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Albuquerque says its upgraded drainage systems can handle rain
Hard rains falling again
Monsoon rains have dropped more than 2 inches of rain in some parts of the city since July 29 and more precipitation is expected, the National Weather Service says.
Almost 1.5 inches of rain fell Tuesday at Constitution Avenue and Wyoming Boulevard Northeast, while parts of Rio Rancho received 1.7 inches.
On July 29, a smaller storm rolled through the metro area, leaving up to 1.2 inches of rain in the Northeast Heights.
Albuquerque International Sunport has measured 6.86 inches of rain in 2007, 2.3 inches above average for this time of year.
Heavy rain showers are forecast again on Aug. 1, the weather service says.
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Joann Duran has prepared for storm season.
Outside her home in the historic Martineztown neighborhood is a trench about a foot deep and a foot wide surrounding the back door. She and her son dug it to prevent floodwaters from flowing into her house, as occurred last summer.
She said she knows the trench is not enough, but all she can do is pray.
"I'm scared," she said. "I'm really scared it's going to do damage again."
Duran is not alone.
Residents of Martineztown and Barelas, two neighborhoods surrounding Downtown, are worried they'll see a repeat of last summer, when two large storms inundated homes in the neighborhoods.
The two storms — considered events that happen once a century — and the areas' poor drainage systems are to blame for the flooding.
But city officials say about $4 million in improvements in Barelas and Martineztown over the last year are an attempt to prevent similar flooding, if heavy rains fall again.
Ed Adams, the city's chief operations officer, said systems in both neighborhoods are now capable of containing and removing more water after big rainstorms.
"It is better prepared than last year," Adams said, "but you have to understand that last year they were subjected to two 100-year storms — that is taxing the absolute limits of that system."
The storms on July 31 and Aug. 13, 2006, dumped about 2 inches of rain in a short period of time, National Weather Service records show. The floodwaters drained out of the higher parts of the city toward the Rio Grande, overwhelming huge pumps designed to move runoff from drainage canals into the river.
Since then, the city has built a surge pond in Barelas that can hold 8.1 million gallons of water, officials said.
The pond at Tingley Park was made by lowering the ground by 4 feet and is designed to contain the floodwater if the pumping stations are overworked, Adams said.
Soon the pond will also serve as a park, providing two softball fields, two football fields and a play area.
The city also placed screens in the pumping stations, Adams said. The screens filter debris so the pumps aren't clogged by paper cups and 2x4's.
Joseph Mendez of Barelas said he fears the improvements aren't enough.
The rains are "going to be coming soon," Mendez said. "And what's going to happen? It's going to flood."
More help is on the way, state Rep. Rick Miera said. Miera, a Democrat whose district includes Martineztown and a portion of Barelas, sponsored legislation to appropriate $40 million to Rio Grande Flood Control.
Miera said the money will go toward surge ponds in Martineztown and improving the pumps in both neighborhoods.
Martineztown is dense with houses and businesses, so there are few areas for surge ponds, which makes it more costly, he said.
That may help in the future, but Duran said she wants to see the improvements now. Last summer, it cost her $3,000 to replace damaged carpet with tile. She said flooding wouldn't be tolerated in nicer areas of town.
"They help everyone else, but because we live in this area, they don't help us out," she said. "It's because of where we live."
But even though heavy rains fell Sunday and Tuesday, her neighborhood hasn't flooded again.
