PHOENIX — As former Hurricane Polo weakened over northwestern Mexico on Tuesday evening, the storm’s remnants battered the U.S. Southwest, flooding roadways and forcing residents in small New Mexico towns to evacuate over concerns about a dam failing.
\n\nPolo had struck the Mexican state of Baja California Sur in the morning with maximum sustained winds of 110 mph (177 kph). It crossed the Gulf of California and weakened to become a tropical storm as it moved inland to the northeast.
\n\nBy Tuesday evening, the New Mexico Department of Transportation reported flooded roads and debris on highways across the state, while parts of Arizona had become especially drenched, leading to several water rescues.
\n\nThat is after storms rolled through parts of the U.S. Southwest overnight Monday, saturating the ground, which can make flooding worse.
\n\nLater in the week, the flood risk is expected to move into parts of the central U.S., according to the National Weather Service.
\n\nBands of rain continued to sweep across the U.S. Southwest, causing desert rivers to surge and usually dry arroyos to rage with floodwater.
\n\nThe potential failure of the dam in south central New Mexico prompted evacuations in three small communities with hundreds of residents…
Original source: https://www.nbcnews.com/