Note: This story will be updated as more information becomes available.
Officials in New Mexico, Arizona, Texas and other western states are preparing for the aftermath of Hurricane Polo, which pummeled Mexico on Tuesday and kept barreling toward the U.S. border. Projections from the National Weather Service show strong winds and rainfall could reach the two U.S. states this evening. Also, El Paso, Texas, home to the massive Fort Bliss Army post and Ciudad Juárez in Mexico are directly in the storm path projected by federal forecasters.
The Category 5 hurricane made landfall as a less-strong Category 2 on Monday. At its height, it was dubbed “one of the strongest storms ever.” Despite being downgraded, officials across the region are already bracing for the impacts of the heavy winds and rains, which could bring immediate and lingering flooding as far away as Colorado, Utah and Nevada, depending on the path the storm takes.
“Significant flash flooding” is a major concern across the region, says Andrew Orrison, a meteorologist with the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration.
“The more immediate threat is across central and southern New Mexico and even back in areas of Arizona where, currently, there’s active flash flooding going on right now,” Orrison said.
The National Hurricane Center’s latest advisory predicts that the storm, which crossed Baja California on a northeastern path, will no longer be a hurricane by the time it reaches the U.S.
Its path towards El Paso led city officials to declare an increased level of readiness at its emergency operations center.
In the day or so ahead, southern parts of Colorado and Utah could also get considerable rain, as a result of the storm’s remnants.
The New Mexico National Guard said it’s being prepositioned to respond to flooding and other hazards ahead of the storm’s arrival in that state.
It’s already preparing to provide local first responders with manpower and specialized vehicles that can navigate floodwaters, like Light Medium Tactical Vehicles, which the National Guard says can traverse up to three feet of water.
“Given the potential for another round of heavy rainfall across New Mexico, we have positioned our swiftwater rescue teams and high-water-capable vehicles in key locations throughout the state so we can respond quickly when and where we are needed,” said Maj. Gen. Miguel Aguilar, adjutant general of New Mexico. “Our Soldiers and Airmen are trained, equipped and ready to support our state and local partners and, most importantly, help protect the lives and safety of our fellow New Mexicans.”
Additionally, Nevada Task Force One deployed on Tuesday morning to New Mexico to assist with anticipated flash flooding. The 45-member water-rescue team is equipped with multiple boats and includes personnel from Las Vegas Fire & Rescue, Clark County Fire Department, North Las Vegas Fire Department, Boulder City Fire Department, Henderson Fire Department and civilian volunteers.
The team is one of 28 federal urban search and rescue squads across the country and is currently the only team assigned to help New Mexico, as well as Arizona.
Their deployment could last up to two weeks, the task force said on Facebook.
Another one of those federal teams, Oklahoma Task Force One, sent two swiftwater rescue teams, one from Oklahoma City and one from Tulsa, to New Mexico.
“Our crews brought boats and equipment to support search and rescue operations in communities affected by flooding,” the task force wrote on Facebook. “Please keep the people of New Mexico and our deployed members in your thoughts.”
Drought conditions across the West are stoking additional concerns about flooding and mudslides, as dry soils can’t soak up rainwater as well.
“A lot of that water that falls into the soil is just going to run right off of it," Gillian Felton, a meteorologist with the National Weather Service, told the Mountain West News Bureau this summer.
As far away as Denver, the National Weather Service on Tuesday issued a flood watch for areas around the city and its expansive metro area. Some surrounding communities on Colorado’s Eastern Plains and in the foothills along the Front Range of the Rocky Mountains are included in that watch, which is expected to extend through Thursday morning as the storm continues its northward march.
Monsoon-related flooding earlier this week in Bullhead City near the Arizona and Nevada border, along the Colorado River basin, already prompted several water rescues. Similar challenging conditions are expected to continue regionally because of hurricane-related weather.
The National Weather Service advises people not to drive through flooded areas: “Turn around, don’t drown when encountering flooded roads. Most flood deaths occur in vehicles.”
