New Mexico orders evacuations over McLeod Dam threat

New Mexico officials ordered evacuations between Salem and Garfield on Tuesday, September 29, after the National Weather Service warned that McLeod Dam in Doña Ana County was at imminent risk of failure and urged people in low-lying areas to move to higher ground. The flash flood emergency covered rural areas below the dam, including portions of Highways 187 and 390 and nearby drainage and irrigation channels. The weather service described the danger as life-threatening. Doña Ana County officials ordered evacuations in the affected area, though the supplied reports do not establish how many people left or how long the orders remained in effect. An evacuation shelter was reported at the Radium Springs community facility in Las Cruces. The warning followed heavy rain and rising water pressure, as the remnants of Hurricane Polo brought tropical moisture into the region. Officials warned that a dam break could send floodwaters through areas downstream along McLeod Arroyo. The reports available by Wednesday, September 30, did not establish whether McLeod Dam ultimately held or failed. Nor did they confirm the final extent of flooding or damage in communities below the dam.