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Forecasters with the National Weather Service in Albuquerque and
El Paso, Texas, have been busy in recent weeks issuing flood
watches and warnings as afternoon thunderstorms crank up across
the region. It's part of the monsoon's daily ritual.
Authorities in Doña Ana County conducted damage assessments
Wednesday as they shifted to recovery operations. Initial
reports from the county's emergency management team showed about
110 homes in the Vado area were damaged by flood waters, several
hundred homes were without power and some roads remained closed.
Emergency crews transported two people to the hospital with
minor injuries, county officials said.
“All of our flooding protocols were working. It was just too
much water,” county spokesperson Ariana Parra said of the storm.
Resident Sally Sanchez-Gonzales asked for prayers Tuesday night
as waves of muddy water crested just beyond the fence that lines
her property. On Wednesday, she shared a video that showed the
aftermath, the mud having caked a large swath of desert as
debris clogged other areas.
“My family is still trying to help some families evacuate at the
lower ends and others returned to get important items,” she told
The Associated Press. “There’s a lot of cleanup to do.”
The flooding in Vado resulted from more than 2 inches (5.08
centimeters) of rain that fell Tuesday, officials said.
To the north, the mountain community of Ruidoso is still
recovering from deadly flooding that damaged hundreds of homes
as storm water rushed off mountainsides that have been scarred
over recent years by wildfire. Without trees and other
vegetation to hold back the water, the village has been forced
to issue almost daily warnings for people to stay clear of
creeks and low-lying areas.
State officials on Wednesday announced the federal government
has issued a major disaster declaration for communities in
Lincoln County, including Ruidoso.
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