Three people were killed in southern New Mexico after heavy rains fell on scorched ground and triggered flash floods on Tuesday, officials said. The state’s governor declared a state of emergency in the area.
A middle-aged man and two children, aged 7 and 4, died after being swept away by floodwaters, Lynn Crawford, the mayor of Ruidoso, N.M., said in a statement. Dozens of people trapped in their homes or caught in fast-moving water were rescued by emergency crews, who were continuing with search and rescue operations overnight, according to the statement.
Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham asked the federal government to send response teams and resources to help with repairs.
“New Mexico is mobilizing every resource we have, but Ruidoso needs federal support to recover from this disaster,” she said in a statement late Tuesday night. “We’ve watched Texas receive the federal resources they desperately needed, and Ruidoso deserves that same urgent response.”
The National Weather Service issued a flash flood emergency for the area around Ruidoso, which was scarred by wildfires in June 2024.
“A DANGEROUS situation is unfolding in RUIDOSO!” the National Weather Service said in a statement on social media. “A FLASH FLOOD EMERGENCY remains in effect! Seek HIGHER GROUND NOW!”
The extent of the damage was not immediately clear, said Kerry Gladden, a spokeswoman for Ruidoso. The areas along the Rio Ruidoso extending into Ruidoso Downs and Glencoe were among the hardest-hit places, she said.
Jennifer Shoemake, a meteorologist with the National Weather Service in Albuquerque, said more than 2.5 inches of rain had fallen in the area that the South Fork fire ripped through last year.
Preliminary data from a flood sensor operated by the United States Geological Survey showed that at one point the Rio Ruidoso rose from about 18 inches at 3 p.m. local time to more than 20 feet in less than an hour. It began dropping again soon after.
Michael Scales, a spokesman for the Lincoln County Office of Emergency Services, said there were a couple of water rescues underway on Tuesday but did not provide any details.
“It’s all hands on deck,” he said.
Ruidoso’s tourism office posted on social media that “our community is currently experiencing seasonal monsoon rains that have led to flash flooding in some areas.”
The South Fork fire, which started on June 17, 2024, razed 17,066 acres. Officials determined that lightning had caused the fire.
Mark Walker is an investigative reporter for The Times focused on transportation. He is based in Washington.
Francesca Regalado is a Times reporter covering breaking news.
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