EL PASO, Texas (KTSM) — Several residents at the intersection of Palomino Street and Laramie Circle in Northeast El Paso had their homes flooded early Wednesday morning, June 25, as a result of severe thundershowers overnight.
“So, we were asleep when we found the cars, and everything outside was flooded, and we couldn’t do anything but watch the water around us,” said Ana Perez, a resident who lives at one of the corner houses of the intersection.
“It was about 2.5 hours before the water drained because it was packed with trash,” she added.
Perez shared the following images, which show the first floor of her house flooded. Outside, five of her family’s vehicles were almost entirely submerged in water, and they said none of them start anymore.
Several other neighbors north and south of Palomino Street also had their houses flooded. The sidewalks were littered with mud and trash.
Houses and vehicles had linear marks that showed how high the water rose. Neighbors had placed sandbags in front of their doors and windows overnight to no avail.
Perez and her neighbors said this is not the first time that the intersection has experienced severe flooding.
They said the flooding began back in 2021, when a bridge was built along Laramie Circle to connect Palomino Street with the adjacent block of Hidden Villas Street, which is located at a higher elevation.
“We cannot live like this. This is not fair. We pay our taxes. We do everything we have to do, and we cannot even be comfortable in our own homes. We don’t feel safe in our houses,” Perez said.
Perez and her neighbors urged the City of El Paso to take action and help address the situation.
City of El Paso officials said the bridge in the neighborhood was built by a private developer during the subdivision’s construction.
In a statement sent to KTSM, they also confirmed that plans are in the works to address drainage issues in the area.
“The City is aware of the drainage issues at Palomino Street and Laramie Circle and is collaborating with El Paso Water, which maintains stormwater infrastructure, to improve drainage in the area. A proposed construction project to make drainage enhancements is in the procurement phase.”
City Representative for District 4, Cynthia Boyar Trejo, where the neighborhood resides, confirmed that the City is in the procurement phase of the construction project, and detailed efforts made by city crews to alleviate flooding Wednesday morning.
Boyar Trejo sent the following statement:
“My office is aware of the concerns of residents over flooding issues caused by the excessive rainfall. City crews were working in coordination with the El Paso Water utility to respond to the weather event. Crews were deployed to areas that needed immediate water removal and to clean up inlets and drainage systems. The utility used heavy equipment to remove standing water from high-traffic areas.
“The Environmental Services Department deployed crews from median maintenance and beautification services to assist in collecting loose trash that had washed up on streets from collection bins carried away by stormwater runoff. The Streets and Maintenance Department also dispatched crews to assist in removing trash and large debris from roadways. Street sweeping will be scheduled to collect remaining debris and slit once the weather permits
“We appreciate the community’s continued patience and will remain engaged throughout this process. The public should dial 9-1-1 for emergencies, and they may call the water utility to report stormwater issues at (915) 594-5500.”
Perez said they have lived at their corner home for 25 years, but despite the memories, she doesn’t feel they can continue to recover from floods happening every other year.
“We’re talking about a lot of money that we don’t have. We don’t have the energy anymore to be dealing with this,” Perez said. “To be honest, I don’t really want to live here anymore. I don’t want to deal with this anymore. Even though it’s our home, it’s been our home for so long, I don’t really want to be here anymore.”
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