A New Mexico mountain town hit by devastating wildfires last year saw dangerous flooding Tuesday after heavy rain fell on areas burned in the blazes, officials said.
A spokesperson for the village of Ruidoso told NBC News that there had been rescues and some were still underway. No injuries or death had been reported as of Tuesday afternoon.
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.
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 local river, Rio Ruidoso.
The National Weather Service said the river appeared to have crested at a record 20 feet Tuesday.
The agency issued 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 until Tuesday night for the area.
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.
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