New Mexico braces for more rain as cleanup begins
By AP Wire Service on Sep 16, 2013, at 2:26 AM Updated on 9/16/13 at 6:02 AM
US & World
Washington Navy Yard gunman Aaron Alexis complained to police in Rhode Island last month that people were talking to him through the walls and ceilings of his hotel rooms and sending microwave vibrations into his body.
The gunman in the mass shootings at the Washington Navy Yard, Aaron Alexis, had a history of violent outbursts, and was at least twice accused of firing guns in anger.
ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. (AP) - Another round of rainfall moved across New Mexico on Sunday, renewing the threat of heavy runoff from already saturated soils and flooding in low areas as residents faced a major cleanup effort from damage left in the wake of days of relentless rain.
The National Weather Service warned residents along the Gallinas River in the northeast part of the state that the waterway could swell again.
For a state that has been in the grasp of an unprecedented drought, numerous records have fallen in the past week as floodwaters have broken through dams, inundating neighborhoods and leaving behind muddy swaths of debris.
Some areas received close to 10 inches of rain since the deluge started Tuesday. Parts of Albuquerque have seen more than 4 inches, marking the wettest September on record for the city.
All the rain is helping New Mexico out of the drought, but the cost has been high. State officials estimate the overflowing of rivers and the runoff has caused millions of dollars in damage.
The massive flooding prompted Gov. Susana Martinez to issue a state of emergency Friday, opening up recovery funding for roads.
Heavy rains raised the Gila River by 15 feet in the Gila Cliff Dwellings National Monument area, prompting the closure of the monument and nearby campgrounds. The National Weather Service said more rain in southwestern New Mexico would likely result in flooding along the river into Monday.
The American Red Cross opened shelters in Glenwood and at San Felipe Pueblo on Sunday to help displaced residents and stranded motorists. The organization was also providing drinking water to the communities of La Union in southern New Mexico and Crownpoint on the Navajo Nation.
Original Print Headline: New Mexico goes from drought to deluge
US & World
Washington Navy Yard gunman Aaron Alexis complained to police in Rhode Island last month that people were talking to him through the walls and ceilings of his hotel rooms and sending microwave vibrations into his body.
The gunman in the mass shootings at the Washington Navy Yard, Aaron Alexis, had a history of violent outbursts, and was at least twice accused of firing guns in anger.
