Sleepless Nights: Mother Nature Ravages Towns on U.S.-Mexico Border

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Bob Daemmrich / Corbis

In total, 40,000 people had no place to sleep last night — and it had nothing to do with the war on immigration reform.

Remnants of torrential downpours from Hurricane Alex have left residents along the Rio Grande river scrambling for cover. The AP reports that reservoirs near the U.S.-Mexico border have reached their highest levels in decades forcing the closure of two border bridges and evacuation of thousands of residents.

The spillover from Alex’s wrath has even grown freakishly deadly, as six people were killed in a plane crash on Wednesday, as they attempted to tour the damage. Most notable of the victims in the crash was the mayor of the border town of Piedras Negras, Mexico.

KRGV-TV in Rio Grande Valley, Texas reported that water levels were expected to reach heights of 39 feet overnight, leaving no sign of relief in sight.