High Winds Sweep Through Borderland

EL PASO — Area forecastersissued ahigh wind advisory on Mondayfor El Paso, Las Cruces and Juarez.

Wind gusts in the afternoon clocked in at a maximum of 52 miles per hour, ABC-7 Chief Meterologist”Doppler” DaveSpeelman confirmed.

Those winds picked upplenty of blowing dustand circulated it in the air throughout the afternooncausing many people to battle mild allergy conditions including thesniffles and sinus congestion.

Allergist Dr. Lyndon Mansfield offered a recommendation to anyone who is allergy-prone — do what you can to protect yourself.

“If you have allergies, stay indoors,” he said. “If you have asthma, this is not the best time to be out or at work.”

The high winds were expected to subside around 8 p.m., Speelman said.

Additionally, the high winds havecaused some structural damage to properties around El Paso, especially downtown.

Our ABC-7 cameras caught the blue trim on the south side of thedowntown Chase Bank building flying off and falling to the ground.

The fallen debris prompted police officers to redirect traffic from some of the trouble spots. They temporarilyclosed Main Streetfrom Mesa to Stanton.

Additional road hazards alsoforcedpolice to close off ablock of streets to thenorth and south ofthe Stanton and Kansas intersection.