A New Mexico mountain town hit by devastating wildfires last year experienced dangerous flooding Tuesday after heavy rain fell on areas burned in the blazes, officials said.
Speaking on a local radio station Tuesday night, Ruidoso Mayor Lynn Crawford said there were reports of mudslides and gas leaks at homes that had been washed away or damaged in the floods.
Multiple bridges had been underwater, Crawford said, and there had been more than two-dozen swift water rescues.
Three people were missing, he said.
“If you’re at home, stay at home,” Crawford said, adding: “If you’re high and dry, that’s a good deal right now.”
No injuries or deaths had been reported Tuesday night.
In a post on Facebook, the village asked people who could not reach their families to report the missing to the community’s emergency operations center.
Intense floodwaters sweep away a home in Ruidoso, N.M., on Monday.Courtesy Kaitlyn Carpenter
Videos posted on social media and verified by NBC News showed roads submerged in fast-moving floodwaters and a home smashing into trees after it was swept down a river, Rio Ruidoso.
The National Weather Service said the river appeared to have crested at a record 20 feet Tuesday.
The agency declared a flash flood emergency after an inch of rain had fallen by Tuesday afternoon on burn scars left by fires that tore through the area last year, killing two people and burning hundreds of homes.
“A DANGEROUS situation is unfolding in RUIDOSO!” the agency said on X. “A FLASH FLOOD EMERGENCY remains in effect! Seek HIGHER GROUND NOW! Do NOT attempt to drive through the floodwaters. The current will carry away your vehicle!”
A flash flood warning remained in effect for the area until Tuesday night.
Town officials said the rain would cause severe flash flooding in streams, creeks and ditches in the area burned by the South Fork Fire. The blaze ignited June 17, 2024, and burned through more than 17,000 acres.
Ruidoso, which has a population of 7,600 people, is roughly 180 miles southeast of Albuquerque, in the Sierra Blanca mountain range.
Todd Miyazawa, Jean Lee and Tavleen Tarrant contributed.
