Three people died after flooding in Ruidoso, where the Rio Ruidoso rose to a record 20 feet.
The victims were identified as a man in his 40s to 50s, a 7-year-old boy, and a 4-year-old girl. All three were swept downstream during the flooding, according to officials.
New Mexico Gov. Michelle Lujan-Grisham issued an emergency declaration late Tuesday night to mobilize federal response teams and deploy repair resources immediately.
“Ruidoso endured devastating wildfires and flooding last summer, and now catastrophic flooding is hitting this resilient community again. This crisis demands immediate action,” Grisham posted on Facebook. “We’ve watched Texas receive the federal resources they desperately needed, and Ruidoso deserves that same urgent response.”
Ruidoso flooding scenes
This article originally appeared on El Paso Times: Ruidoso, NM devastated by flooding. See photos, video of house swept away, damage
Reporting by Aaron A. Bedoya, El Paso Times / El Paso Times
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