El Pasoans woke up to overcast skies and slick roadways as monsoonal storms moved into the region.
Rainfall swept through the Borderland on Wednesday, June 25, bringing measurable precipitation across the region. By the early afternoon, the El Paso International Airport had recorded 0.78 inches of rain. In Northeast El Paso, some roadways flooded as totals reached up to 2.21 inches, according to the National Weather Service.
El Paso and southern New Mexico remained under a flood watch through midnight Thursday, June 26.
The last time the airport picked up three-quarters of an inch of rain or more was in July 2024, said Connor Dennhardt, meteorologist with the National Weather Service in El Paso.
“There’s a plume of moisture moving out of the south that is just sitting around,” Dennhardt said. “We have abundant moisture, and have a chance for thunderstorms pretty much every day moving forward.”
Wednesday’s early morning storms caused water to accumulate on roadways, especially in flood-prone areas. All lanes on Gateway North and McCombs were closed for a few hours because of high water, while drivers used caution while traveling near Paisano and Executive Center Boulevard.
All lanes were also closed in both directions on I-10 East and West at Paisano Drive after a crash involving a semitruck on Wednesday. The crash caused backup on the freeway for hours as crews cleared the scene.
“I think it’s important for folks to know that when you get heavy rain, it takes time to drain that,” Dennhardt said. “Especially here in a desert city that doesn’t deal with a lot of heavy rain those streets can fill up really quickly.”
While storm coverage could be hit and miss, chances will stick around into the weekend, Dennhardt said.
Drivers should always give themselves more time if traveling during storms.
“The big thing when you have wet roads is to slow down,” Dennhardt said. “We’re not used to hydroplaning too much since it’s been three straight years of lackluster monsoon seasons. Know that hydroplaning does occur when you’re going a little too fast.”
Natassia Paloma may be reached at npaloma@gannett.com, @NatassiaPaloma on Twitter; natassia_paloma on Instagram, and Natassia Paloma Thompson on Facebook.
This article originally appeared on El Paso Times: How much rain did we get? Storm sends more than 2 inches in parts of El Paso
Reporting by Natassia Paloma, El Paso Times / El Paso Times
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