Three people have died after heavy monsoon rains triggered flash flooding in the mountain town of Ruidoso, New Mexico, officials said. A man and two children were swept away on Tuesday, according to a statement from the village of Ruidoso. Emergency crews performed at least 85 swift-water rescues in the area, including people trapped in their homes and cars.
The flooding was so intense that an entire house was swept downstream. Kaitlyn Carpenter, an artist in Ruidoso, filmed debris rushing down the Rio Ruidoso and spotted a house with a familiar turquoise door belonging to a friend’s family. “I’ve been in that house and have memories in that house, so seeing it come down the river was just pretty heartbreaking,” she said.
Water levels rose nearly 19 feet (2.7 metres) in minutes amid heavy rainfall. The National Weather Service issued flood warnings after recent wildfires stripped the area of vegetation, leaving it vulnerable. Preliminary measurements show the Rio Ruidoso crested at more than 20 feet (6 metres), a potential record. Waters receded by Tuesday night, and search teams scoured the town for missing people.
Ruidoso’s mayor, Lynn D Crawford, urged residents to report missing loved ones and noted reports of dead horses near the town’s race track. “We knew that we were going to have floods … and this one hit us harder than what we were expecting,” he said. Three shelters opened for displaced residents.
