Flash flooding prompts rescues in New Mexico mountain village

RUIDOSO, N.M. (AP) — Another afternoon of heavy rainfall Thursday prompted flash flooding in the mountain village of Ruidoso, forcing the closure of roads and the rescue of at least five people who were trapped by the rushing water.

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.

It was less than three weeks ago that massive flooding killed three people and damaged hundreds of homes, resulting in state and federal disaster declarations.

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 (3.81 meters) 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.