2-26-2023 8:27pm

Wind Damages Closes Chaparral Middle School Monday Virtual Learning Damage Assessments

Chris Edwards Editor

Photo Courtesy J P Pigg

Alamogordo and the region was hit hard with wind storms on Sunday February 26th, 2024. Sunday was the 7th windiest day ever recorded here in the Borderland region of Southern New Mexico and Texas. Peak wind gusts in El Paso and Las Cruces topped out at 71 mph, 74 mph in Deming and 66 mph in Alamogordo.

Winds will stick around but will slowly weaken over the next several hours. By Monday morning we will have much better conditions and officials will access damages within the area.

Sunday night into Monday bundle up as the wind chills make it feel like the 40s and 30s.

Monday and Tuesday will be breezy, with peak gusts around 20-25 mph. Temperatures will drop about 10 degrees from today to tomorrow. Winds will pick back up for Wednesday and Thursday.

High winds have damaged the roof in several places at Chaparral Middle School. Roofers will be there tomorrow and the engineer has been notified so that the damage can be assessed. In an abundance of caution, CMS will engage in remote learning tomorrow for all students. We will continue to keep you updated as information becomes available.
There are reports of damages at ReneFit on New York Avenue and of several buildings throughout Otero County with damages in the neighborhoods of trees down, chicken coups blown apart and shingled roofs blown to pieces. La Luz Bible Church on Alamo Road had a tree down, damages to the Bike Shop on 10th Street, a Speedway experienced damages, power lines are down along with several others in the region. Visibility is compromised and in many parts of the area it looked like the old dust bowl days.