As storm nears, west Texas braces for more floods

By ALICIA A. CALDWELL Associated Press Writer EL PASO, Texas (AP) - Officials planned to activate an emergency operations center in west Texas, where the remnants of Hurricane Norbert are expected to bring rain to already saturated areas, an official said Friday. The storm was expected to hit Mexico's western coast early Saturday with winds of at least 100 mph. The National Weather Service issued a flood warning for the El Paso area Friday, saying that heavy rain in Mexico could cause flooding along the Rio Grande in Presidio and downriver in Lajitas. "The reservoirs are full, so the water has to come out through Presidio," Presidio County Attorney Rod Ponton said. Additional rain in riverside Mexican towns could mean levee breaks in Texas, he said. Last month, heavy rains in Mexico caused Rio Grande to eclipse its banks,... [read full story]