A round of heavy rain and flash flooding in East El Paso knocked out power to thousands, closed a stretch of roadway, and left nearby intersections without working traffic signals.
Here's what to know
According to KVIA, El Paso Electric, the local utility, said heavy rainfall moving through parts of El Paso left thousands of customers without electricity. The outages were concentrated in far East El Paso, where flooding also affected surrounding roads.
In that same area, flooding led to the closure of westbound Montana Avenue at Justice and Tierra Este, the Texas Department of Transportation said, per KVIA.
While storm-related outages can be temporary, they still have immediate consequences for households that rely on refrigeration, air conditioning, internet service, and powered medical devices.
More background
The utility is currently working to restore service, and transportation officials are addressing unsafe road conditions.
Flooding and power loss often go hand in hand during intense rainfall events, as water can damage or submerge electricity infrastructure, short-circuit underground lines, and make it harder for repair crews to safely reach affected areas.
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In fast-growing metro regions, even localized flooding can impact traffic well beyond the streets that are underwater. Nonfunctional traffic signals are especially concerning because they increase the likelihood of crashes in already stressful conditions.
Flooded roads can also hide deeper water than drivers expect, raising the risk of stalled vehicles, emergency rescues, and costly damage.
In general, communities benefit from stronger stormwater infrastructure, more resilient power systems, and emergency planning that accounts for heavier rain and sudden outages. This only becomes even more important as climate change fuels more extreme weather events, like heavy rainfall.
Investments in drainage, grid reliability, and public warning systems can all make a major difference when the next storm hits.
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