Here comes the monsoon

Water rushed down the arroyos Tuesday afternoon as scattered rainstorms pelted the city after months of dryness, with flash flooding reported and parts of the Northeast Heights getting as much as 2 inches.

Monday and Tuesday marked the first measurable rainfall at the Sunport since May 21 with a .25-inch, the official count according to the National Weather Service, falling Tuesday. Totals varied across the city, however, with the Northeast Heights receiving 1 to 2 inches; the West Side, near the petroglyphs, getting .25 to .5 inches; and Downtown .25 to .4 inches.

These summer showers follow the driest July on record at the Albuquerque airport. Though the monsoon season lasts from mid-June to the end of September, NWS meteorologist Todd Shoemake said, “We’ve had a very slow start” to the season.

Climate models suggest that the latter part of August and into September will see more precipitation and thunderstorms, Shoemake said.

The frequency of storms during the monsoon season can be compared to the hurricane season, Shoemake said.

“Just because hurricane season spans from June all the way through November, it doesn’t mean you’re gonna have hurricanes in all of those months,” Shoemake said. “It just means that that’s the time to kind of be prepared for the impacts during that season.”

The monsoon season is much the same, with rain and thunderstorms expected but never guaranteed.

Albuquerque Fire Rescue responded to a call at approximately 2:20 p.m. Tuesday about two people trapped in the tunnels of the arroyo between Interstate 40 and Lomas NE when the water hit. Upon arrival, AFR found a male and female who had pulled themselves from the arroyo and were unharmed.

Along I-40, water flowing down the arroyo shot high into the air as it hit the supports of an overhead pedestrian bridge, KRQE reported.

Lanes on I-40 have been closed for emergency repairs after the force of the water caused structural damage to the arroyo and the San Pedro bridge, according to the New Mexico Department of Transportation. The lanes are expected to remain closed through Wednesday.

A large piece of concrete swept away by the water crashed into the structural support of the San Pedro bridge over I-40, according to a spokesperson for the city’s Department of Municipal Development. The extent of the damage is unknown.

The bridge was closed at 4 p.m. Tuesday and it is uncertain when it will reopen. Drivers are advised to avoid the area.

At Menaul and Moon in Northeast Albuquerque, the Weather Service received reports of flash flooding causing cars to be stranded.

Arroyos across the city quickly filled, with the Embudo Arroyo reaching 12 feet of water and the North Diversion Channel reaching 8 feet, according to Albuquerque Metropolitan Arroyo Flood Control Authority cameras. AFR Swift Water Rescue teams assembled at the North Diversion Channel near Menaul, prepared with ropes and harnesses should someone be caught in the current.