Rocky Point, which normally gets only a couple of inches of rain per year, was inundated over the course of several days last week, showing just how ill-prepared we are for rough weather.
Winds reported to have reached as much as 100 mph in some places caused 20-foot waves to crash dramatically to the shore. Some high-rise condos had damage to windows and many streets were impassable due to flooding.
240 people had to seek shelter because their homes, barely sufficient in the best of times, could not provide them adequate protection. About 60 of them were made comfortable at the fire station, the rest at the Municipal Gymnasium or one of several local churches.
Ruben Salido, director of Municipal Civil Protection Unit, along with Mayor Alex Zepeda, the Fire Department, the Youth Institute and DIF spearheaded efforts to reach out to those in need of shelter, assistance or water.
In all, 150 homes have been reported with damage, 38 of those were completely flooded. 23 trees were uprooted and 15 business signs were down. Around town there were several car accidents. And while there were 20 emergency calls for assistance received by the city, none seem to have resulted in major injury or loss of life.
It was reported that parts of the highway between Penasco and Sonoyta were closed during the worst part of the storm, but travelers reported that by Friday, travel across the border was uneventful, save for a few large puddles.
Now that the worst has passed and the sun is shining again, calls and emails are coming in from absentee owners hoping to get reports on how their homes, condos or trailers fared. Although for the most part, it seems that damage has been minor.
