Across Texas, New Mexico, and Oklahoma, a single week in July 2023 turned familiar highways into fractured dead ends as rivers burst their banks and carved through pavement. The repeated warnings to “turn around, don’t drown” were no abstraction, they were a life-or-death directive as drivers confronted washed-out bridges, eroded lanes, and fast-rising water that left entire communities suddenly cut off.
1. Guadalupe River Washes Out FM 306 in Texas
The Guadalupe River became a textbook flash-flood threat on July 18, 2023, when heavy storms sent water levels surging and ripped apart a section of FM 306 near Canyon Lake. Hydrologists recorded a staggering 6.7 m rise in just 2 hours, a spike that overwhelmed low-lying crossings and undercut the asphalt. With the road severed, residents on the far side of the washout suddenly found themselves isolated from medical care, grocery stores, and workplaces.
Local officials reported that the flooded Guadalupe River channel made even high-clearance pickups unstable, prompting the National Weather Service to repeat its “turn around, don’t drown” warning for every low-water crossing in the area. Emergency managers stressed that the force of water capable of tearing out FM 306 could easily sweep away a compact SUV or a 2015 Ford F-150. The washout highlighted how quickly a familiar commute can become impassable when intense rainfall funnels into a confined Hill Country river corridor.
2. Sabinal River Erodes U.S. Highway 90 Near Uvalde
The Sabinal River in Uvalde County delivered the next blow on July 19, 2023, when overflow from upstream storms chewed into the edge of U.S. Highway 90. As the river overtopped its banks, fast-moving water scoured the roadbed, peeling away shoulder material and exposing voids beneath the travel lanes. Drivers who had set out expecting a routine trip instead found themselves stranded on the Sabinal’s banks as transportation crews rushed to close the highway.
According to Texas Department of Transportation officials, the erosion along Highway 90 was severe enough to require extended closure and structural assessment before any reopening. That disruption cut a key east–west freight and commuter route, forcing long detours for commercial trucks and local residents alike. The Sabinal River incident underscored how even a single compromised segment of pavement can ripple through regional supply chains, delaying deliveries and complicating emergency response for communities that rely on that corridor.
3. Rio Grande Cuts Off NM Highway 68 in Taos
In northern New Mexico, the Rio Grande near Taos turned volatile on July 20, 2023, when rapid flooding severed NM Highway 68. Water levels rose so quickly that law enforcement moved from traffic control to evacuation orders within hours, redirecting residents from low-lying neighborhoods along the canyon. The flooded Rio Grande channel pushed debris against culverts and bridge piers, raising concerns that structural elements could fail if the surge continued.
Local emergency management issued a safety advisory urging people to avoid the river corridor entirely, warning that the current could overpower even experienced rafters and kayakers. With Highway 68 cut, communities that depend on that route for access to Taos medical facilities and grocery stores faced longer travel times on winding mountain roads. The closure illustrated how a single flooded highway along the Rio Grande can isolate rural residents and complicate wildfire evacuations or search-and-rescue missions later in the season.
4. Pecos River Destroys Bridge on U.S. Highway 285
The Pecos River in Chaves County escalated the damage on July 21, 2023, when floodwaters breached their banks and destroyed a bridge on U.S. Highway 285 near Roswell. As the river undercut piers and scoured the channel, a key span failed, leaving a gap that no temporary patch could safely cover. Transportation officials immediately shut down the corridor, diverting traffic onto secondary roads that were never designed for sustained heavy truck volumes.
New Mexico Department of Transportation updates described extensive detours and a full structural assessment to determine how to rebuild the lost bridge. For oilfield service trucks, agricultural haulers, and commuters moving between Roswell and smaller communities, the break in Highway 285 meant longer routes, higher fuel costs, and slower emergency response times. The Pecos River failure showed how one compromised bridge can expose the vulnerability of rural infrastructure that lacks redundant crossings.
5. Cimarron River Slices Through SH-11 in Woods County
Oklahoma’s Cimarron River surged on July 22, 2023, rising sharply enough in Woods County to slice through State Highway 11. As water overtopped the roadway, it carved channels across the asphalt and washed away entire sections, leaving jagged edges and deep drop-offs. Oklahoma Highway Patrol troopers responded to multiple vehicle rescues when drivers misjudged the depth and speed of the flood, some attempting to push through in sedans and older pickup trucks.
Following the rescues, authorities shut down SH-11 and emphasized that even a few inches of fast-moving water can destabilize a vehicle. The loss of that highway segment disrupted farm-to-market routes that local producers use to move wheat and cattle, forcing them onto gravel backroads more vulnerable to additional rain. The Cimarron River’s assault on SH-11 reinforced the message that ignoring barricades not only endangers individual drivers but also diverts limited rescue resources from other emergencies.
6. Arkansas River Floods SH-33 Near Tulsa
The Arkansas River capped the week of destruction on July 23, 2023, when flooding near Tulsa washed away parts of State Highway 33 in Roger Mills County. As the river swelled, sections of pavement crumbled into the current, leaving exposed rebar and unstable embankments that made the route unusable. Authorities reported rising fatalities linked to people entering flooded roadways, prompting the National Weather Service to repeat its “turn around, don’t drown” slogan with renewed urgency.
With SH-33 compromised, regional traffic had to reroute through smaller towns whose streets were not built for sustained highway volumes, increasing congestion and crash risk. Emergency planners pointed to the Arkansas River damage as evidence that floodplain development and aging infrastructure magnify the consequences of extreme rainfall. The washed-out highway became a stark visual reminder that when a major river overtakes its banks, the safest choice for drivers is often to stop, back up, and find higher ground rather than gamble on a crossing.
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