WeatherFanatics: New Mexico Flood: Evacuations Forced Across the State

Friday, September 13, 2013

New Mexico Flood: Evacuations Forced Across the State

By: Associated Press

Published: September 13,2013

ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. — Previously drought-stricken rivers surged their banks across New Mexico on Friday, closing roads, stranding children at schools and forcing evacuation from Las Vegas to Truth or Consequences from "life-threatening" floods.
In southern New Mexico, Truth or Consequences officials said people around Las Animas and Palomas Creeks were told to immediately leave their homes and head to the city's convention center for emergency shelter. It was not immediately clear how many residents were affected, but authorities in the drought-stricken city were concerned after Rio Grande surged its banks.
Truth or Consequences Mayor Pro Tem Sandra Whitehead said the city had experienced days of rains before the rivers and creeks began to overflow.
(MORE: Latest News on Colorado Flooding | Up-to-the-Second Live Blog)
"We needed it to rain," said Whitehead. "But this is too much rain at one time."
In northern New Mexico, the Las Vegas Optic reports major flooding forced the evacuation of homes, schools and businesses near the overflowing Gallinas River.
Los Alamos Commander Preston Ballew told The Associated Press that there is canyon flooding in burn scar areas from recent wildfires around that northern New Mexico city. He said there are some road closures and sporadic residential flooding. There are no evacuations as of midmorning, but "it's still raining and we are expecting two more inches in the next few hours," he said
Police in those cities advised motorists to stay off the roads.
Meanwhile, state transportation officials ordered the Interstate 40 reduced to one lane in both directions around 20 miles west of Albuquerque at To'hajiilee. That's because officials said the New Mexico Department of Transportation needed to repair a failed median drop inlet. Heavy rainfall over the last few days has caused the drop inlet to fail, creating a 20-foot-deep sinkhole in the median, officials said.
(MORE: Sta y Safe During a Flood)
Rio Rancho Schools, a district just northwest of Albuquerque, announced Friday afternoon that it would keep some students at schools because of the dangerous conditions. District spokesman Peter Wells said school buses will be unable to transport students after heavy rains made conditions unsafe on dirt roads.
The weather problems stem from the same storm system that has battered Colorado, causing at least three deaths.
Kerry Jones, a National Weather Service meteorologist in Albuquerque, said the recent storm system was responsible for record rainfall in some areas in New Mexico that aren't used to handling the rain.
"We are seeing life-threatening floods from the heavy rains," Jones said. "They are also from the (river) runoffs that in most cases, take hours to see the effects."
Jones said the heavy rain is expected to let up late Friday and through the weekend but some areas will still see thunderstorms.

NWS Albuquerque ✔ @NWSAlbuquerque