Understanding weather-related road closures in Palm Springs
Update: 2:30 p.m.
Indian Canyon Dr., Gene Autry Trail, and Vista Chino will remain closed through Wednesday night, according to officials with The City of Palm Springs.
Street crews will reassess road conditions Thursday morning. If waters recede, crews will need time to clear mud and debris from the roadways.
Even though the streets were closed off to traffic Tuesday evening, some drivers navigated the partially flooded roadways. Fire crews had to rescue one driver who got stuck on Gene Autry Trail.
News Channel 3 contacted Palm Springs city officials regarding the road closures and how they're decided. Daniel DeSelms is the emergency manager for the City of Palm Springs. He is one of the people who helps decide the road closures.
"Closing down all three arterial roads, it's not good. I mean, because that leaves people with one way in and out of the city. So really, we try to wait until the last minute," said DeSelms. "But we do take a very educated guess on when the right moment to shut those roads down. And we always do that from life safety, thinking about our community, but also knowing that we only have so many ways in and out."
Captain Nathan Gunkel with Palm Springs Fire Department said people's safety is their main focus.
“Well, as a first responder, we're always going to put life over convenience and time and that's our priority," said Gunkel. "We're going to keep [the roads] open as long as we can until we see the need or potential for something to escalate quickly.”
Have you downloaded the 'KESQ First Alert' app yet? It's FREE! Click here

You'll stay up-to-date with the latest weather videos. In addition, be able to monitor the changing conditions from wherever you are!