Santa Fe Spends $700,000 on Tornado Cleanup as 650 Homes Sit in Damage Zone

Santa Fe has spent $700,000 clearing debris from a tornado track through its midtown, and the tally is not closed. City spokesperson Peter Olson said the figure covers dumpsters, staff salaries and related costs. Crews have collected 53 tons of material along the path the storm traveled Saturday evening.

The tornado touched down at 7 p.m. near Via Caballero and ran about 1.5 miles to the old College of Santa Fe campus before lifting at 7:08 p.m. It reached a maximum width of about 100 yards and carried winds near 110 mph, which the National Weather Service classified as a high-level EF-1 on the Enhanced Fujita scale. Damage assessments cover at least 10 homes, concentrated around Camino Chueco and Rancho Siringo Road, though the count could climb because roughly 650 homes sit inside the affected area, Olson said.

Rough weather is following the storm. Another series of storm systems is expected to move across New Mexico from Thursday through late Monday, bringing flash flooding that could slow recovery in areas hit by severe weather earlier this month. Santa Fe County is asking residents to clear leaves, trash and yard debris from curb inlets, ditches and culverts before storms arrive.

The National Weather Service issued its tornado warning at 7:01 p.m., a minute after the funnel touched down. Some people on social media questioned the timing. Warning coordination meteorologist Scott Overpeck, who performed the damage assessment for the weather service's Albuquerque office, said the storm spun up quickly and the alert went out as soon as radar picked it up. "There can be a little bit of latency as the warning goes from our office to through all the different channels to get out to the people, get to the cellphones," Overpeck said.

Overpeck said the intensity caught forecasters off guard. "It was a lot more intense than what we expected from radar and some of the other surveys that we've done," he said. Santa Fe County was not under a tornado watch or a severe thunderstorm watch at the time, though a severe thunderstorm watch was in place just south of the county.

Tornadoes remain uncommon in the region. Overpeck said only five others have struck the Santa Fe metro area since 1950. He added that "these conditions do occur in the fall." Damage included torn-off roofs, damaged walls, insulation scattered into neighboring yards, downed trees, displaced outdoor furniture and damaged utility poles. A resident, David Sanchez, told The New Mexican his lights flashed and electricity went "haywire" before he heard a sound he compared to a jet engine as the tornado crossed his backyard.

Mayor Michael Garcia declared a natural disaster emergency Monday to unlock additional support measures. The City Council voted Wednesday night to extend it through Nov. 5. The Office of the Superintendent of Insurance and the American Red Cross have gone door to door in the affected area. The Red Cross had assessed about 25 homes as of Wednesday, and six residents had received financial assistance, Olson said. The state Department of Homeland Security and Emergency Management had assessed 15 homes, five of which reported major damage or were destroyed.

No injuries tied to the tornado have been reported. "I think it is quite the miracle that no one who was directly impacted by the tornado was injured or worse," City Councilor Jamie Cassutt said Wednesday. City Councilor Liz Barrett, whose family's house was struck by a falling tree, told the council, "It was very heartwarming to see that response." Garcia added, "Disasters should not have to bring that out, but it definitely brought it out this weekend."

Storms Thursday afternoon through Friday afternoon are expected to focus on southeastern New Mexico, including Roswell and Ruidoso. Friday afternoon through Saturday, they shift to western New Mexico over the southwestern mountains. Sunday through Monday, storms spread statewide, with flash flooding possible in western and northern New Mexico along with river flooding; mountain snow is also possible.