Soggy Saturday Creates Problems For Drivers, Residents
Flooding rains paid a visit to the Borderland Saturday, causing problems for some residents and many drivers.
The bad weather didn’t stick around for very long, but it was sudden and severe, leaving quite a mess for drivers and even some flooded-out homeowners.
From the threatening clouds on the west side, to the pounding rain near Transmountain, people across town will tell you – it was ugly.
“It was pretty heavy. Like a tsunami,” said two boys who happened to be at Western Playland. The rains forced the park to shut down for the day.
Meanwhile, wet streets led to a close call on Executive Center Boulevard, when a truck rolled onto its side. Thankfully, both passengers walked away.
And over in the Sunland Park area, it was a mess, especially for one person. “The businesses get flooded, the houses get flooded, and it costs us all a lot of money. This is probably gonna put me out of business all week,” said Gary Wirs.
Joe Soto was helping his elderly mother clean up after the washout. “She says, ‘come on, hurry up, the water’s coming in.’ So there we go, coming back over here,” he said.
And though city crews worked to relieve the worst of the flooding, “it all comes down from Doniphan Drive and the drainage just won’t handle it, never has,” said Wirs.
El Paso Water Utilities does provide free sandbags for people to protect their homes against flooding, but they don’t hand any out over the weekend – the best bet is to pick some up during the work week.
