Rainfall monitoring system to help flood warnings

The Doa Ana County Flood Commission – in conjunction with the National Weather Service and other entities – has installed the first series of rainfall monitoring stations in Doa Ana County, data which is available for viewing on the Internet.

The placement of the monitoring sites is designed to predict flooding and enable a warning system for residents who may be in danger.

Doa Ana County Flood Commission Director Paul Dugie said the main goal is to always keep people safe

“Our job is to primarily to save lives,” Dugie said. “What we want to do is get people out of harms way.”

The new system will help residents monitor rainfall in upstream areas all through the computer.

Residents of low-lying areas already know that it can be dry as a bone where they live, but if heavy rainfall is occurring in upstream areas, they can be at risk for flooding when the arroyos run,” Dugie said. “We view this system as one more important tool to protect lives and properties.”

The rainfall gauges all send data to a central tower on A Mountain east of Las Cruces, and a transmitter on that tower relays the information to the Doa Ana County Government Center, where it’s posted onto the Internet at https://donaana.onerain.com

Upon full implementation – which is estimated to be completed in 2017 – there will be 30 remote weather stations, stream gauges and water-level monitoring stations located throughout Doa Ana County, all of which will be linked to the National Weather Service and to other gauges in southern New Mexico and El Paso County.

Dugie estimated that about $130,000 worth of equipment has already been integrated into the system, with an annual maintenance budget of about $30,000. In addition, he said his office has hired a flood warning system operator to oversee the system and its maintenance, both in the field and from the Doa Ana County Government Center.