LAS VEGAS (AP).– Authorities have issued evacuation orders for Las Vegas due to heavy downpours and flooding.
The National Weather Service announced an emergency for possible flash flooding from Friday night through Saturday. Impacted areas include Las Vegas and communities near Albuquerque.
By Friday night, 5 centimeters of rain had fallen and another 3.8 centimeters were predicted for the next few hours, the weather agency said.
There were flash floods and numerous road closures in north and west Las Vegas, the weather service said.
The Las Vegas municipal government announced mandatory evacuations on social media, warning citizens that they may have to spend the night elsewhere. He added that he established shelters for residents in the western and eastern sectors of the city.
The municipal government asked residents not to use water unless strictly necessary, while denying online rumors that the city’s aquifer dams had burst. The dams “are currently intact,” he said.
New Mexico also suffered devastating wildfires this week that killed at least two people and forced thousands to flee the flames. The South Fork and Salt fires in south-central New Mexico destroyed or damaged about 1,400 structures.
FEMA Administrator Deanne Criswell and New Mexico Governor Michelle Lujan Grisham plan to inspect the affected area on Saturday.
