Albuquerque –
Against the backdrop of the Marble Arno Pump Station, City of Albuquerque officials provided the media with an update about the historic flash flood that took the Duke City by surprise.
On June 29th, 2024, a record rainfall of around 1.48” surprised the Albuquerque metro area with a fast downpour, causing flash floods in and around metro streets. Albuquerque Police and Albuquerque Fire Rescue responded quickly to shut down streets that posed dangers for vehicles and pedestrians.
Albuquerque Mayor Tim Keller and department leaders provided a recap of what happened during the night of the 29th and the early morning hours of the 30th. One of the key revelations was that the newly constructed Marble Arno Pump Station experienced a failure and did not start pumping water until at least 1:30 AM after a manual reset.
“The water authority got the pumps on about 1:30 AM, and you can see how effective it is,” said Mayor Keller as he pointed behind him to the Marble Arno Pump Station water pond area.
He went on to say that the City will ensure it is properly prepared for the next time. A mere half-hour more without the pump station working would have been catastrophic for the nearby neighborhoods.
The Albuquerque Police Department (APD) and Albuquerque Fire Rescue (AFR) responded to calls across Albuquerque. Emergency crews shut down dangerous roads and assisted people in need. AFR responded to 142 calls for service during the four-hour period between 8:00 p.m. and midnight. They typically respond to 260 calls during an entire 24 hour period. AFR conducted several operations, including assisting people who were stranded in their cars. Rescue workers helped a group from an American Legion Post get to safety, and also set up patrols along arroyos to keep people safe from flash flooding.
The Department of Municipal Development (DMD) called in 11 extra personnel to assist all over the city with flooding, power outages, and street maintenance, using:
- 2 vector trucks to pump out storm drains
- 6 sweeper trucks to push water into sewers
- 4 pump trucks to get water out of ponding areas
- 2 scraper trucks to channel water
City officials said several city owned facilities were affected by minor flooding and water damage including APD’s and city halls basements, but they do not expect it to interrupt business operations or services. It is unclear what damage private citizens experienced with the flash flooding.