Evacuation orders expand across north Doña Ana County as flooding worsens
Doña Ana County has issued evacuation orders for Placitas, Hatch, Rincon, Salem and Garfield as flooding closes roads and officials urge residents to leave before conditions worsen.
Placitas, Hatch, Rincon, Salem and Garfield are under evacuation orders, with shelters open in Radium Springs and Doña Ana as heavy rain and flooding continue to affect roads
Organ Mountain News report
HATCH - Evacuation orders expanded across northern Doña Ana County on Tuesday night as worsening weather and flooding prompted officials to urge residents and visitors in Placitas, Hatch, Rincon, Salem and Garfield to leave for safer areas.
Doña Ana County issued the latest evacuation order for Placitas after previously ordering evacuations in Hatch, Rincon, Salem and Garfield.
Residents and visitors in all five communities are strongly encouraged to evacuate now rather than wait for conditions to worsen, according to the county.
Officials are directing evacuees toward Interstate 25.
Two shelters are available for residents who need somewhere to go:
Radium Springs Community Resource Center, 12060 Lindbeck Road
Doña Ana Community Resource Center, 5745 Ledesma Drive
The American Red Cross is assisting at the Radium Springs location.
County officials are asking residents leaving their homes to take essential medications, identification, important documents, necessary supplies and items for children and pets.
The evacuation area expanded throughout the afternoon and evening.
Salem and Garfield were initially placed under evacuation notices before Rincon was added. Hatch was first placed in the READY stage of the county’s “Ready, Set, Go” evacuation system, then moved to an evacuation order as conditions deteriorated. Placitas was added later Tuesday night.
Flooding is also affecting travel in the area.
The New Mexico Department of Transportation reported that NM 187 between mile markers 6 and 8, from about one mile north of Salem to about two miles south of Garfield, is closed because water and debris have made the roadway impassable.
I-25 near Hatch, which had previously been affected, was open as of the latest NMDOT update.
Transportation officials are also reporting difficult driving conditions and road closures elsewhere in southern New Mexico because of heavy rain, running water and debris.
Doña Ana County officials said evacuation areas, road conditions and available resources may continue to change as the storm develops.
