Event narrative (NOAA)
Heavy rains over the recent South Fork burn area totaling up to 1.48 inches at the Cow Mountain RAWS and estimate by radar to have surpassed 2 inches caused flash flooding heavy debris flows along the Rio Ruidoso. This torrent impacted several bridges and water crossings including, N. Eagle Drive, Grindstone Canyon Road, Country Club Drive. Numerous homes were impacted with a total of 26 swift water rescues stretched across the Rio Ruidoso and Cedar Creek drainages through the Village of Ruidoso. Fire crews were pulled out of sensitive areas due to the threat of heavy rains and an evacuation order was issued for the Village of Ruidoso shortly after 4pm MDT. The debris flow eventually reached downstream past the Village of Ruidoso to the Ruidoso Downs Track overtopping the edge of the facil
Other notable debris flow events in New Mexico
Source: NOAA/NCEI Storm Events Database. Deaths and injuries are those NOAA classifies as direct. Damage is the reporting office's estimate at the time and is not inflation-adjusted. This is a catalogue record, not a forecast.