On Saturday evening, Oct. 24, a reservoir overflow near Dawnlight Lane in northwest El Paso sent floodwater into a residential neighborhood, forcing the evacuation of 16 homes, according to the City of El Paso Office of Emergency Management (source: hoodline).
City crews also conducted a water rescue of a vehicle stranded on South Desert Boulevard, and the rescued vehicle was later moved to a safe area with no injuries reported (hoodline). The Emergency Operations Center was activated at Level 3 to coordinate the response.
The American Red Cross and Sun Metro were called in to assist displaced families, and officials confirmed that all evacuated residents have a place to stay (hoodline; lufkindailynews). El Paso Water deployed water‑vacuum trucks to help clear the flooding, while water‑rescue teams remain staged across the city as a precaution (lufkindailynews).
A severe thunderstorm watch issued by the National Weather Service covered El Paso, Hudspeth and Culberson counties in far West Texas and much of New Mexico from Doña Ana County to Bernalillo County. The watch remained in effect until 6 a.m. Sunday, with forecasters warning of heavy rain, large hail and localized flash flooding (hoodline; lufkindailynews). The service identified large hail as the primary threat and projected up to three inches of rain in some areas.
The weather also forced an early end to the city’s Día de los Muertos celebration downtown, with organizers canceling all outdoor activities while museums stayed open with free programming until 8 p.m. (hoodline; kvia).
City officials noted that the current response is informed by memories of the historic 2006 floods, which caused more than $315 million in damage. Since establishing its Stormwater Utility in 2008, the utility has invested over $400 million in storm‑water infrastructure, including the Will Ruth Pond project, the largest detention pond in the utility’s history, designed to protect northeast El Paso from future flooding (hoodline; KTSM).
What’s next: The flood watch remains active until early Sunday morning, and city officials say they will continue monitoring conditions, maintaining water‑rescue teams on standby and providing shelter assistance as needed. Residents are urged to avoid driving through standing water and to stay informed of any further weather updates.
Sources: kvia.com, kvia.com, hoodline.com, lufkindailynews.com
