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July 7, 2010 · The flood waters brought by the one time Hurricane Alex have swollen the Rio Grande to dangerous levels and forecasters are calling for more heavy rains for the region.
City of Laredo spokesperson Xochitl Mora says the Rio Grande is rising so high that Laredo officials are shutting down the main international bridge, Puente de Las Americas Bridge I, connecting the Texas border city to Nuevo Laredo, Mexico. This is the only pedestrian bridge for Laredo’s cross-border traffic and closing it for three days will have an economic impact for the city.
On Tuesday, the International Boundary and Waterways Commission released flood waters from Lake Amistad up stream from Laredo near Del Rio. Those waters have caused flooding in communities mainly on Mexico’s side of the river. Mora said, in Laredo, flood waters are not expected to reach downtown buildings or neighborhoods that line the river. However, that could change depending on how heavy the rains are over the next two days.
Evacuations could be ordered and the Colombia Bridge III could also be closed.
Reservoirs in Mexico are already full after Hurricane Alex and the extra water would have no where to go but downstream. | 
