs in the 80s and 90s, per the NWS forecast.

Hluchan the rain was needed as Eddy County remained in an extreme drought, according to the U.S. Drought Monitor released on Sept. 7.

The Climate Prediction Center forecast the dry weather to continue in Eddy County for the rest of September.

Mike Smith can be reached at 575-628-5546 or by email at MSmith@currentargus.com or @ArgusMichae on Twitter.

This article originally appeared on Carlsbad Current-Argus: Wind damage reported to Carlsbad home, business Monday