By Molly Ann Howell
Managing Editor
A sudden downpour dropped 1.6 inches of rain on Gallup in less than an hour on Sept. 14, triggering major flooding across the area.
Mayor Marc DePauli attributed most of the damage to the city’s backed-up drainage infrastructure.
“Usually, we would get half an inch in an hour, and the system could handle it. But with over an inch now—and almost two inches in late July—the volume overwhelms the drainage system, especially when trash, debris, and overgrown vegetation already compromise it,” DePauli said.
In response, city crews spent most of Sept. 14 clearing clogged channels to restore flow.
The recurring deluge has left local business owners frustrated. Leo Flores, owner of Cha’ahh Milk Tea Cafe, said the storm caught him completely off guard.
“This was a very unexpected flood. It just came all at once,” he said.
Flores opened his cafe in 2020 and experienced his first Gallup flood just two months earlier, in July. Following that initial storm, he invested in sandbag flood barriers to safeguard his storefront.
While those barriers successfully limited recent floodwaters to only 25% of his store, Flores expressed frustration with the lack of municipal progress.
“After those floods in July, we assumed the city would already have a solution, but it happened again,” he said. “We’re just hoping city officials look at this problem and try to find a real fix.”
With the flood barriers he installed, the floodwaters from the recent storm only came into 25% of Floyd’s store.
DePauli acknowledged the issue in an interview with the Sun, noting that he raised concerns about drainage maintenance as soon as he took office in January.
Anticipating monsoon season, DePauli urged the city council to prioritize clearing the ditches, knowing excessive rainfall would cause severe backups. However, jurisdictional hurdles have slowed progress: the New Mexico Department of Transportation, rather than the city, maintains responsibility for those key drainage channels.
DePauli wants a complete rehabilitation of the drainage system. A proper overhaul would require the city or NMDOT to clear accumulated debris, reshape the channels to establish a proper downward slope, and line the beds with rock or concrete to prevent future soil erosion. To secure funding for the project, DePauli has reached out to U.S. Sen. Martin Heinrich, D-N.M.
Meanwhile, the financial toll continues to mount.
Gallup previously declared a municipal emergency after late July storms dropped more than five inches of rain, aiming to secure state financial aid for infrastructure repairs. To qualify for state assistance, McKinley County must reach a combined loss threshold of $356,000 before the governor can formally concur with the disaster declaration.
During a July 28 city council meeting, Gallup Fire Chief Jon Pairett clarified that officials can attach subsequent storm damages to the original claim, allowing the city to include Sept. 14 flooding losses in the final state report.
The localized flooding forms part of a massive, state-wide weather event. Between Sept. 14 and Sept. 16, New Mexico received the second-highest rainfall volume of any state in the nation. The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration estimates that a staggering 1.5 trillion gallons of rain fell across the state during those three days.
Tragically, the torrential downpours turned deadly. On Sept. 16, rising floodwaters swept away three people on the Navajo Nation in Newcomb, N.M. Navajo Nation Police received an emergency call around 12:30 a.m., and search crews later recovered the bodies of two adults and a child.
Navajo Nation President Buu Nygren offered his condolences to the victims’ families and commended emergency crews for searching through dangerous conditions overnight.
“To the families, relatives, and loved ones who are grieving today, we offer our deepest condolences,” Nygren stated in a social media message. “We pray that you are surrounded by strength, comfort, and the love of your family and community in the difficult days ahead.”
Travel disruptions also spread across the region. On Sept. 16, floodwaters spilling onto U.S. Highway 491 forced officials to close both northbound and southbound lanes near Tohatchi, between mile markers 23 and 26.
While monsoon season officially runs through Sept. 30—leaving the door open for additional storms—meteorologists forecast sunny, dry conditions on Sept. 19 and 20, offering the McKinley County area a brief reprieve to clean up and recover.
