At least two people have been killed due to overnight rainfall and flooding Saturday in Roswell, New Mexico, according to New Mexico State Police. Nearly 300 people have been rescued by the National Guard, city officials say.
“Many motorists became stranded when their vehicles got stuck in flood waters on many streets,” the City of Roswell said Sunday in a statement to ABC News. “Some people had to await rescue on top of their vehicles that were covered by water. Some vehicles were swept by the water into the river channel.”
Search-and-rescue efforts continued Sunday morning, as the city’s police and fire departments collaborated with state police, the National Guard and other local agencies.
A Flash Flood Emergency was declared for the city late Saturday, the National Weather Service reported — the highest tier of flash flood warning.
Between 4 and 9 inches of rain fell in parts of the state, prompting the NWS to declare a “Particularly Dangerous Situation” alert — a warning issued when a flash flood emergency occurs in an area of significant population.
The rain brought heavy damage to homes and businesses overnight, the city said, with many reporting flood waters entering buildings.
The NWS issued a flood warning for east central, northeast and southeast New Mexico through the early hours of Monday. A flash flood watch remains in effect for eastern New Mexico through Sunday night.
Additional rain is expected through Sunday, falling on ground already saturated by Saturday’s downpours and thus raising the risk of further flash flooding.
Roswell was inundated with an all-time record daily rainfall of 5.78 inches — higher than the previous record of 5.65 inches set on Nov. 1, 1901.
Emergency services reported that numerous rescues were ongoing throughout the Roswell area, with water entering homes and cutting off various roads.
The Chaves County Sheriff’s Office shared an emergency alert on its Facebook page warning of “an extremely dangerous and life-threatening situation.”
The sheriff’s office later shared videos of people being brought to safety through floodwaters and of roads being cut off by rising water.
The Spring River in the Cahoon area rose rapidly, stranding several vehicles under bridges along the river.
