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Capulin, New Mexico

8 topographic sheets cover this place, the earliest surveyed in 1954 and the latest in 1982. It stands in the Clayton North census division. It lies in ZIP code area 88414. The Survey maps it on the Capulin quadrangle.

Capulin within Union County

On record in Capulin

Buildings and businesses the archive holds for this place. Each opens its own page, with the source record it came from.

On the National Register 1 record

Topographic sheets covering this place

5 surveys from 8 printed sheets

Matched by testing this settlement's coordinate against the published boundary of every sheet in the United States Geological Survey's historical collection. Each opens the scanned sheet at the Survey.

Photographs

6 photographs, 1939

Taken for the Office of War Information and the Farm Security Administration, who photographed the country between 1935 and 1944. Works of United States government photographers, with no known restriction on use. Each opens its catalogue record.

Mountain scene near Capulin, New Mexico
Mountain scene near Capulin, New Mexico
Lee, Russell, 1939. Library of Congress
Looking down from Capulin National Monument near Capulin, New Mexico
Looking down from Capulin National Monument near Capulin, New Mexico
Lee, Russell, 1939. Library of Congress
Sign along the road near Capulin, New Mexico
Sign along the road near Capulin, New Mexico
Lee, Russell, 1939. Library of Congress
Rain over New Mexico. From Capulin National Monument, Capulin, New Mexico
Rain over New Mexico. From Capulin National Monument, Capulin, New Mexico
Lee, Russell, 1939. Library of Congress
Mountain scene near Capulin, New Mexico
Mountain scene near Capulin, New Mexico
Lee, Russell, 1939. Library of Congress
Looking down from Capulin National Monument near Capulin, New Mexico
Looking down from Capulin National Monument near Capulin, New Mexico
Lee, Russell, 1939. Library of Congress

Fires near this place

15 since 1994

Regional context, not property-specific evidence. The federal wildfire occurrence database lists 15 fires within 5 miles of Capulin between 1994 and 2020, burning about 3,394 acres in total. 7 started naturally. None was recorded as arson. Distance is straight-line from the map coordinates, so a fire counted here may appear on a neighbouring settlement's page as well.

Reported cause Fires
Natural7
Missing data/not specified/undetermined6
Smoking1
Equipment and vehicle use1

The most recent of them, most recent first, with the day each was reported and the service that recorded it.

DateCause SizeReported by Name on the report
7 July 1997Missing data/not specified/undetermined2.0 acresNew Mexico State Forestry DivisionCRATER
5 July 2012Natural200 acresNew Mexico State Forestry DivisionSIERRA GRANDE
24 June 2020Natural15 acresCimarron DistrictSIERRA GRANDE 2 CANYON
18 June 1994Naturalunder an acreCapulin Volcano National MonumentTREE
11 June 2013Missing data/not specified/undeterminedunder an acreNew Mexico State Forestry DivisionCAPULIN
31 May 2002Natural1,700 acresNew Mexico State Forestry DivisionCAPULIN
21 May 2020Natural60 acresCimarron DistrictHORSESHOE CRATER
20 May 2006Natural1,000 acresNew Mexico State Forestry Divisionnot named

Settlements close enough to share some of these fires:

Every fire recorded in Union County

Mines and quarries near this place

6 within 5 miles

Regional context, not property-specific evidence. The federal mineral resources record lists 6 workings within 5 miles of Capulin: 6 unknowns. None of them still produces. What was taken out: Sand and Gravel, Construction, Pumice. Distance is straight-line from the map coordinates, so a quarry counted here may appear on a neighbouring settlement's page as well.

Where SiteCommodity StatusRecorded
Horse Shoe CraterPumiceUnknown
Capulin MountainSand and Gravel, ConstructionUnknown
Capulin MountainSand and Gravel, ConstructionUnknown
Materials PitSand and Gravel, ConstructionUnknown
Materials PitSand and Gravel, ConstructionUnknown
Pit #57 57 SSand and Gravel, ConstructionUnknown

Every working recorded in Union County

Storms near this place

46 since 1996

Regional context, not property-specific evidence. The National Weather Service names Capulin in 46 storm reports between 1996 and 2025: 34 hail, 4 flash flood, 4 thunderstorm wind, 3 tornado. No death or injury is recorded in these reports. Each account below is quoted exactly as the forecast office filed it, from the NOAA Storm Events Database, and each date opens the federal record of that event.

WhenEvent Place namedHarm What the report says
August 2019Flash FloodCapulin$50,000Flash flooding over the Capulin Volcano resulted in significant damage to the roadway leading to the summit. The road will be closed until repairs are made. Damage amounts are a rough estimate based on the news article.
August 2015HailCapulin$20,000The first storm over the observer's location produced tennis ball size hail that broke 3 skylights of a house, and dented a car and broke its windows.
August 2015Flash FloodCapulin$15,000Heavy rains caused a mud slide along a mile stretch of roadway that leads to the top of the Capulin National Monument. The debris included mud and boulders that were up to 55 pounds in weight. The road remained closed into the afternoon on the 14th as staff attempted to clear the debris.
July 2023Thunderstorm WindCapulin$5,000A COOP observer in Capulin reported that a severe wind gust originating from a dying thunderstorm blew down their shed and broke off tree branches up to 6 inches in diameter. Damage is an estimate of the shed.
May 2021HailCapulin$5,000A COOP observer near Capulin reported 1 inch to 1.5 inch hail from a severe thunderstorm moving eastward through the area. The hail accumulated to about an inch at their location. The observer also reported that the glass of their greenhouse was broken and the hail tore holes in their plastic gutter. Damages are estimated for the property damage to the greenhouse and gutters.
July 2014Flash FloodCapulin$5,000Intense rainfall caused a mudslide over Volcano Rd. at the Capulin Volcano National Monument. The road was closed the following day for debris removal.
August 2008HailCapulin$1,000Hail broke a window and a light cover on a building north of Capulin.
July 2025HailCapulin-A COOP observer in Capulin reported nickel size hail from a strong thunderstorm.
May 2023Thunderstorm WindCapulin-A public weather station near Des Moines, NM measured a peak thunderstorm wind gust of 61 mph.
June 2023Funnel CloudCapulin-A resident just west of Capulin shared a photo of a funnel cloud from a strong thunderstorm.
July 2020HailCapulin-Nickel size hail reported near Capulin.
July 2020HailCapulin-Trained spotters near Capulin reported hail up to ping pong size.
May 2019HailCapulin-Penny size hail reported near Capulin.
June 2019Thunderstorm WindCapulin-A peak wind gust estimated up to 60 mph occurred with a thunderstorm in Capulin. Torrential rainfall was also reported.
August 2019HailCapulin-Quarter size hail at the Capulin Volcano National Monument.
August 2019HailCapulin-Nickel to quarter size hail reported at Capulin Volcano National Monument.
August 2019HailCapulin-Half dollar size hail reported in Capulin.
June 2018HailCapulin-Hail ranging from the size of pennies to golf balls impacted Capulin.
June 2018HailCapulin-Hail up to the size of pennies in Capulin.
April 2017HailCapulin-Pea to quarter size occurred at the Capulin National Monument.
August 2016Tornado (EF0)Capulin-Brief rope tornado touched down on a distant mesa near Capulin Volcano National Monument.
August 2016HailCapulin-Penny hail in Capulin.
May 2015HailCapulin-Capulin National Monument shared photos of hail slightly larger than quarter size mixed in the mainly pea size hail.
August 2015HailCapulin-Ping pong size hail from third storm over observer's location.
August 2015HailCapulin-Staff living near the Capulin National Monument reported hail just smaller than ping pong size with storm that hit during the evening.
August 2015HailCapulin-The second storm over the observer's location dropped penny size hail.
June 2014HailCapulin-Penny size hail covered ground about 1 inch deep.
June 2011Thunderstorm WindCapulin-The cooperative observer in Capulin estimates a peak wind gust of 65 mph. A few hailstones and one tenth of an inch of rain was also reported.
June 2006HailCapulin-Large hail reported from the Volcano National Monument south into Capulin.
August 2001Tornado (F0)Capulin-Another brief landspout was reported along the outflow of thunderstorms that formed in an environment of very weak shear.
August 2015HailCapulin-no account filed
August 2015HailCapulin-no account filed
July 2008HailCapulin-no account filed
May 2007HailCapulin-no account filed
June 2007HailCapulin-no account filed
June 2005HailCapulin-no account filed
June 2005HailCapulin-no account filed
June 2004HailCapulin-no account filed
June 2004HailCapulin-no account filed
May 2003HailCapulin-no account filed
June 2003HailCapulin-no account filed
May 2001HailCapulin-no account filed
May 2001HailCapulin-no account filed
July 2001Flash FloodCapulin-no account filed
July 1996Tornado (F0)Capulin-no account filed
July 1996HailCapulin-no account filed

Every storm recorded in Union County

Nearest settlements

The eight closest, with where each one stands in the county. Distances are straight-line, computed from the Geographic Names Information System coordinates.

Map PlaceDistance Sheets
Folsom8.2 miles9
Des Moines8.6 miles8
Madison (historical)11.5 miles8
Grande12.6 miles8
Emery Gap (historical)18.8 miles8
Sofia21.8 miles7
Willow Springs (historical)22.4 miles8
Grenville22.5 miles8

Provenance

This settlement is recorded in the Geographic Names Information System as feature 902195. The sheet list is computed by point-in-boundary test against the United States Geological Survey's historical topographic inventory. Both are works of the United States government and carry no copyright under 17 U.S.C. 105.

Wildfire. Short, Karen C. 2022. Spatial wildfire occurrence data for the United States, 1992-2020 [FPA_FOD_20221014]. 6th Edition. Fort Collins, CO: Forest Service Research Data Archive. https://doi.org/10.2737/RDS-2013-0009.6 Collected with United States Government funding and usable without additional permissions or fees.

Mines and quarries. USGS Mineral Resources Data System (MRDS) https://mrdata.usgs.gov/mrds/ A work of the United States government, no copyright under 17 U.S.C. 105.

Storms. NOAA National Centers for Environmental Information, Storm Events Database https://www.ncei.noaa.gov/stormevents/ A work of the United States government, no copyright under 17 U.S.C. 105. Narratives are quoted verbatim from the National Weather Service report and are not edited or summarised.