Home swept away amid flash flooding in New Mexico mountain village
The southern New Mexico community has been reeling this summer, with afternoon thunderstorms bringing more rain than the surrounding mountainsides can handle. Past wildfires have stripped the hills of trees and vegetation, leaving the Ruidoso area vulnerable to repeated flooding.
Ruidoso Mayor Lynn Crawford told CBS News that the town had significant flooding, no fatalities or injuries reported as of Thursday evening.
Video posted to social media showed a home being swept away and a tall tree falling amid the flooding.
Earlier this month, flash flooding from torrential rain hit Ruidoso, killing at least three people and prompted dozens of rescues.
Ruidoso is located in southern New Mexico. The mountain village is located about a three-hour drive southeast of Albuquerque.
On Thursday, residents shared videos on social media that showed walls of muddy water coursing down creeks and over roads, ripping apart a mobile home and toppling trees along the way. Authorities were blocking traffic to keep vehicles out of the water as onlookers watched from higher ground.
Forecasters with the National Weather Service routinely have been issuing flash-flood watches and warnings as the summer rainy season is in full force. They reported Thursday that one stretch of the Rio Ruidoso had risen to roughly 12.5 feet as a result of the burn-scar flooding.
Flood watches also were issued Thursday for parts of northern New Mexico around burn scars left by the 2022 Calf Canyon Hermit's Peak blazes.
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