Rain Soaks Las Cruces

Malessa Apodaca wishes she just had a puddle in her yard.

“A lake, a public lake,” is how Apodaca described her drenched yard.

Apodaca?s home is now reflected as an island in the inches of water drowning her yard. And she said her property has not soaked up this much water in more than 30 years.

?Oh, I think it?s beautiful,? Apodaca said. ?It waters the grass and I don?t have to pay for that.?

ABC-7 Chief Meteorologist “Doppler” Dave Speelman said more than 3 inches of rain has pounded parts of Las Cruces since Sunday.

Under a threatening sky, cars coasted through washed-out roadways. But accumulation is taking a toll on businesses.

?In my toddler room, the light thing came down,? Shanna Gallegos, Director of New Mexico State University?s Child Care Center, said. ?In my kitchen, it was leaking through the stove in 3 different places, and water came through my back door.?

Gallegos said leak after leak has dampened her daycare and her day.

?Please, no more rain,? Gallegos said. ?More kids, no rain.?

But the rain has not gone away yet ? and each drop that accumulates keeps Mario Moreno with Pioneer Roofing working around the clock.

?The phone is just ringing off the hook,? Moreno said. ?I think we got 40 or 45 roof estimates to give?to get 2 inches of rain at one time, if you have any kind of leak in your roof, this is the kind of rain that is going to make it show up.?

Along with leaks, retention ponds and stagnant bodies of water are breeding grounds for pesky mosquitoes.

Vector Control officials advises people to stay indoors at dusk and dawn, wear clothing that covers most of your skin, spray plenty of repellant, and drain any standing water within three days of accumulation.

For sandbags, contact your local Volunteer Fire Department ? or – empty bags can be picked up at the Dona Ana County Government Center?s Flood Control Office.