On Tuesday, July 9, heavy rains caused flash flooding near Ruidoso, New Mexico, which led to evacuation orders, road closures and gas leaks. This followed floods through the end of June, and the South Fork and Salt fires that were over 80% contained as of a July 4 New Mexico Fire Information update.
The area was under a flash flood emergency at 1:45 p.m., and a flash flood warning until 6 p.m., according to the Albuquerque National Weather Service.
“Please do not try to protect your property or gather your belongings. Get out and move to higher ground immediately,” the Village of Ruidoso posted to X.
On June 30, heavy rain combined with burn scars from the South Fork and Salt fires produced flash floods and debris flows – masses of soil, water and sediment that flow down mountainsides at high speeds – according to New Mexico Fire Information.
Rapidly flowing water carrying debris, including large planks of wood, can be seen in a video posted to X by Bryron Morton of KOAT.
Logan Fle, a tattoo artist born and raised in Ruidoso, saw the impact of the flood on June 30 firsthand.
“The devastation came on very quickly … Our entire Highway 70, which is a four-lane highway, turned into a raging river with high impact. It hit multiple mobile home parks,” Fle said. “Homes were shifted off their blocks. Cars were taken down the road. We had a tanker completely flipped sideways.”
Fle has been on the ground leading efforts to help the community during the fires and flooding. Individuals with FEMA gave him a first responder’s relief badge, he said.
“I got this influx of 10,000 new followers on my tattoo page, and most were like, ‘Can you please check on my animals or my house?’” Fle said. “It was my job at that point to give back to these people.”
Fle has raised over $100,000 through his efforts, and said he will give 100% to the Lincoln County Shelter Fund.
As of July 2, Tom Bird, an incident meteorologist from El Paso, Texas, had been in Ruidoso since June 19 — close to the start of the South Fork and Salt fires.
The Ruidoso and Mescalero Apache Reservation area is susceptible to floods, Bird said, because it is situated below mountains that contain streams and tributaries that flow from higher ground and run into town. When there is a large burn scar such as this one that spans thousands of acres, the effects of the rain are intensified, according to Bird.
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When rain falls on a forest that has not been burned, fallen leaves, needles and twigs absorb some of the rainfall and hold it, Bird said. This material does not exist on a burn scar.
As far as recovery from the flood damage, Fle has helped people, pets, farm animals and wildlife, he said. Fle documented the progress of a Steller’s jay he rescued on his Instagram page, as well as his progress laying thousands of sandbags around people’s homes.
“I definitely saw a lot of people that were in shock and now lost homes ... It's really, really upsetting, because these are my locals, and I just care for them,” Fle said.
The last time Ruidoso experienced intense, damaging flooding was in 2008, according to Fle and First Street.
“We had one lady that was in a bookstore … the water came up three feet out on the walls … and she was in complete shock, shaking … I held her and she was just speechless … the wall of water pinned her up against the wall for at least 30 minutes,” Fle said.
Between 4 and 6 inches of rain fell over the course of about five hours on June 30, Bird said.
As of July 4, the South Fork and Salt fires were 87% and 84% contained, respectively, according to New Mexico Fire Information.
“In my estimate, we're over millions and millions of dollars in devastation and loss,” Fle said. “This is going to take a long time to rebuild … There's no sign of cars; anything. It's just melted debris. And it is a very, very hard sight.”
Areas of forest in the Mescalero Apache Reservation still contained small visible patches of smoke and the scent of it just before the rain fell on June 30.
“It's going to be a reoccurring issue that is going to be life threatening over and over again … it won't be fixed in a year or two … there are other fires across New Mexico that are five or six years old, still causing problems for the communities that are impacted,” Bird said.
The New Mexico Army National Guard rescued at least 100 people from floods on June 29 and June 30, according to KOAT. This includes four elderly residents who signaled for help as their home was being flooded. The water rose over 6 feet and filled up their house minutes after the National Guard carried them to higher ground, according to the National Guard.
“I'm really watching people come together and give hope and love back, and I see heartfelt people out there. I see us rebuilding. It's too beautiful of a place to just move away when you've spent so much life here,” Fle said.
Leila Chapa is a freelance reporter for the Daily Lobo. She can be reached at news@dailylobo.com
Paloma Chapa is the multimedia editor for the Daily Lobo. She can be reached at multimedia@dailylobo.com or on Twitter @paloma_chapa88
Paloma Chapa is the multimedia editor for the Daily Lobo. She can be reached at multimedia@dailylobo.com or on Twitter @paloma_chapa88
