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Multiple people rescued, at least one home destroyed as floods strike Ruidoso
Heavy rain and hail over a burn scar caused the Rio Ruidoso to rise a dozen feet Thursday — leading to several people being rescued and at least one home destroyed.
Village of Ruidoso spokesperson Kerry Gladden said 3 inches of rain and hail fell on the South Fork burn scar in an hour, sending debris-filled floodwaters rushing downhill. The waters, she said, carried away a home in the Paradise Canyon area.
A video, widely shared over social media, showed a home swept downstream by the floodwaters, breaking apart as it hit trees and other obstacles. Gladden said one person was rescued from a vehicle and four others from homes.
She said nobody was injured, killed or reported missing from the floods.
During a July 8 flood, in which the river rose more than 20 feet, two children and a man were killed after being swept away from an RV park.
The village nestled in the mountains of south-central New Mexico has been inundated by floods all summer and was placed under yet another flash flood warning Thursday afternoon.
During the ensuing downpour, the Rio Ruidoso rose to around 12 feet on Thursday, according to the National Weather Service.
Around 1 p.m., people began posting videos to the Ruidoso Community Support Page on Facebook showing floodwaters gushing through the village and the Rio Ruidoso overflowing its banks.
The village of Ruidoso reported several road closures and the Public Service Company of New Mexico reported several power outages in the area Thursday afternoon, but power was restored by 3:30 p.m.
Gladden said the village has been staging rescue crews anytime a flood warning is issued, and the crews go to work as soon as floodwaters recede enough to do so.
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“Unfortunately, we are getting very good at that,” Gladden said.
The village advised those in need of assistance to visit the Disaster Resource Center at the Eastern New Mexico University-Ruidoso annex at 709 Mecham Drive. The center is open from 9 a.m. to 7 p.m.
Shelters have been established at the ENMU Ruidoso campus and the Ruidoso Community Center, 501 Sudderth Drive.
Earlier this week, President Donald Trump issued a major disaster declaration for recovery efforts in the Ruidoso area following the deadly flooding on July 8.
