Flash floods hit New Mexican residents Saturday and Sunday, prompting the evacuation and rescue of more than 100 people, KOB 4 reported.
A series of crazy videos captured the extreme weather event and its effects. The flash floods caused “extensive damage,” AccuWeather tweeted alongside a video showing the intensity of the flood. (RELATED: ‘GO NOW’: Thousands Forced To Evacuate Due To ‘Extreme’ Wildfires In New Mexico)
Severe flash flooding hit Ruidoso, New Mexico, over the weekend following recent wildfires, causing extensive damage and prompting evacuations. pic.twitter.com/26qloYvMgX
— AccuWeather (@accuweather) July 2, 2024
The video showed torrents of water moving throughout a populated area. The water was overflowing on what appeared to be the streets of a village.
Fire Department officials and local officials were forced to conduct unusual rescue efforts. One video, tweeted out by Sky News, showed officials using an evacuator’s digger to rescue stranded people.
Digger used to lift people safely out of flash flooding in Ruidoso, New Mexico.https://t.co/hhDQuQ21dX pic.twitter.com/ccoXX9KkaS
— Sky News (@SkyNews) July 1, 2024
The video shows the evacuator moving from a flooded area to a less flooded area to deposit the people hanging on in the wide bucket of the digger.
The New Mexican National Guard also was active in rescue operations.
The video showcased one of their Light Medium Tactical Vehicles filled with civilians moving away from a flooded area. The New Mexico National Guard also released a press statement about the rescue of “four stranded [elderly] people. The rescue team “quickly created safety lines out of ratchet straps for use” and successfully made “their way to the four stranded people” minutes before the water overtook the house the people were staying at.
Officials managed to restore around 90 percent of electricity to their village and that teams were working on fixing internet issues, Kerry Gladden, a public information officer for the Village of Ruidoso, told KOB 4.
