New Mexico flash flooding kills 3 in a mountain village

By MORGAN LEE and THOMAS PEIPERT SANTA FE N M AP Three people were killed when monsoon rains triggered flash flooding in a New Mexico village sending walls of water mud and debris rushing down mountainsides that have been repeatedly scarred over contemporary years by wildfires and post-fire flooding A man a -year-old girl and a -year-old boy were swept away Tuesday by floodwaters the village of Ruidoso reported in a message The village is about miles kilometers southeast of Albuquerque Village leaders commented no one else has been disclosed missing as of Wednesday morning Mayor Lynn Crawford reported the public is devastated by the loss of life a tragedy that it not unfamiliar for the popular summer retreat Before the monsoon began Ruidoso had made much progress in recovering from last year s deluge and the mayor acknowledged that the village will have to start over in various areas As bad as it is it could have been way worse because people did heed the warning did get the higher ground he disclosed during a radio address But we do have people that are in greater need at present than they were the previous evening Dozens of swift water rescues Search and rescue crews were out Wednesday in places that had been hard to reach before dark on Tuesday evening Crisis crews completed at least swift water rescues in the Ruidoso area including of people who were trapped in their homes and cars as the water rose Tuesday stated Danielle Silva of the New Mexico Department of Homeland Prevention and Exigency Management Two National Guard rescue teams and several local crews already were in the area when the flooding began Silva revealed and more Guard teams were expected The water receded by nightfall leaving cars stranded in the mud and residents works scrambling to clear debris from the roadways Several roads remained closed Wednesday and the mayor mentioned it would take time to restore utilities in the the bulk damaged neighborhoods The floods came just days after flash floods in Texas killed over people and left more than people missing A locator map showing the location of flash floods in New Mexico AP Digital Embed Residents urged to seek higher ground In New Mexico executives urged residents to seek higher ground Tuesday afternoon as heavy rainfall caused the Rio Ruidoso to rise nearly feet meters in minutes The National Weather Arrangement issued flood warnings in the area which had been stripped of vegetation by wildfires A weather facility flood gauge and companion video camera displayed churning water surge over the river s banks into surrounding forest Kaitlyn Carpenter an artist in Ruidoso was riding her motorcycle through town Tuesday afternoon when the storm started to pick up She sought shelter at the riverside Downshift Brewing Company with about other people and started to film debris rushing down the river She spotted a house float by with a familiar turquoise door It belonged to the family of one of her best friends She explained the family was not in the house and was safe I ve been in that house and have memories in that house so seeing it come down the river was just pretty heartbreaking Carpenter reported Village leaders continued Wednesday to encourage people to call an crisis line if their loved ones or neighbors were missing or affected by the flood A vulnerable area after last year s wildfires The area has been especially vulnerable to flooding since the summer of when the South Fork and Salt fires raced across tinder-dry forest and destroyed an estimated homes and structures Residents were forced to flee a wall of flames only to grapple with intense flooding later that summer We know that the water levels seemed to be higher than they were last summer Silva announced It is a critical amount of water flowing throughout various of it in new areas that didn t flood last year Related Articles X CEO Linda Yaccarino resigns after two years at the helm of Elon Musk s social media platform The US is having its worst year for measles in more than three decades Biden s former medical professional refuses to answer questions in House Republican probe Searchers in helicopters and on horseback comb Texas flood debris for missing people Stocks edge higher on Wall Street as deal talks press ahead Matt DeMaria a meteorologist with the National Weather System in Albuquerque disclosed storms formed in the early afternoon over terrain that was scorched by wildfire The burn scar was unable to absorb a lot of the rain as water expeditiously ran downhill into the river Preliminary measurements show the Rio Ruidoso crested at more than feet meters a record high if ratified and receded Tuesday evening Three shelters opened for people who cannot return home Cory State who works at the Downshift Brewing Company welcomed in dozens of residents as the river surged and hail pelted the windows The house floating by was just one of the several devastating things about in the current era he declared The sight brought back painful memories for Carpenter whose art studio was swept away during a flood last year Outside the air smelled of gasoline and loud crashes could be heard as the river knocked down trees in its path She noted it was terrifying Crawford declared people are anxious and afraid as the monsoon is sure to bring more rain throughout the summer The previous day was a good lesson you know that Mother Nature is a much bigger powerful force than we are he noted And that we can do a lot of things to protect ourselves and to try to help direct and whatever but we cannot control Peipert informed from Denver Associated Press writers Matt Brown in Denver Hallie Golden in Seattle Susan Montoya Bryan in Albuquerque New Mexico and Hannah Schoenbaum in Salt Lake City contributed to this statement