Belen Queva stood in a garage on Calle Kryshanna with a couple of inches of water pooled around him, and Santa Fe County floods also pushed water beneath his home on Tuesday afternoon. County crews closed several rural roads later in the day as rain kept falling across southern Santa Fe.
Queva said, "It's not good," while wading through the water and added, "We need help to get this water out." Javier Amaya slowly made his way across flooded Calle Kryshanna, while Evangelina Torres looked out over a retention pond where water had spilled into streets toward homes. Benjamin Vasquez tried to pump water away from his home and avoid stepping into his flooded backyard.
Calle Kryshanna and the Tierra Real Mobile Home Community
Monday night, rainwater swept down the streets of the Tierra Real Mobile Home Community off Airport Road on Santa Fe's south side. In other parts of Calle Kryshanna, the water reached at least ankle-deep levels before Tuesday afternoon brought more pooling in garages and yards.
City of Santa Fe crews prepared to pump water flooding Calle Kryshanna that afternoon. The closures added another layer of disruption for residents trying to reach homes in the area, especially where water was already moving under houses and across backyards.
National Weather Service flood watch
A statewide National Weather Service flood watch remained in effect through at least Wednesday morning, and meteorologists expected 1 to 3 inches of rain in most areas over two days. Jonathan Porter of AccuWeather said, "In some places, especially in New Mexico, this may be the most dangerous flash flooding risk in the last 5 years or more, underscoring the importance of watching for and avoiding rapidly rising water," a warning that matched the scene on Calle Kryshanna.
The immediate question for residents is how much more water will fall before the rain eases. The flooding already reached garages, yards and streets, and the county closures show the response is still focused on keeping people away from the worst-affected rural roads rather than reopening them early.
