Rain soaks area

link Courtesy photo: Karen Mestas

U.S. 84 between Fort Sumner and Santa Rosa is closed after rainfall Tuesday caused the Alamogordo Creek to back up.

Staff report

Clovis and Portales received nearly one inch of rain each during Tuesday morning’s thunderstorms.

Although scattered flooding was reported in Portales, city officials in Clovis reported only standing water from the steady rain that began about 8 p.m. Monday and continued through early afternoon Tuesday.

De Baca County officials, however, were forced to close a section of U.S. 84 between Fort Sumner and Santa Rosa. Alamogordo Creek swelled above its banks near its flow into Sumner Lake. The section of road was expected to remain closed at least through a portion of the day.

Cannon Air Force Base recorded a total of .90 inches over a 12 hour period Tuesday, according to Troy Marshall, a meteorological technician at the National Weather Service’s Albuquerque office.

Marshall said a site one mile west of Portales recorded a total of .84 inches.

According to Marshall, Clovis and Portales are forecast to have isolated showers and thunderstorms through Tuesday.

The current amount of rainfall hasn’t caused any significant flooding in Clovis said Justin Howalt, city engineer for Clovis.

Howalt said the areas most prone to flooding in Clovis are the Dennis Chavez Park’s playa lake and U.S. 60/84 up through First Street and Mabry Drive.

Howalt said that flooding on highway 60/84 happens when the drainage system is overloaded and the roads in the area have to be blocked off until the system catches up.

The area around Dennis Chavez has to be pumped so water can go into be directed back into the city’s drainage system, according to Howalt.

link Staff photo: Tony Bullocks

Dawn Hall of Clovis was able to keep a smile on her face despite the heavy downpour Tuesday morning in front of Walmart. Hall said he had to come out in the rain to buy diapers and a birthday gift for her daughter.

Howalt said the city is in the process of reevaluating the city’s master drainage plan in an effort to prevent future flooding.

Howalt said in the event of flooding, citizens can request sandbags from the city to hold back flood waters in the city’s flood prone areas.