Update, 6:45 p.m. River appears safe at this time
A surge of water in the Rio Grande is pushing south from northern Doña Ana County near the Village of Hatch. Doña Ana County Flood Director Paul Dugie said water flows of 900 cubic feet per second are being measured south of Hatch. All the water in the river is storm-related. Water flow from the Elephant Butte and Caballo reservoirs was shut off late yesterday. Total flow in the river at this time is about 1,850 cubic feet per second, according to Dugie’s calculations. When the river is running full for peak irrigation flows, it is usually running at 1,800 cubic feet per second or less.
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Update, 6 p.m.
This from Jess Williams, Doña Ana County spokesman: “The (river) surge will probably be seen at Santa Teresa in about 12 hours. The effect may not be very dramatic, depending on how much of the water ‘plains’ as the river crests between the elevated levees upstream. Those levees were designed to accommodate surges of this kind.”
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Update, 5:30 p.m.
This from the National Weather Service: Flash Flood Warning
FLASH FLOOD WARNING NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE EL PASO TX 445 PM MDT TUE AUG 1 2006 THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN EL PASO HAS ISSUED A * FLASH FLOOD WARNING FOR… SOUTHERN DONA ANA COUNTY IN NEW MEXICO THIS INCLUDES THE CITIES OF… UNIVERSITY PARK…SUNLAND PARK …LAS CRUCES… CHAPARRAL AND SANTA TERESA EL PASO COUNTY IN TEXAS THIS INCLUDES THE CITIES OF…ANTHONY…SOCORRO… MONTANA VISTA… FORT BLISS… FABENS…EL PASO…CANUTILLO * UNTIL 645 PM MDT * AT 438 PM MDT…NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DOPPLER RADAR INDICATED FLASH FLOODING FROM A THUNDERSTORM OVER THE WARNED AREA. DOPPLER RADAR INDICATED THUNDERSTORMS DEVELOPING JUST NORTH AND WEST OF EL PASO. THESE STORMS WHERE SLOWLY DRIFTING TO THE SOUTHEAST AT 5 TO 10 MPH. THESE STORMS WILL BE CAPABLE OF AN ADDITIONAL ONE TO TWO INCHES OF RAIN DURING THE NEXT FEW HOURS. THIS ADDITIONAL RAINFALL WILL ADD TO THE ALREADY SERIOUS FLOODING SITUATION IN EL PASO. THIS IS A VERY DANGEROUS SITUATION…IF YOU DO NOT HAVE TO DRIVE…STAY WHERE YOU ARE. NEVER DRIVE YOUR CAR ACROSS A FLOODED ROADWAY…TURN AROUND DON’T DROWN.
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Update, 5:05 p.m.
A surge of water in the Rio Grande is pushing south from northern Doña Ana County near the Village of Hatch. Doña Ana County Flood Director Paul Dugie said water flows of 9,000 cubic feet per second are being measured south of Hatch. All the water in the river is storm-related. Water flow from the Elephant Butte and Caballo reservoirs was shut off late yesterday.
In other words, stay out of the river. Stay away from the River. Be careful.
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Update, 4:35 p.m.
U.S. 54 from Alamogordo to El Paso has been closed. The National Weather Service has just issued a flood advisory for arroyos and streams in northern Doña Ana County.
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Update, 4:20 p.m.
Imminent flooding is likely near West Side Drive and Country Club Road in Santa Teresa, according to Doña Ana County Flood Director Paul Dugie. A storm drain in that area is receiving substantially more storm runoff than it was designed to accommodate. Residents and business owners in that area are advised to seek higher ground.
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Update, 4:15 p.m.
It looks like it’s going to get worse. Storms are building near Anthony, northeast of Las Cruces, and there’s a massive storm building east of Truth or Consequences. You can get the latest from the National Weather Service by clicking here.
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Update, 3:45 p.m.
Due to rising flood waters and dangerous conditions near the Rio Grande, evacuations are underway in parts of the City of Sunland Park and in the small community of Anapra.
Working in conjunction with the U.S. Border Patrol and the Sunland Park Police Department, the Doña Ana County Sheriff’s Department is advising residents in the low-lying areas adjacent to the river to seek higher ground.
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3:40 p.m.
I know this is a politics site, but it’s also a way to get important information out to people. It’s been flooding in El Paso all day, and the situation is growing increasingly worse in Southern Doña Ana County. I just received this news release:
“The Doña Ana County Emergency Operations Center has been activated to respond to flooding in many communities south of Las Cruces. The areas hardest hit appear to be Chaparral, Anthony, La Union, Santa Teresa and the City of Sunland Park.
“The Doña Ana County Office of Emergency Management is coordinating response efforts with various county departments, as well as with the New Mexico State Police and the American Red Cross.
“The Doña Ana County Detention Center is utilizing inmate labor to fill sandbags, almost 4,000 of which have been distributed to community volunteer fire departments for use by residents in the affected areas.
“The Doña Ana County Fire Marshal’s Office has established command centers in the communities of Chaparral, La Union and Anthony. The American Red Cross has opened emergency shelters in the Gadsden High School gymnasium. Plans are being finalized to open Sunrise Elementary School as a shelter in the community of Chaparral.
“Interstate 10 has been closed between Las Cruces and El Paso, and eastbound traffic is being stopped at Deming to prevent congestion in Las Cruces. Southbound traffic on N.M. 478 and N.M. 28 also is being blocked. McCombs and Stan Roberts roads in Chaparral also have been closed. Law enforcement is a joint effort of the municipal police departments, the Doña Ana County Sheriff’s Department and New Mexico State Police.
“Police recommend that people in low-lying areas make plans to find higher ground in the event of flooding. Residents in areas that have not flooded are urged to stay put and delay travel.
“County road crews are responding to the hardest-hit areas with heavy equipment. The Doña Ana County Flood Commission is monitoring retention dams for safety. No dams have breached or appear to be in danger of doing so.
Updates will be issued as more information becomes available.”
In addition to this news release, I can tell you that officials are considering evacuating parts of Sunland Park. Though Las Cruces has avoided much of the rain thus far, clouds are building to the west of the city and slowly heading southeast.
Be careful. You can get updated info from KVIA and KFOX in El Paso, or CrucesNews.com.