Massive wall of mud buries vehicles, kills animals in Clint

Maria Sanchez is moved to tears as she looked at her property and her home in far east El Paso County.

“One night we are going to wake up and we are in the middle of the arroyo. That’s what I am afraid of. I have family that I have to think about,” Sanchez said.

Torrential rain Thursday afternoon caused a nearby arroyo to overflow its banks. The flooding caused parts of Sanchez’s yard to collapse. The water came just feet from her house.

“It was breathtaking because it caused a lot of damage,” Sanchez said.

Jim Murillo rushed to try and help.

“I brought some sandbags to try and help them out, try to keep the water from going inside. We put it in the doorways, we put some dirt on the entrance to try to stop the water from coming in,” Murillo said.

Sanchez’s neighbors are in a similar situation.

Ruben Navarette lives in Clint. He was at work when the flood hit his neighborhood, bringing a wall of mud with it.

“They were able to save our dog,” Navarette said.

Navarette’s neighbors were not able to save his other animals.

“Not the sheep or the chickens. They didn’t have a chance. Not with this. It happened so fast I guess. That’s what it looks like,” Navarette said.

There is a six-foot fence at the edge of his property. The mud is covering all but a foot it. Navarette and his family have to duck to walk under their nine-foot carport. Their pickup truck is covered up to the windows with mud.

“It came from the landfill. That’s what I hear from my neighbor. The gates may have been open the wrong side or something like that. And the water came to the wrong direction which was down to where all these homes are,” Navarette said.

Navarette and his family are unable to stay in their home and with the threat of more rain, Sanchez isn’t taking any chances with her loved ones.

“I told them we need to pack some clothes and put them in the vehicles in case of anything. We need to drive off,” Sanchez said.

The Clint Fire Department offered help to people and TxDOT worked to clear some roads. But there is a lot of damage and a lot of cleanup still ahead.