El Paso storms cause damage, floods with submerged cars; rescue seen on video

(Editor’s note: Use the scroller in the module above to view video and photos of the storm impacts.)

EL PASO, Texas — Thunderstorms with torrential rains moved through El Paso Sunday afternoon, triggering flash flooding on city streets that overwhelmed cars and required water rescue efforts in some cases. Other storm damage included downed trees and mudslides that threatened homes.

Several vehicles became submerged by raging floodwaters at McRae and Gateway West near Interstate 10 on the city’s east side. The flooding was so intense that a woman who became trapped had to rescued at that intersection; it was captured on video by an ABC-7 photographer.

There were also reports of rescues due to high waters occurring in other portions of east El Paso. The Texas Department of Transportation said Gateway West was closed at the both McCrae and at Lee Trevino due to flooding. In addition, TxDOT said other impacted flood areas to be avoided included Piedras at both Interstate 10 west and at Gateway West.

A tree uprooted by the storms fell into a house at 8905 Lait Drive in the Cielo Vista area, causing a gas line to break that required the attention of firefighters. Meantime, the rain caused mudslides that left vehicles covered at Lee Trevino and Sam Snead, and triggered the collapse of a retaining wall that threatened a house on Springwood and Eastwood Knolls in east El Paso.

The flooding and other storm problems in numerous locations across El Paso came as the National Weather Service estimated that more than two inches of rain had fallen in some places. A Flash Flood Warning issued by the weather service was in effect until 5:45 p.m. for El Paso County, and an ABC-7 First Alert warned of the potential for more powerful storms with heavy rain.

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Take a look at this ABC-7 viewer video from Leonel Monroy of a torrent of water and mud flowing along Bill Burnett Drive between Rojas Drive and Gateway Blvd. West in east El Paso.
Storm damage roundup: https://t.co/hcZK2dYeK6 pic.twitter.com/jUNo1fmrco

— KVIA ABC7 StormTRACK (@ABC7StormTRACK) July 19, 2021

UPDATE: Flash Flood Warnings continue for El Paso, Dona Ana and Otero counties. ABC-7 viewer Ibeth Perez shared this flooding video on Vista Del Sol in El Paso.
EP details: https://t.co/Tkdn62ZnhM
Dona Ana, Otero details : https://t.co/z6sh0R8bVu
RADAR: https://t.co/usm2tAtHcw pic.twitter.com/0QaCKhQqEC

— KVIA ABC-7 News (@abc7breaking) July 18, 2021