The National Weather Service in Albuquerque on Monday rated a tornado that moved through the Via Caballero neighborhood in south‑central Santa Fe on Oct. 24 as a high‑end EF1, estimating maximum winds of up to 110 mph.
Damage and track
Investigators said the twister touched down between about 7 p.m. and 7:08 p.m., reached a width of roughly 100 yards and traveled approximately 1.5 miles in a generally northward direction. Meteorologists documented damage to homes, vehicles and trees along the path.
Survey teams found some damage that could have supported an EF2 rating, but the National Weather Service said they adjusted the final intensity assessment to reflect questionable construction quality in some of the affected buildings, which complicated the damage‑based estimate.
Warnings and rapid development
Some residents questioned why a tornado warning was not issued until about 7 p.m., when the twister may already have been on the ground. The warning coordination meteorologist at the Albuquerque office said the storm developed rapidly.
“The tornado developed quickly,” said Todd Shoemake, a meteorologist for the National Weather Service in Albuquerque.
The agency uses the Enhanced Fujita Scale to rate tornadoes by surveying the damage they cause, with EF‑1 tornadoes capable of producing winds in the range documented by the Santa Fe survey. The scale runs from EF‑0 to EF‑5.
Context and aftermath
While tornadoes are most common in the Great Plains, the National Weather Service described the event in Santa Fe as “extremely rare” for the city. Officials continue to assess damage and recovery needs in the neighborhood affected by the short but powerful storm.
- When: Night of Saturday (touchdown about 7 to 7:08 p.m.)
- Intensity: High‑end EF1, estimated winds up to 110 mph
- Track: About 100 yards wide and 1.5 miles long through Via Caballero
