Flash floods in US kill at least three in New Mexico mountain town

Flash floods prompted by monsoon rains termination astatine slightest three, including 2 children, with hunt operations continuing.

Days aft devastating floods killed much than 100 radical successful Texas, dense rains successful New Mexico person triggered flash floods that killed astatine slightest 3 people, authorities say.

Municipal officials successful the municipality of Ruidoso said that the flooding occurred connected Tuesday afternoon, with monsoon rains causing the Rio Ruidoso stream to swell to 20 feet (six metres), surpassing the erstwhile grounds by 5 feet (1.5 metres).

“Our hearts are breached for the families who person mislaid their loved ones successful this unspeakable tragedy,” Mayor Lynn Crawford said successful a quality statement. “The full Village of Ruidoso extends our deepest sympathy and compassion to these grieving families during this unimaginably hard time. We are agreed successful our sorrow and our committedness to supporting 1 different arsenic we look this devastating nonaccomplishment together.”

Search and rescue efforts are ongoing, with authorities authorities stating that exigency crews person carried retired astatine slightest 85 swift h2o rescues frankincense far, including radical trapped successful homes and vehicles. The incidental comes arsenic the confederate authorities of Texas is inactive recovering from devastating floods that killed much than 100 radical and near much than 160 missing.

Dramatic footage from New Mexico shows surging, muddy floodwater sweeping distant an full house.

“I’ve seen the video. We don’t cognize if anyone was successful the house,” said Danielle Silva, a spokesperson for the New Mexico Department of Homeland Security and Emergency Management.

Ruidoso, a upland edifice municipality astir 180 miles (290 km) southbound of the authorities superior of Albuquerque, has said that the flooding was worsened by pain scars near implicit from the Salt Fork and Salt wildfires the erstwhile year.

“We cognize that the h2o levels seemed to beryllium higher than they were past summer,” Silva noted. “It is simply a important magnitude of h2o flowing throughout, immoderate of it successful caller areas that didn’t flood past year.”

Areas that person been burned by wildfires and stripped of vegetation are often much prone to erosion and astatine importantly higher hazard of flash floods, particularly if they are steep oregon hilly.

The metropolis says that a impermanent structure has been opened for displaced residents.

In Texas, rescuers continued to comb done mounds of mud and debris successful hunt of much than 160 radical who stay unaccounted for 4 days aft flash floods tore done respective counties.

But hopes of uncovering survivors were fading, and Governor Greg Abbott warned that the database of those missing could yet rise.

Source:

Al Jazeera and quality agencies