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Alert Pulse · Weekly report · Sep 14 – 20, 2026

Floods bring deaths in New Mexico and evacuations in Minnesota

Flooding forced rescues and displaced residents across the Southwest and Midwest. Kansas officials reported wind damage, while students in Rexburg, Idaho, helped bail out flooded apartments.

SEP 19, 9 PM UTC · 149 IN THE HOURSEP 14SEP 20DISTINCT WARNINGS PER HOUR1432

Each story below, on the day it peaked

  • Flash flooding · Sep 15–17

    the Southwest

    A county agency told people to leave

  • Flash flooding · Sep 17–19

    the Southwest

    3 orders to leave came from county agencies

  • Severe storms · Sep 19–20

    the Southern Plains

    Gusts to 80 mph

    Named in the warnings: Council Grove, Alma, Eskridge

  • Flash flooding · Sep 20

    the Ohio Valley

  • Flash flooding · Sep 19–20

    the Upper Midwest

    Fillmore County spent 3 days under warning

Warnings told people to avoid floodwater and seek shelter, but evacuations, rescues and neighbors’ help were still needed when water entered roads and homes.

Read the week

Where the week happened

Each numbered area is one of the stories below, drawn over the counties its warnings covered.

Map of the United States. 1: Flash flooding in the Southwest, Sep 15–17. 2: Flash flooding in the Upper Midwest, Sep 19–20. 3: Severe storms in the Southern Plains, Sep 19–20. 4: Flash flooding in Idaho, Sep 18.1234
  • Flash flooding in the Southwest, Sep 15–17
  • Flash flooding in the Upper Midwest, Sep 19–20
  • Severe storms in the Southern Plains, Sep 19–20
  • Flash flooding in Idaho, Sep 18
Fig. 1. The counties each story covered, numbered as the report tells them. Colour groups the hazard: water, heat and fire, storms. Counties are the smallest area these warnings describe.
The same areas as a list
  • 1. Flash flooding in the Southwest and Rockies, September 15 to 17 · Water · 26 counties drawn
  • 2. Flash flooding in the Upper Midwest and Midwest, September 19 to 20 · Water · 54 counties drawn
  • 3. Severe storms in the Southern Plains and Texas, September 19 to 20 · Storms · 102 counties drawn
  • 4. Flash flooding in Idaho, September 18 · Water · 8 counties drawn
Figure 02

When it happened

Each square is one day of the week, shaded by how many warnings went out.Shade is warnings that day. A number is the story it belongs to on the map. A ring marks a day on which news or officials reported what the event did to people.
SunMonTueWedThuFriSatSep 14: 742 warnings14Sep 15: 807 warnings · story 1 on the map · documented impact on people151Sep 16: 817 warnings · story 1 on the map · documented impact on people161Sep 17: 694 warnings · story 1 on the map · documented impact on people171Sep 18: 834 warnings · story 4 on the map · documented impact on people184Sep 19: 1,069 warnings · story 2, 3 on the map · documented impact on people192·3Sep 20: 1,108 warnings · story 2, 3 on the map · documented impact on people202·3
  • Fewer warnings
  • More warnings
  • Impact on people reported
View as a table
DayWarningsStory on the mapDocumented impact on people
Sep 14742——
Sep 158071Yes
Sep 168171Yes
Sep 176941Yes
Sep 188344Yes
Sep 191,0692, 3Yes
Sep 201,1082, 3Yes

1Floodwaters kill a child and two adults near Newcomb, New Mexico

  1. SEP 15, 3 PM UTC

    First warning

    San Juan County, Utah

  2. SEP 15, 3 PM UTC

    Considerable threat

    San Juan County, Utah

  3. SEP 15, 6 PM UTC

    County order

    Emery County, Utah

  4. SEP 16, 1 PM UTC

    County order

    Emery County, Utah

  5. SEP 17, 1 PM UTC

    County order

    Emery County, Utah

  6. SEP 17, 3 PM UTC

    Last warning

    Maricopa County, Arizona

Map of the area this edition covers. 1: Flash flooding in the Southwest, Sep 15–17.1
  • Flash flooding — coloured as water. 26 counties in the Southwest, Sep 15–17.

Near Newcomb, New Mexico, early on September 16, a child and two adults drowned after floodwaters swept them away on the Navajo Nation, The Associated Press reported via ABC News. Flash flood warnings covered the area that day, but the available accounts do not establish whether those who died received them.

The regional warnings began the previous morning in San Juan County, Utah, with a considerable damage threat designation, part of the Southwest flooding marked 1 on the map. That afternoon, the Emery County Sheriff’s Office issued this message: “POSSIBLE FLASH FLOODING IN THE GOBLIN VALLEY AND SAN RAFAEL AREA”. Responders rescued everyone trapped by flooding in Little Wildhorse Canyon that day and escorted them out before 10 p.m., ABC4 reported via AOL.

Archived alert · Sep 14 – 20, 2026Sent September 17, 2026 · NWS Grand Junction CO
At 917 PM MDT, the public reported thunderstorms producing heavy rain over the Gold Mountain Burn Scar.

On the Navajo Nation, the Commission on Emergency Management’s September 16 assessment reported overnight evacuations and severe washouts requiring transportation crews. The Navajo Nation Council announced that Sanostee Day School and Tohaali Community School would remain closed for the rest of the week. The council and commission had reaffirmed a Nation-wide emergency the previous day because of storms, flooding and road damage.

In Arizona that Wednesday, state troopers pushed three stranded vehicles out of floodwater at Scottsdale’s Princess Drive on-ramp, Arizona’s Family reported. The station also reported a helicopter rescue of two people from a car stranded in a wash. In Mesa, firefighters brought occupants of vehicles near Higley Road out safely, according to FOX 10 Phoenix.

By Wednesday night, the weather service in Grand Junction was directing people near Colorado’s Gold Mountain burn scar to higher ground and away from the Cutler and Dexter Creek drainages. Its warning stated: “Life threatening flash flooding of areas in and around the Gold Mountain Burn Scar.” Flood concerns continued into Thursday in southern Utah, where the weather service advised campers and hikers to avoid streams and creeks.

2Neighbors help evacuate a flooded care center in New Richland, Minnesota

  1. SEP 19, 2 AM UTC

    First warning

    Fillmore County, Minnesota

  2. SEP 21, 12 AM UTC

    Last warning

    Mower County, Minnesota

Map of the area this edition covers. 1: Flash flooding in the Upper Midwest, Sep 19–20.1
  • Flash flooding — coloured as water. 54 counties in the Upper Midwest, Sep 19–20.

In New Richland, Minnesota, on September 19, a neighbor supplied a pontoon boat as students and first responders helped evacuate 36 care-center residents, FOX 9 reported. Residents were relocated to other senior-care communities after floodwater entered the building.

The regional flooding, marked 2 on the map, had prompted a flash flood warning in Fillmore County the previous evening. Early Saturday, the weather service in the Twin Cities relayed a report from law enforcement: “At 107 AM CDT, local law enforcement reported thunderstorms producing heavy rain in southern Waseca county along the MN Highway 30 corridor.”

Archived alert · Sep 14 – 20, 2026Sent September 20, 2026 · NWS Chicago IL
Rapid-onset flooding of creeks, streams, drainage ditches, streets, underpasses, low-lying areas, and other poor drainage areas.

At New Richland Care Center, opening a door let more water inside. Facility administrator Robert Johannsen told FOX 9: “At that time, it was knee-deep in the building. Every time you would open the door, water would rush in.” The evacuation depended on people and a boat reaching residents inside the flooded building.

Beyond the care center, about 80% of New Richland’s homes were damaged by the flash flood, The Minnesota Star Tribune reported on September 20. Officials offered sandbags and help finding overnight lodging, according to MPR News. Across this regional flooding, the reporting reviewed recorded no deaths or injuries.

In Cedar Rapids on September 20, officials reported water entering basements and deployed six portable pumps along major sanitary sewer lines, KCRG reported. Prairie Creek overtopped J Street SW, prompting a street closure. The flooding had moved from an evacuation emergency in New Richland to another community’s effort to keep water out of homes.

3Storm winds reach about 75 mph in Herington, Kansas

  1. SEP 19, 6 PM UTC

    First warning

    Jeff Davis County, Texas

  2. SEP 20, 7 AM UTC

    Last warning

    McPherson County, Kansas

Map of the area this edition covers. 1: Severe storms in the Southern Plains, Sep 19–20.1
  • Severe storms — coloured as storms. 102 counties in the Southern Plains, Sep 19–20.

In Herington, Kansas, on Saturday evening, law enforcement reported strong storm winds. The weather service in Topeka relayed the observation: “At 619 PM CDT, law enforcement reported wind gusts in Herington around 75 mph.” That was a reported gust, not simply a wind speed forecast in advance of the storm.

The broader severe-weather episode, marked 3 on the map, began with a warning in Jeff Davis County, Texas, earlier that afternoon. By 3:55 p.m. Central, the weather service in Norman had warned northern Woods County and northeastern Woodward County in Oklahoma, telling people to move to an interior room on the lowest floor of a building.

Archived alert · Sep 14 – 20, 2026Sent September 19, 2026 · NWS Goodland KS
People and animals outdoors will be injured. Expect hail damage to roofs, siding, windows, and vehicles. Expect considerable tree damage. Wind damage is also likely to mobile homes, roofs, and outbuildings.

At 6:40 p.m. Central that evening, the weather service in Topeka stated that storms were producing widespread wind damage in a warning naming Council Grove, Alma and Eskridge. It told people to shelter inside a sturdy structure and stay away from windows. The warning, reproduced by Winter Weather Warnings, did not identify damaged properties or quantify losses.

The distinction matters: Norman’s warning said, “Expect considerable tree damage. Damage is likely to mobile homes, roofs, and outbuildings.” Those words described anticipated effects, unlike Topeka’s report of damage already occurring. Warnings continued into early Sunday in McPherson County. As far as the reporting reviewed shows, no deaths or injuries were reported for this episode.

4Rexburg students bail out flooded basement apartments

  1. SEP 18, 3 AM UTC

    First warning

    Madison County, Idaho

  2. SEP 18, 4 AM UTC

    County order

    Madison County, Idaho

  3. SEP 18, 4 AM UTC

    County order

    Madison County, Idaho

  4. SEP 18, 4 AM UTC

    Considerable threat

    Jefferson County, Idaho

  5. SEP 19, 2 AM UTC

    Last warning

    Boise County, Idaho

Map of the area this edition covers. 1: Flash flooding in Idaho, Sep 18.1
  • Flash flooding — coloured as water. 8 counties in Idaho, Sep 18.

In Rexburg, Idaho, flooding entered apartment buildings on Thursday night, BYU-Idaho Radio reported the following day. At Heritage, residents gathered to help neighbors in flooded basement apartments, part of the Idaho flooding marked 4 on the map.

The first flash flood warning for Madison County went out at 9:51 p.m. Mountain. The sheriff’s office followed with: “Madison County: FLASH FLOOD WARNING. Avoid low areas and never cross floodwater.” A later county message offered sandbag help, and by 10:25 p.m. a warning in Jefferson County carried a considerable damage threat designation.

Archived alert · Sep 14 – 20, 2026Sent September 18, 2026 · NWS Pocatello ID
Life threatening flash flooding of areas in and around the Big Rock Burn Scar.

On Friday, weather service warnings also addressed potential flooding and debris flows around the Big Rock and Ohio burn scars. Those warnings did not establish that homes or roads there had been destroyed. In northeastern Boise County, however, a weather service warning relayed emergency management’s report of debris on State Highway 21, according to the notice republished by GovOneStop.

Madison County Emergency Management reported distributing more than 1,200 sandbags in the county, BYU-Idaho Radio reported on September 18. The county also deployed pump trucks to drain roads and apartment complexes, while flooded roads stopped students trying to reach other places to help. The reporting reviewed found no deaths or injuries reported from this Idaho flooding.

At Heritage during the overnight flooding, neighbors spent an hour removing water with buckets, bins and bowls, according to BYU-Idaho Radio. Joaquin Minnick, a university freshman and Heritage resident, told the station: “The water probably got up to my ankles on the basement floor”. Residents were using what they had to help clear water from their neighbors’ apartments.

How BePrepared watches this, all year

This report exists because we already watch the whole country. Every couple of minutes, around the clock, we read the emergency alerts going out across all fifty states and territories, and we keep them. A month of that record is what you have just read.

The national picture is the part most people never see. What matters to you is much smaller: which of these warnings would have reached your street, and what the risks around you look like on an ordinary day.

That is what BePrepared is for. Put in your ZIP code and you get the picture for where you live — the flood, fire and storm history around you, the dams and facilities nearby, and a plan for your household rather than a general one. With a free account you can keep a watchlist of the places you care about, like your home, your parents' address, and your kids' school, and set what you want to hear about.

Where it hit hardest

Counted as distinct warnings, and as the days a county spent under one. A county is the smallest area these warnings describe.

Warnings by region

  • Southwest254
  • Southern Plains142
  • Midwest107
  • Rockies91
  • Ohio Valley89

Most days under a warning

  • Jackson County, AR8 days
  • Woodruff County, AR8 days
  • Calhoun County, IL8 days
  • Marion County, FL8 days
  • Fayette County, IL8 days
  • Lincoln County, MO8 days
  • Citrus County, FL8 days
  • Levy County, FL8 days
Figure 03Embed this chart

Where the warnings landed

Every county that received a warning this week, coloured and scaled by how many; the faint dots received none.2,352 of the country's counties received at least one warning; the faint dots are the counties that received none, and a quiet county is not a safe county. Each county wears its MOST frequent kind of warning and its dot scales with how many it received; the month's three biggest kinds carry color and every other kind wears gray, with the panels below giving each kind its own map. The full per-county mix is in the CSV. 465 warned areas — marine zones and territories — have no county position on this map, about 12% of county-level warning volume. They are still counted in every figure and table. Too few counties to panel: winter (5).
Jackson, IA: 23 warnings · mostly floodingMadison, IA: 23 warnings · mostly floodingKearny, KS: 23 warnings · mostly severe stormsGarden, NE: 23 warnings · mostly severe stormsMercer, OH: 23 warnings · mostly floodingEllis, OK: 23 warnings · mostly severe stormsRacine, WI: 23 warnings · mostly everything elseLee, IL: 24 warnings · mostly floodingDallas, IA: 24 warnings · mostly floodingScott, IA: 24 warnings · mostly floodingAndrew, MO: 24 warnings · mostly severe stormsLuna, NM: 24 warnings · mostly floodingAlfalfa, OK: 24 warnings · mostly severe stormsHarper, OK: 24 warnings · mostly severe stormsKenosha, WI: 24 warnings · mostly everything elseMilwaukee, WI: 24 warnings · mostly everything elseArchuleta, CO: 25 warnings · mostly everything elseLa Plata, CO: 25 warnings · mostly everything elseMarion, FL: 25 warnings · mostly floodingMadison, ID: 25 warnings · mostly everything elseWayne, IN: 25 warnings · mostly floodingCass, IA: 25 warnings · mostly floodingPolk, IA: 25 warnings · mostly floodingFillmore, MN: 25 warnings · mostly floodingEl Paso, TX: 25 warnings · mostly floodingLubbock, TX: 25 warnings · mostly severe stormsSan Juan, UT: 25 warnings · mostly floodingGila, AZ: 26 warnings · mostly floodingSanta Cruz, AZ: 26 warnings · mostly floodingDolores, CO: 26 warnings · mostly everything elseBonneville, ID: 26 warnings · mostly everything elseIowa, IA: 26 warnings · mostly floodingPreble, OH: 26 warnings · mostly floodingDuchesne, UT: 26 warnings · mostly everything elseGarfield, UT: 26 warnings · mostly floodingNatrona, WY: 26 warnings · mostly everything elseMoffat, CO: 27 warnings · mostly everything elsePutnam, WV: 27 warnings · mostly everything elseKit Carson, CO: 28 warnings · mostly severe stormsAllen, IN: 28 warnings · mostly floodingGuthrie, IA: 28 warnings · mostly floodingLouisa, IA: 28 warnings · mostly floodingPage, IA: 28 warnings · mostly floodingHidalgo, NM: 28 warnings · mostly floodingSanta Fe, NM: 28 warnings · mostly floodingUintah, UT: 28 warnings · mostly everything elseLincoln, CO: 29 warnings · mostly severe stormsRock Island, IL: 29 warnings · mostly floodingCass, NE: 29 warnings · mostly severe stormsRoss, OH: 29 warnings · mostly floodingWashington, OH: 29 warnings · mostly severe stormsBox Elder, UT: 29 warnings · mostly everything elseSanpete, UT: 29 warnings · mostly everything elseJefferson, ID: 30 warnings · mostly everything elseLake, IL: 30 warnings · mostly floodingMontgomery, IA: 30 warnings · mostly severe stormsWashington, IA: 30 warnings · mostly floodingOtoe, NE: 30 warnings · mostly severe stormsRoane, WV: 30 warnings · mostly everything elseWood, WV: 30 warnings · mostly everything elsePalm Beach, FL: 31 warnings · mostly floodingPottawattamie, IA: 31 warnings · mostly severe stormsTorrance, NM: 31 warnings · mostly everything elseSan Miguel, CO: 32 warnings · mostly everything elseAdair, IA: 32 warnings · mostly floodingDoña Ana, NM: 32 warnings · mostly floodingGallia, OH: 32 warnings · mostly floodingSummit, UT: 32 warnings · mostly everything elseMason, WV: 32 warnings · mostly floodingCedar, IA: 33 warnings · mostly floodingFremont, IA: 34 warnings · mostly floodingMuscatine, IA: 34 warnings · mostly floodingChouteau, MT: 34 warnings · mostly everything elseGrand, UT: 34 warnings · mostly everything elseKane, UT: 34 warnings · mostly floodingWasatch, UT: 34 warnings · mostly everything elseBingham, ID: 35 warnings · mostly severe stormsCook, IL: 35 warnings · mostly floodingAdams, IN: 35 warnings · mostly floodingDavis, UT: 36 warnings · mostly everything elseCatron, NM: 37 warnings · mostly everything elseMorgan, UT: 37 warnings · mostly everything elseCoconino, AZ: 38 warnings · mostly floodingFremont, WY: 38 warnings · mostly floodingJohnson, IA: 39 warnings · mostly floodingWells, IN: 40 warnings · mostly floodingGrant, NM: 41 warnings · mostly floodingPecos, TX: 41 warnings · mostly severe stormsSalt Lake, UT: 41 warnings · mostly everything elseUtah, UT: 41 warnings · mostly everything elseWoodward, OK: 42 warnings · mostly severe stormsBernalillo, NM: 43 warnings · mostly everything elseCarbon, UT: 43 warnings · mostly everything elseWeber, UT: 43 warnings · mostly everything elseGarfield, CO: 44 warnings · mostly everything elseJackson, WV: 44 warnings · mostly floodingVinton, OH: 45 warnings · mostly floodingWoods, OK: 46 warnings · mostly severe stormsRio Blanco, CO: 47 warnings · mostly everything elsePinal, AZ: 48 warnings · mostly floodingAthens, OH: 50 warnings · mostly floodingMesa, CO: 52 warnings · mostly everything elseSierra, NM: 54 warnings · mostly floodingSan Juan, NM: 55 warnings · mostly floodingEmery, UT: 55 warnings · mostly everything elseValencia, NM: 58 warnings · mostly everything elseMeigs, OH: 58 warnings · mostly floodingRio Arriba, NM: 59 warnings · mostly floodingCochise, AZ: 62 warnings · mostly floodingOtero, NM: 64 warnings · mostly floodingLincoln, NM: 67 warnings · mostly floodingMaricopa, AZ: 69 warnings · mostly floodingCibola, NM: 70 warnings · mostly everything elsePima, AZ: 87 warnings · mostly floodingSocorro, NM: 87 warnings · mostly everything elseMcKinley, NM: 95 warnings · mostly floodingSandoval, NM: 96 warnings · mostly floodingSandoval, NM · 96McKinley, NM · 95Socorro, NM · 87
  • Flooding
  • Extreme heat
  • Severe storms
  • Everything else

Flooding4,929 warnings · 725 counties

Extreme heat4,560 warnings · 595 counties

Severe storms2,866 warnings · 573 counties

Fire165 warnings · 63 counties

Safety & civil145 warnings · 83 counties

Tornadoes128 warnings · 52 counties

View as a table
CountyStateWarningsMost frequent kind
SandovalNM96Flooding
McKinleyNM95Flooding
PimaAZ87Flooding
SocorroNM87Everything else
CibolaNM70Everything else
MaricopaAZ69Flooding
LincolnNM67Flooding
OteroNM64Flooding
CochiseAZ62Flooding
Rio ArribaNM59Flooding
MeigsOH58Flooding
ValenciaNM58Everything else
San JuanNM55Flooding
EmeryUT55Everything else
SierraNM54Flooding
MesaCO52Everything else
AthensOH50Flooding
PinalAZ48Flooding
Rio BlancoCO47Everything else
WoodsOK46Severe storms

The human record

What it cost, and who reported it

These figures are not ours. Our archive records that a warning was issued, never what happened next, so every number here comes from the organization named beside it and was retrieved on September 22, 2026.

  • Toll

    3deaths

    Two adults and one child drowned after being swept away by floodwaters near Newcomb, New Mexico, early on September 16, 2026.

    Source: The Associated Press via ABC News

    ArchiveOur records show flash flooding warnings covering this area on September 16.

  • Toll

    0injuries in this incident

    No one was hurt in the September 16 incident involving three stranded drivers on Scottsdale's Loop 101 on-ramp at Princess Drive.

    Source: Arizona's Family (KTVK/KPHO)

  • Displaced

    The Navajo Nation Commission on Emergency Management reported overnight evacuations and identified U.S. Highway 191 between mileposts 451 and 456 as a primary flood-affected area in its September 16 assessment.

    Source: Navajo Nation Commission on Emergency Management

  • Rescue

    3vehicles

    Arizona Department of Public Safety troopers pushed three stranded vehicles out of approximately two feet of water on Scottsdale's Loop 101 on-ramp at Princess Drive on September 16.

    Source: Arizona's Family (KTVK/KPHO)

    ArchiveOur records show flash flooding warnings covering this area on September 16.

  • Rescue

    2people rescued

    A helicopter rescue team saved two people in their 80s from a car stranded in a wash along State Route 238 on September 16.

    Source: Arizona's Family (KTVK/KPHO)

  • Toll

    36residents evacuated

    Flooding forced the evacuation of 36 residents from New Richland Care Center on September 19.

    Source: FOX 9

  • Toll

    MPR News reported no immediate reports of injuries from the southern Minnesota flooding.

    Source: MPR News

    ArchiveOur records place this event in Minnesota between 2026-09-19 and 2026-09-20.

  • Displaced

    A neighbor supplied a pontoon boat, and students and first responders helped evacuate New Richland Care Center before residents were relocated to other senior-care communities.

    Source: FOX 9

  • Rescue

    4homes reached in boat rescues

    New Richland firefighters rescued residents from four homes by boat, city administrator Tyler Lendt said.

    Source: The Minnesota Star Tribune

  • In their words

    Care-center administrator Robert Johannsen described water entering the building during the evacuation.

    “At that time, it was knee-deep in the building. Every time you would open the door, water would rush in.”
    Robert Johannsen, Facility administrator, New Richland Care Center, to FOX 9

    Source: FOX 9

  • Damage

    At 6:40 p.m. CDT on September 19, 2026, NWS Topeka stated that storms were producing widespread wind damage in a warning naming Council Grove, Alma, Eskridge, Maple Hill, Alta Vista and McFarland, without identifying damaged properties or quantifying losses.

    Source: National Weather Service Topeka, reproduced by Winter Weather Warnings

    ArchiveOur records show severe storms warnings covering this area on September 19.

  • Response

    NWS Topeka instructed people in the September 19 warning area covering Council Grove, Alma, Eskridge, Maple Hill, Alta Vista and McFarland to seek shelter immediately inside a sturdy structure and stay away from windows.

    Source: National Weather Service Topeka, reproduced by Winter Weather Warnings

    ArchiveOur records show severe storms warnings covering this area on September 19.

  • Response

    At 3:55 p.m. CDT on September 19, 2026, NWS Norman issued a severe thunderstorm warning for northern Woods County and northeastern Woodward County and instructed people to move to an interior room on the lowest floor of a building.

    Source: National Weather Service Norman, reproduced by Winter Weather Warnings

    ArchiveOur records show severe storms warnings covering this area on September 19.

  • Response

    At 6:17 p.m. CDT on September 19, 2026, NWS Midland/Odessa issued a flash flood warning for south-central Pecos County and north-central Brewster County until 8:15 p.m., describing flooding as ongoing or expected shortly and instructing drivers to turn around at flooded roads and residents to report observed flooding to emergency services.

    Source: National Weather Service Midland/Odessa, reproduced by GovOneStop

    ArchiveOur records show severe storms warnings covering this area on September 19.

  • In their words

    Heritage resident Joaquin Minnick described water reaching his ankles inside the basement.

    “The water probably got up to my ankles on the basement floor”
    Joaquin Minnick, BYU-Idaho freshman and Heritage apartment resident, to BYU-Idaho Radio

    Source: BYU-Idaho Radio

  • Damage

    In its September 18 report on flooding that began Thursday night, BYU-Idaho Radio confirmed flooding at Heritage, Alpine Chalet, Bunkhouse and Parkview Apartments in Rexburg.

    Source: BYU-Idaho Radio

    ArchiveOur records show flash flooding warnings covering this area on September 18.

  • Damage

    The National Weather Service's September 18 warning for northeastern Boise County stated that emergency management reported debris on Idaho State Highway 21 between mileposts 103 and 105.

    Source: National Weather Service, republished by GovOneStop

    ArchiveOur records show flash flooding warnings covering this area on September 18.

  • Closed

    Flooded roads stopped students traveling to help elsewhere, and the county deployed pump trucks to drain roads and apartment complexes.

    Source: BYU-Idaho Radio

  • Response

    Heritage residents gathered to help residents of flooded basement apartments and spent an hour removing water with buckets, bins and bowls.

    Source: BYU-Idaho Radio

For 3 of these stories, research looked for reported deaths and injuries and found none. As far as the record shows, no one was hurt.

The numbers behind this report

Every warning counted once, by type, place, day and hour, with the method below and the whole table downloadable at the end of the page.

Distinct warnings
6,071
carried by 9,472 messages (1.56× echo)
Counties reached
2,817
across 52 states and territories
Overnight
1,124
10pm–6am local · 17 of the most severe
Effective on arrival
99%
take effect the moment they are sent

What was warned about

Alert typeWarningsMessages
Special Weather Statement1,4181,418
Severe Thunderstorm Warning1,3711,371
Flood Advisory663663
Flash Flood Warning578578
Small Craft Advisory4672,866
Flood Warning260346
Flood Watch252379
Heat Advisory170228

Where

StateWarnings
NM550
KS377
AZ365
TX348
CO344
IA244
OH235
UT230

The busiest hour of the period was 6pm local time, with 599 warnings.

Counties reached most often

CountyStateWarnings
SandovalNM96
McKinleyNM95
PimaAZ87
SocorroNM87
CibolaNM70
MaricopaAZ69
LincolnNM67
OteroNM64
CochiseAZ62
Rio ArribaNM59

A county with no alerts is not a county with no risk. It can mean a quiet period, or a hazard that this feed does not carry.

Figure 04Embed this chart

When the warnings arrived

Distinct warnings by the local hour they were sent, across the whole period.Local time in the place each alert was sent to. 1,124 arrived between 10pm and 6am, 17 of them at the highest severity.
020040012am: 133 warnings1am: 118 warnings2am: 145 warnings3am: 138 warnings4am: 118 warnings5am: 98 warnings6am: 126 warnings7am: 104 warnings8am: 108 warnings9am: 121 warnings10am: 124 warnings11am: 147 warnings12pm: 151 warnings1pm: 266 warnings2pm: 395 warnings3pm: 520 warnings4pm: 592 warnings5pm: 584 warnings6pm: 599 warnings7pm: 488 warnings8pm: 352 warnings9pm: 270 warnings10pm: 220 warnings11pm: 154 warnings59912am3am6am9am12pm3pm6pm9pmShaded hours are overnight, 10pm to 6am local
View as a table
Local hourWarningsOf which most severe
12am1332
1am1186
2am1450
3am1380
4am1181
5am980
6am1260
7am1042
8am1081
9am1210
10am1244
11am1472
12pm1513
1pm2668
2pm3952
3pm5205
4pm5927
5pm5848
6pm59913
7pm4886
8pm3522
9pm2705
10pm2207
11pm1541
Figure 05Embed this chart

The feed repeats itself

How many messages the feed carried, how many distinct warnings they represent, and how many counties those reached.An echo rate of 1.56× — for every warning issued, 1.56 messages carried it. Reporting messages as warnings would overstate this week by 3,401.
Messages received4,577 of them updates to a warning already sent9,472Distinct warningswhat every figure in this report counts6,071Counties reacheda warning usually covers several at once2,817
View as a table
StageCount
Messages received9,472
Of which updates4,577
Of which cancels0
Distinct warnings6,071
Counties reached2,817
Figure 06Embed this chart

How severe they were

Distinct warnings by the severity the issuing agency assigned.
MinorMinor: 1,2811,281ModerateModerate: 1,9511,951SevereSevere: 2,7072,707ExtremeExtreme: 8585Not classifiedNot classified: 4747
  • Minor
  • Moderate
  • Severe
  • Extreme
  • Not classified
View as a table
SeverityWarnings
Minor1,281
Moderate1,951
Severe2,707
Extreme85
Not classified47
Figure 07Embed this chart

What people were told to do

The share of warnings carrying each instruction to the public.These are response counts. They record the instruction an alert carried, not the hazard behind it.
Avoid: 2,302 (37.9%)Avoid 38%Follow instructions: 1,755 (28.9%)Follow instructions 29%Shelter: 1,394 (23.0%)Shelter 23%Everything else: 620 (10.2%)
  • Avoid
  • Follow instructions
  • Shelter
  • Everything else

Where those instructions came from

  • Shelter (1,394) — 298 corroborated as flood, 69 corroborated as tornado, 9 corroborated as wildfire, 1,018 with no hazard stated in the alert text
  • Evacuate (7) — 6 corroborated as wildfire, 1 with no hazard stated in the alert text
View as a table
ResponseWarningsShare
Avoid2,30237.9%
Follow instructions1,75528.9%
Shelter1,39423.0%
Prepare3305.4%
Monitor2203.6%
Unstated570.9%
Evacuate70.1%
All clear60.1%

What this report cannot tell you

  • This report records the warnings that were sent: when, where, and what people were told to do. It cannot say whether anyone received them, whether they acted, or whether they had anywhere to go.
  • Deaths, injuries, damage and acreage come from the news organizations and agencies named beside each figure. Our own records measure warnings, never outcomes, and are never the source for a toll.
  • A county is the smallest area these alerts describe, so "a county was warned" does not mean every street in it was at risk.
  • Where no figure has been reported, this report says so rather than estimating.

How these numbers were counted

Counted SEP 14, 2026 – SEP 21, 2026 · Frozen at publish

The alert figures in this report — how many warnings, where, when, and how severe — come from the alerts this archive received from FEMA IPAWS and the National Weather Service between September 14, 2026 and September 21, 2026, counted once and frozen when the report was published.

Deaths, damage and acreage are not ours and are never drawn from this archive. Each is attributed to the organization that reported it, above.

What was counted

  • cap_status = 'Actual' (tests, exercises and demos excluded)
  • SAME test codes RWT/RMT/DMO/NPT/NAT excluded, and any event type containing "test"
  • An event is the first message of a CAP identifier chain; updates and cancels are counted separately
  • Alert time is cap_sent, falling back to ingest time when the feed omits it
  • Counties come from the alert geocodes (SAME/FIPS); statewide codes are not counted as counties

What these numbers cannot tell you

  • Lead time is the gap between when an alert was sent and when it takes effect. This archive collapses CAP onset into effective, so for many products those are the same instant by design — it is not a measure of forecast warning time.
  • 59 alerts expire exactly 24 hours after they were sent because the feed omitted an expiry and the ingest substitutes a default. They are excluded from the duration distribution rather than charted as real forecasts.
  • Evacuation and shelter figures are RESPONSE counts. They record what people were told to do, not what caused it; where the alert text does not name a hazard, the row is reported as unstated.
  • Hour-of-day figures use each alert’s own local time, resolved from its state. Alerts spanning several states resolve to the first state in their geocodes.
  • National Weather Service alerts began arriving in volume on 2026-06-12. Earlier months hold only the handful that reached this archive by other routes, so they undercount weather alerts badly and cannot be compared with later months.
  • Population figures are not available for these counties, so alert counts are reported per county and never per resident.

This archive

Collection began 2026-03-27. National Weather Service alerts began arriving in volume on 2026-06-12 (a small number reached the archive by other routes from 2026-03-31). Months from 2026-07-01 onward can be compared with each other; earlier ones cannot.

For newsrooms and researchers

Use these figures

Figures v1 · Frozen

Journalists, emergency managers and researchers are welcome to reuse anything in this report, including the underlying counts, with attribution. Version 1 of these figures is frozen: if a correction changes them, it appears above as a dated note rather than silently replacing what you cited.

Download the figures (CSV)Ask about the data
Cite this report
BePreparedSolutions.co. "Floods bring deaths in New Mexico and evacuations in Minnesota." Alert Pulse, September 22, 2026. https://bepreparedsolutions.co/reports/alert-pulse/week-2026-09-14
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Source: BePrepared Solutions, Alert Pulse (2026). Alert counts from FEMA IPAWS and National Weather Service feeds; casualty and damage figures as attributed in the report.
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The CSV carries the same frozen figures as this page, keyed to version 1.

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