Storm damages SF roads, city facilities

SANTA FE — A heavy rainstorm parked over Santa Fe for about an hour Monday night, resulting in a flash flood that overflowed streets, the Santa Fe River and arroyos with raging waters that caused damage to homes and city facilities and infrastructure.

City Manager Erik Litzenberg said in a late-night statement that the flooding led to “multiple rescue, mitigation and prevention efforts,” but there were no reports of loss of life or major injuries. He said there “will obviously be a number of Santa Fe’s neighborhoods within which homes and infrastructure will need to be stabilized and repaired.”

City crews were expected to work through the night, and there will be an “all-hands effort” today to clear roads and repair damage, Litzenberg said.

“We’re seeing flash floods all over town!” Mayor Alan Webber tweeted during the storm. “Don’t drive through standing water!”

Residents posted video and photos of the high water. One picture of a city vehicle yard showed water above the tires of a city bus and several shuttle vans. KOAT-TV received video of what appeared to be a rescue operation, with officers trying to get into a car with water up to the door handles.

The Santa Fe County Sheriff’s Office said part of Richards Avenue on the city’s south side was closed temporarily during the storm and that there was flooding throughout the county.

The storm hit roughly between 7-8 p.m. and also caused a power outage over part of town. There was no official report of how much rain fell, but there were reports that 2-3 inches came down.