NEW MEXICO (KRQE) – The New Mexico Department of Transportation (NMDOT) would like to remind motorists of the hazards of flash flooding. As the snow melts and monsoon season approaches, the risk of flash flooding increases significantly.
According to the NMDOT District Four, flash floods in 2022 were especially detrimental in northeastern New Mexico. The department advises motorists to avoid traveling through flooded areas, reminding community members that as little as six inches of water can cause loss of control for vehicles.
The NMDOT also says that being hit by moving debris in the flooding is likely and can be deadly. Motorists are advised to “Turn Around Don’t Drown,” as the NMDOT emphasizes, “it’s not worth crossing a flooded roadway.”
The department is taking preventative measures for flooding, stating, “The district has made efforts to aid in the prevention of roadway flooding by cleaning culverts and roadways in addition to installing roadway structures. The department has also contracted blading and shaping work, within state right of way, to improve and rehabilitate drainage on roadsides.”
