Permanent Flood Fix on the Table for Northeast Albuquerque

1/31/2019 (Permalink)

ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. —An Albuquerque family made some big changes to their northeast home to make sure their garage and backyard doesn't flood during monsoon season -- and more permanent help is on the way.

Sasha Patton said her family has spent almost a year and thousands of dollars creating barriers around her house, and funnels through the property where water can flood.

"We haven't stopped," Patton said. "We have done project, after project, after project. If it floods and we're home, we can sit in the window and drink a cup of coffee and not have to worry about it anymore."

Patton and her family made the expensive changes because last May, gallons of rainwater rushed through her garage into the backyard, after a storm drain on her street was overwhelmed.

She caught the whole storm on camera.

After the damage was done, the Albuquerque Metropolitan Arroyo Flood Control Authority, or AMAFCA, took notice.

Engineers began to look at whether the neighborhoods near Constitution and Washington NE were in a flood plain.

AMAFCA said in a report it found there are several neighborhoods with the same problem because when it starts to rain really heavily, all of the water drains down the street to the lowest point. At the lowest point are many homes and businesses.

Now, AMAFCA is working on a solution. A spokesperson said the idea of a holding pond is in the initial report. It could hold the monsoon rain water, but any solution is still years and millions of dollars away.

Patton said that's why they're prepared.

"We've done everything to keep ourselves safe," Patton said.