Meteorologists warned Monday that much of Roswell New Mexico would face two more days of elevated threats of dangerous flooding, as walls of water over the weekend caused severe damage, forcing the rescue of 100 people and left parts of a city recently ravaged by wildfires covered in mud and debris.
The body of a person was found in the Rio Grande in Albuquerque on Sunday, but it was not immediately clear whether the death was related to the flooding, according to the Albuquerque Fire Department and Bernalillo County Fire Department. The death remains under investigation and no further details have been released.
Most of central New Mexico remains under a flood watch through Tuesday, including Albuquerque, Santa Fe, Las Vegas and Ruidoso.
New Mexico Faces Continued Threat of Dangerous Flooding
“Very few areas of the state were safe from the impacts,” said Daniel Porter, senior meteorologist in charge of the National Weather Service office in Albuquerque. “Unfortunately, the threat is likely to continue to be very high over the next few days, at least until Wednesday,” he told reporters at a press briefing on Monday.
The threat is expected to ease briefly Thursday for July 4, but start to intensify again by the weekend, Porter said.
The downpours caused the most damage in areas of New Mexico where wildfires have left mountainsides empty of trees, brush and grass – including northern New Mexico where a historic fire has ravaged many communities in 2022 and in the village of Ruidoso, where residents were forced to flee fast-moving flames just weeks ago.
“Some of the damage I saw was really, really shocking. Some of them take your breath away,” Andrew Mangham, the weather service’s senior hydrologist, said Monday after visiting some of the hardest-hit areas on Sunday.
“Absolutely complete devastation” in parts of Ruidoso, he added.
National Guard spokesman Hank Minitrez confirmed that troops helped over the weekend in the rescue of at least 100 people stranded by floodwaters in vehicles or elsewhere, mostly in the area of Ruidoso.
Ruidoso Mayor Lynn Crawford said he has “never seen anything like it.”
“It was insane,” he told KRUI radio on Monday.
Ruidoso spokesperson Kerry Gladden said there were 26 swift water rescues in their village alone on Saturday and 56 more on Sunday.
“We were incredibly lucky not to have any injuries. We did not need to transport anyone to the hospital,” she said. She added that they did not have an immediate estimate of flood damage.
“It will take days,” she said Monday evening.
The Albuquerque Police Department headquarters and City Hall both suffered flood damage over the weekend, Mayor Tim Keller said Sunday.
Quarter-sized hail and 60 mph winds hit the Albuquerque area late Saturday night, according to the National Weather Service.
New Mexico Heavy rain from a severe thunderstorm caused flash flooding in many parts of the city and brought down utility poles, leaving up to 20,000 residents without power for hours.
“We were incredibly lucky not to have any injuries. We did not need to transport anyone to the hospital,” she said. She added that they did not have an immediate estimate of flood damage.
“It will take days,” she said Monday evening.
The Albuquerque Police Department headquarters and City Hall both suffered flood damage over the weekend, Mayor Tim Keller said Sunday.
Quarter-sized hail and 60 mph winds hit the Albuquerque area late Saturday night, according to the National Weather Service.
Heavy rain from a severe thunderstorm caused flash flooding in many parts of the city and brought down utility poles, leaving up to 20,000 residents without power for hours.
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