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At least three people died after Monsoon rains led to flash flooding in Ruidoso, a New Mexico mountain village that serves as a popular summer retreat.
The casualties were identified as an adult man, a 4-year-old girl and a 7-year-old boy, all of whom were swept away by floodwaters on Tuesday (July 8), Mayor Lynn Crawford said in a statement obtained by the Associated Press.
“Our hearts are broken for the families who have lost their loved ones in this terrible tragedy,” Mayor Lynn Crawford said in the statement. “We are united in our sorrow and our commitment to supporting one another as we face this devastating loss together.”
Three people were previously reported missing, though it's unclear whether they were the three people later confirmed to have died.
At least 85 swift water rescues were carried out by emergency crews in the Ruidoso area, which included incidents in which people were reported to be trapped in their homes and cars, according to Danielle Silva of the New Mexico Department of Homeland Security and Emergency Management. The water receded by Tuesday night, at which point search and rescue and swift water rescue teams conducted rescue efforts for missing people, while public works crews cleared the roadways, which had heavy debris while some cars were stranded in mud.
The floods occurred days after more than 111 people were killed in the catastrophic Texas floods.