Saturday's monsoon storms turned Selva Drive in Canutillo into a shallow canal, swallowing yards and streets and leaving one family spending days bailing out sand and patching fresh sinkholes. Neighbors rolled out tractors to fill craters and clear debris, all while bracing for the next round of rain. One household says floodwater forced its way into a daughter's home, damaging belongings and livestock.
Norma Venzor told reporters she watched the water “keep getting higher” and rushed to pull animals out as the yard filled up. She said her dog was nearly submerged and the family lost a chicken in the chaos. Venzor also said she fell into a sinkhole and hurt her ankle, and that neighbors have been hauling in sand and using tractors to stabilize the ground, according to KFOX.
Flash Floods Roll Through the Valley
The same storms that swamped Selva Drive also triggered flash‑flood and severe thunderstorm warnings for northwest El Paso County on Saturday night, with the National Weather Service alerting residents to intense rainfall and urban flooding. Radar picked up very heavy downpours in parts of the valley, and nearly 1.5 inches of rain fell in nearby communities that evening. Those advisories underline how quickly isolated monsoon cells can overwhelm local drainage, according to the National Weather Service.
Infrastructure and Local Flood Planning
Regional planning documents show the Upper Rio Grande region faces recurring flood risk, and local maps flag neighborhoods in the El Paso County area that are especially prone to inundation. The Texas Water Development Board's Region 14 flood plan maps those weak spots and recommends mitigation strategies for communities like Canutillo. County materials and recent Commissioners Court records also cite ongoing wastewater and drainage projects in the Upper Valley, while El Paso Water operates booster and sewer facilities that serve the area. All of those overlapping efforts help explain why residents are now looking for quick, clear answers from officials.
Residents Push for Inspections and Fixes
Neighbors say they want the utility and county to inspect the affected trenches and backfill and to make visible changes before the next storm hits. El Paso Water told reporters it was “working on the request” after being asked whether adjustments to sewer‑line work might help prevent future flooding. In the meantime, families along Selva Drive say they are stuck patching sinkholes and pumping out water on their own as monsoon season rolls on, according to KFOX.
With brief but intense downpours still in the forecast, residents say they would rather see permanent protections than keep repeating the same muddy cleanup routine. Officials have not announced an inspection timetable, and neighbors say they plan to keep pressing for answers before the next heavy storm bears down on the block.
