Flash Flood Disaster in New Mexico Kills Man, Children as They’re Swept Away in Sudden Surge

New Mexico was the scene of the latest round of deadly flash flooding triggered by torrential rains, leading to the deaths of a man and two children after they were swept away by rushing floodwater.An unidentified man in his 40s, along with a 4-year-old girl and a 7-year-old boy, were in the mountain village of Ruidoso after heavy rains led the nearby Rio Ruidoso to rise to 20 feet from three in a matter of minutes.“Our hearts are broken for the families who have lost their loved ones in this terrible tragedy,” Ruidoso’s mayor, Lynn Crawford, said in a statement. “The entire Village of Ruidoso extends our deepest sympathy and compassion to these grieving families during this unimaginably difficult time. We are united in our sorrow and our commitment to supporting one another as we face this devastating loss together.”Emergency crews in the Ruidoso area saved more than 80 people in swift water rescues, including some who had become suddenly trapped in their cars and homes, according to the Associated Press. The flooding was so intense that an entire house was swept downstream by the raging tide.“I’ve been in that house and have memories in that house, so seeing it come down the river was just pretty heartbreaking,” an artist from Ruidoso, Kaitlyn Carpenter, says after she witnessed the home of her best friend’s family float by as she sought shelter at a brewery. “I just couldn’t believe it.”The region has experienced heightened susceptibility to flooding since last summer, following a series of wildfires that swept through arid forests and destroyed approximately 1,400 homes and structures. Residents were forced to evacuate due to the advancing fires and subsequently faced significant flooding later that summer.“We know that the water levels seemed to be higher than they were last summer,” Danielle Silva of the New Mexico Department of Homeland Security and Emergency Management said to the AP. “It is a significant amount of water flowing throughout, some of it in new areas that didn’t flood last year.”The latest deadly disaster comes just days after flash flooding ravaged the Hill Country region of central Texas, leaving 111 dead across the region and more than 160 missing in Kerr County alone.“Yesterday, I met with the families at Camp Mystic. I made a commitment to them. The day before, I met with the residents of Kerrville, Today I met with the residents of Hunt. I made a promise to all of them,” Governor Abbott said during a press conference on Tuesday afternoon.“Texas will not stop until we finish the job,” he added. “We will not stop until we identify and recover every single body. We will not stop until every road is rebuilt, every inch of debris is removed.”

Flash Flood Disaster in New Mexico Kills Man, Children as They’re Swept Away in Sudden Surge

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