Flash floods in mountain village of Ruidoso, New Mexico, swept away an entire home, leaving residents stranded in cars and houses. Damage reports indicate that floodwaters entered multiple homes and several roads throughout Ruidoso were submerged, Fox News reported.Emergency crews carried out at least 85 swift-water rescues in the area, helping people escape from homes and vehicles, said Danielle Silva of the New Mexico Department of Homeland Security and Emergency Management.No injuries or deaths were immediately reported. However, officials said they wouldn’t know the full damage until the floodwaters went down, AP reported.As the Rio Ruidoso river rose nearly 19 feet in just minutes, officials warned residents to move to higher ground. The National Weather Service issued flood warnings for the area, which had lost much of its vegetation in recent wildfires, making it more prone to flooding.Silva confirmed that two National Guard rescue teams and several local teams were already present in the area when the flooding began. More Guard teams were on their way.The area has been especially at risk for flooding since the summer of 2024, when the South Fork and Salt fires burned dry forests and destroyed about 1,400 homes and buildings. Last summer, residents had to flee wildfires only to grapple with intense flooding afterward.
Silva said Tuesday’s floodwaters seemed even higher than last summer’s, describing it as a significant amount of water flowing through the area, including some places that did not flood last year.Matt DeMaria, a meteorologist with the National Weather Service in Albuquerque said the storms developed over land that was burned in last year’s fires.Preliminary measurements showed the Rio Ruidoso rose to 20 feet above normal, above its ordinary level before starting to recede Tuesday evening.
