Highways, arroyos, and flash floods
 

When I was a kid in southern New Mexico, many arroyos were not bridged, even on major highways. The highways dipped down into the arroyos and climbed up the other side.

It didn't rain much. But when it did, storms upstream sent brief flash floods down the arroyos, sometimes causing problems for drivers miles from the storm.

This was a long time ago. Is this a thing of the past like crossing the desert with canvas water bags hung on the sides of the car or is this something people still need to think about? I know the storms have not gone away!

Thanks, Pioneers!

Yes, I remember those days of canvas water bags - also hung on the front to keep cooler from the car's airfoil - but today's cars are so much more reliable than they were way back then.

They don't need as much water and rarely boil over (do take some extra water for your own possible emergency use) - and just make sure the coolant in the radiator is up to the recommended level/mix, and take an extra pint of coolant with you if you are really worried, plus a little extra water.

And with today's cell phones - and better Hiway Partrols - at least on the main roads - it's much safer - but would still be careful crossing an arroyo during a big, albeit rare rainstorm. :)

Loved the drive from Arizona to NM - along 40 - where one sees the beautiful red hills/mountains along the way.

Most arroyos have bridges now, especially on major routes, but you should always use caution near them when there is a storm.

Lee Ann

I don't think I have ever seen one that doesn't have a bridge - if on any type of major road and I have been here for over 10 years now.

There are plenty of them in Utah, mostly on gravel roads, some have cement on the place where you cross.

I had a scare in New Mexico once because of a horrendous rain storm. The rain was so heavy that I had to stop the car because I couldn't see enough to drive. The area was somewhere around Socorro or the Malpaís, as I recall. The road was a little lower than much of the countryside, and I felt that there was serious danger of a flash flood.

I have a tip to share in terms of flood control solutions. When a specific place such as a navigable body of water is clogged by trash and other related waste products, the employment of flood control products should be expected. Dredging this kind of place with slurry pump will lead to a more passable region. I hope this has been a help.

Huh??

We lived in southern Arizona about 15 years ago, and I remember that a man drowned in his car in an arroyo behind the Starbucks we frequented in Tucson. He was in his 30's, and a native of the state. You don't have to go way back in time--they're still plenty dangerous when it rains torrentially!

There are places in New Mexico, like the road into Chaco Canyon NP that still have those crossings, I've only seen them on unpaved roads as I recall. Plenty in southern Utah, also mostly on unpaved roads.