New Mexico Village Reels from Flash Flooding Amid Ongoing Summer Storms

The mountain village of Ruidoso in southern New Mexico is once again grappling with severe flash flooding after another afternoon of heavy rainfall forced road closures and prompted multiple rescues. At least five individuals were trapped by surging waters on Thursday and subsequently rescued.

This latest incident underscores a challenging summer for the Ruidoso community, which has seen repeated deluges overwhelm mountainsides stripped bare by past wildfires. The lack of vegetation leaves the area highly vulnerable to rapid runoff and flooding.

The current situation comes less than three weeks after a massive flood event claimed three lives and damaged hundreds of homes, leading to state and federal disaster declarations. Social media footage from Thursday showed powerful walls of muddy water tearing through creeks and across roads, destroying a mobile home and toppling trees. Authorities quickly moved to block traffic, while onlookers observed from safer, higher ground.

The National Weather Service has been consistently issuing flash flood watches and warnings as the summer rainy season continues its intense activity. Forecasters reported that one section of the Rio Ruidoso swelled to approximately 12.5 feet (3.81 meters) due to burn scar flooding. Similar flood watches were also issued for parts of northern New Mexico affected by burn scars from the 2022 Calf Canyon Hermit’s Peak blazes.

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