VADO, N.M. — At least 20 people had to be rescued as flood waters raced through a New Mexico community near the Texas state line overnight, marking the latest deluge of summer rain to force evacuations and cause damage for the otherwise arid region.
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.