Floods hit Ruidoso as NM fires burn

A flash flood swept through River Ranch RV Park in Ruidoso Downs on Wednesday. (Photos by Chancey Bush / Albuquerque Journal) PHOTO CANNOT BE REPUBLISHED

First hit by fire, and now water. 

Facing threats from the South Fork and Salt fires, Ruidoso was inundated Wednesday as a fierce storm dropped an estimated 2 to 4 inches of rain as it swirled above the Sacramento Mountains. 

Emergency management conducted three water rescues in the burn scar, according to remarks from Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham Wednesday evening in Roswell. No additional details were released about the number of people rescued or their condition. 

“While this weather is helpful to fight the fire, it is not helpful for the floods,” she said, urging people to stay out of the evacuation areas because of the combined danger. 

Wednesday afternoon the National Weather Service out of Albuquerque issued flash flood warnings in the McBride and Blue 2 Fire burn scars, and warned of potential flooding as far downstream as Two Rivers Dam in Roswell.

The fast-moving water is extremely dangerous, with 6 inches of water able to knock a person over, and one foot strong enough to carry away a car. The National Weather Service warnings urged people in the burn scars around the Rio Hondo area to seek higher ground.

Additional reports to the National Weather Service included flooding around Bonito Lake, mudslides on Gavilan Canyon Road, and debris and water on State Highway 532 (Ski Run Road).

“We’ve got you know, a surge of tropical moisture coming in, and could see easily like 2 to 3 inches of rain on the burn scars in the next two days,” said Andrew Mangham, the senior service hydrologist for the National Weather Service.

The rain on the way potentially increases flood danger, since the ground is already soaked.

“It was already going to be bad. But now you can think of these things as primed on a hair-trigger,” Mangham said. “Anything that falls on the ground is going to run right off.”

The areas of most concern include Alto, Ruidoso, Hollywood and Ruidoso Downs. Flooding concerns extend to Roswell and did extend into other parts of Chaves County, confirmed emergency manager Karen Sanders.

Floodwaters in the burn scar transform to sludge as it picks up ash and sediment, and moves slower than water, making it hard to judge when it will arrive downstream.

“Water is headed their way, there could be some impacts. We’re just hard pressed to say exactly what they’re going to be,” Mangham said.

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