Governor Michelle Lujan Grisham signed an emergency declaration Tuesday night in response to the flooding in Ruidoso. The Village of Ruidoso confirmed that a four-year-old girl, seven-year-old boy, and a 40 to 50-year old man were swept downstream and killed.
The emergency declaration requests federal response teams and repair resources to Ruidoso immediately. In a release, Lujan Grisham added the state has already sent support and some federal resources are already on their way.
Flash flooding tore through parts of Ruidoso Tuesday afternoon, impacting areas around Upper Canyon, Brady Canyon, and the Rio Ruidoso. Historic flooding caused the Rio Ruidoso to rise to 20 feet, five feet higher than the previous record. Flooding caused an entire home to be swept away. Ruidoso officials said that there were 50-60 rescues made Tuesday.
