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Eddy County officials outline flood response, urge residents not to drive through high water
Summary
Office of Emergency Management and Public Works described recent flooding, swift-water rescue needs, road closures, and plans for low-water crossing mapping and public alerts; officials urged residents to avoid driving through floodwaters.
Eddy County emergency officials described the county's flood response on Tuesday, detailing recent rainfall totals, swift-water rescue demands, road closures and plans to improve mapping and public alerts.
Office of Emergency Management staff told the Board of County Commissioners the county coordinated briefings with the National Weather Service, daily road condition assessments and multi-agency field drives to identify hazards and decide where to position signage and personnel. “We encourage the public not to drive through a flooded area,” OEM staff said during the presentation.
The presentation said rainfall from June 1 through July 11 ranged from about 3.77 inches in Artesia to 7.47 inches at the Caverns site, and that swift-water rescues can require four to a dozen rescuers and several hours depending on the incident. OEM representatives showed photos of washed-out crossings and urged residents to follow public-safety alerts distributed via social media, text messages, radio and the county website.
Public Works Director Hazer Archer described road-closure procedures and resource allocation: dispatch notifies supervisory staff, crews and equipment are identified based on severity, signs are posted and OEM pushes closure notices so emergency services do not travel closed routes. Archer said the county keeps a road crew on-call 24/7 and rotates supervisory coverage so managers can be reached any time.
Officials noted there are roughly 134 low-water crossings and 11 fords (“bridal” in the presentation). OEM said it is working to improve GIS mapping of those crossings so fire departments and sheriff’s units have a ready list of problematic locations to check during storms. The county is also evaluating outside early-warning siren expansions and signage placement on frequently flooded roads.
Archer described instances where drivers ignored barricades and drove across closed crossings, and said the county is testing gated closures on recurring problem areas to reduce dangerous crossings and repeated emergency responses. He asked residents to “turn around, don’t drown,” and reminded the public that six inches of moving water can reach the bottom of a passenger vehicle and one foot of water can move it off the road.
The county demonstrated its interagency coordination during the storms, listing participation by Eddy County Fire and Rescue, Carlsbad Fire Department, the sheriff’s office, OEM, Public Works and local dispatch. Officials said they have a text group for chiefs to share photos and updates, and they maintain relationships with local radio stations to disseminate rapid notices.
Officials said the county documents conditions with before/after photographs to support potential FEMA declarations. OEM recommended residents sign up for emergency alerts and noted the county plans to produce a low-water crossing map for first responders and search the possibility of expanding community education about flood safety.
