Doña Ana County lifted evacuation orders for most agricultural communities of Hatch Valley late Tuesday evening after storms passed. Only Rincon has remained under evacuation orders as of early Wednesday.
Residents of Hatch, Placitas, Salem, and Garfield were allowed to return. However, officials urged caution due to debris, damaged roads, and residual flooding in the area.
Heavy thunderstorms from moisture left behind by Hurricane Polo dumped heavy rain across northern Doña Ana County on Tuesday.
The National Weather Service reported rates as high as 2 to 4 inches per hour in the Hatch and Rincon Valley, prompting a flash flood emergency after dam operators reported signs of potential failure at McLeod Dam, also known locally as Garfield Dam, on the McLeod Arroyo.
County officials initially ordered evacuations for the agricultural communities of Salem, Garfield and Rincon. The order later expanded Tuesday to include the village of Hatch, with a population of about 1,500 to 1,600, and the smaller community of Placitas.
“Residents in the affected areas are strongly encouraged to evacuate now and move to a safe location before conditions worsen,” county officials said in alerts. They directed residents to use Interstate 25 and told them to take needed medications, identification, important documents, supplies, and items for children and pets.
Two shelters opened, including the Radium Springs Community Resource Center at 12060 Lindbeck Road and the Doña Ana Community Resource Center at 5745 Ledesma Drive. The American Red Cross assisted at the Radium Springs site.
The New Mexico Department of Transportation closed several roads because of flooding and debris, including stretches of New Mexico Highway 187 between Salem and Garfield, New Mexico Highway 185, and New Mexico Highway 140 as they are impassable and dangerous.
County spokesperson Ariana Parra said a small piping failure at McLeod Dam had been mitigated and no water was exiting the structure.
Because roads were impassable, transportation was limited, and flooding was widespread, Hatch Valley Public Schools canceled classes on Wednesday. “We made this decision to keep our students safe while giving flooded or muddy roads time to dry out,” the district said in a statement.
But flood watches are still in effect for parts of New Mexico into Wednesday as soils stay saturated.
