Fierce dust storm roars into Borderland, sparks power outages, causes property damage

Daniel Borunda, El Paso Times

February 27, 2023 at 2:28 PM·3 min read

A fierce windstorm turned skies dusty while causing damage, power losses and traffic problems Sunday in the Borderland.

The region was set to get a break from the winds on Monday but mild, breezy winds are forecast for Tuesday afternoon before another gusty system, which won't be as strong as Sunday, blows into the area Wednesday and Thursday, the National Weather Service office for El Paso reported.

High winds caused a large wall structure to collapse in southwestern Juárez on Sunday. Residents said that the structure was incomplete and no construction had been done to it in six months.

A top wind gust of 71 mph was recorded at the El Paso International Airport on Sunday afternoon, ranking as the seventh highest gust measured in El Paso in records dating back to 1878, the regional office for the National Weather Service reported.

A top wind gust of 84 mph was recorded at the official measuring site at the El Paso International Airport on March 26, 2010, the NWS said.

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At the peak of the storm Sunday, more than 39,000 customers of El Paso Electric were without power, the utility said in a statement.

El Paso Electric reported power outages in various parts of the El Paso-Las Cruces area, with the hardest hit locations being Northeast El Paso, the Scotsdale section of the East Side, the Ascarate area, Clint and Santa Teresa, New Mexico.

More than 100 utility crew members worked to restore power Sunday, and electricity was expected to be restored to all areas by Monday, El Paso Electric said.

The wind was too strong for a stop sign at the corner of Richmond Avenue and Kentucky Street in El Paso on Sunday.

High-wind warnings

The National Weather Service issued a high-wind warning until 9 p.m. Sunday as powerful winds with gusts of up to 71 mph ripped into the region.

A blowing-dust advisory due to visibility from a quarter-mile to a mile was in effect until 5 p.m. Sunday, according to the NWS office in El Paso.

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The National Weather Services had warned of "damaging winds" with the potential to blow down trees and power lines, spark widespread power outages and create hazardous driving conditions because of limited visibility.

On the other side of the border, the Juárez civil protection department issued an "orange alert" due to the desert storm.

A utility pole was snapped by the wind at the corner of Cotton Street and Montana Avenue on Sunday.

An unusual spike of more than 15 traffic-related problems were reported in various parts of El Paso in the hour between 11:30 a.m. and 1 p.m. Sunday, according to the El Paso's online Public Alert & Incident Notification System.

Reports included a trampoline blown onto a roadway in the far East Side, fallen trees and sheds blown into neighboring yards.

Closures and delays

Sunland Park Racetrack & Casino canceled the final seven horse races of the day on Sunday due to the severe winds. The first two races were held before the call to end the card. Nine races were scheduled.

More local news:El Paso Airbnb owners united in opposing possible short-term rental regulations from city

The Monster Jam truck show went on as scheduled at 3 p.m. Sunday at Sun Bowl Stadium, the University of Texas at El Paso's Office of Special Events office said via Twitter. UTEP monitored the weather and took precautions to ensure the safety of guests, staff and crew, officials said.

The San Elizario Independent School District was closed Monday to allow staff to inspect buildings for damages caused by the windstorm.

Staff writer Felix Chavez contributed to this report.

A rooftop turbine is shown on the street at Louisville Avenue near Kentucky Street in Manhattan Heights on Sunday.

This article originally appeared on El Paso Times: Fierce dust storm roars into El Paso, Juárez, Las Cruces region

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