Emergency alert issued for Upper Canyon area in Ruidoso
UPDATE: HWY 70 is closed from Walmart to the Travel Center and also at the Casino Apache Travel Center due to flash flooding in the area as of Wednesday afternoon.
EL PASO, Texas (KTSM) — An emergency alert has been issued for the Upper Canyon area in Ruidoso as flash flooding, debris flow, and landslides are expected on Wednesday, July 10, according to the Village of Ruidoso’s Facebook.
The Village asked for Upper Canyon residents to evacuate by 10 a.m. Wednesday, and homeowners were allowed access from 6 a.m. through 9:30 a.m. to gather any personal belongings.
Due to the expected flooding, FEMA closed their Disaster Recovery Centers Wednesday and the Village says operations will resume at 7 a.m. Thursday, July 11.
The Village says the following roads are closed:
Main Road at South
Fern Trail
Brady Canyon at Ponderosa
Paradise Canyon at Phillip’s Circle, Hull Road, and Country Club
An evacuation shelter has been established at the White Mountain Relief Center at 687 Hull Road (White Mountain Sports Complex).
Evacuation orders were issued Tuesday, July 9, for Cedar Creek, Upper Canyon, Brady Canyon, areas along the Rio Ruidoso, and at Paradise Canyon and Hull. Cherokee Mobile Village was also ordered to evacuate.
The flooding Tuesday also caused multiple gas leaks throughout Ruidoso, according to the Village. People are urged to stay away from gas smells and report any issues to Zia Natural Gas at 800-520-4277 or (575) 378-4277.
The Ruidoso and Mescalero Apache areas were hit by two major wildfires that burned more than 25,000 acres last month and damaged or destroyed more than 1,000 buildings, the entire Village of Ruidoso and other areas to evacuate.
Ruidoso was also hit by two days of flash flooding on June 29-20 once the fires got under control.
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