VADO, New Mexico — At least 20 people had to be rescued overnight as flood waters swept through a New Mexico village near the Texas state line, the latest deluge of summer rain to compel evacuations and cause devastation in the typically parched region.
Forecasters from the National Weather Service in Albuquerque and El Paso, Texas, have been busy in recent weeks issuing flood watches and warnings as afternoon thunderstorms rage throughout the region. It is part of the monsoon’s daily routine.
On Wednesday, Doña Ana County authorities assessed damage before focussing on recovery efforts. According to preliminary assessments from the county’s emergency management team, flood waters destroyed approximately 110 residences in the Vado area, left several hundred households without electricity, and closed some roadways.
According to county officials, emergency responders sent two persons to the hospital with minor injuries.
“All of our flooding precautions were effective. “There was simply too much water,” county spokesperson Ariana Parra said of the storm.
Sally Sanchez-Gonzales, a resident, requested prayers Tuesday night as muddy waves crested just beyond the fence that surrounds her property. On Wednesday, she released a video of the aftermath, showing mud caked across a vast section of desert and debris clogging other regions.
“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.”
More than 2 inches (5.08 centimetres) of rain poured in Vado on Tuesday, causing floods, according to officials.
To the north, the mountain village of Ruidoso is still recuperating from devastating flooding that ruined hundreds of homes as storm water surged down mountainsides devastated by wildfires in recent years. Without trees and other vegetation to keep back the water, the village has had to issue almost daily warnings to residents to stay away from creeks and low-lying areas.
State officials stated on Wednesday that the federal government has declared a major disaster in Lincoln County, which includes Ruidoso.
