The New Mexico State Police say that overnight rain and flooding on Saturday killed at least two people in Roswell, New Mexico. City leaders say that the National Guard has saved almost 300 people.
The City of Roswell told ABC News on Sunday that many drivers were stuck because their cars got stuck in floodwaters on many streets.
There were people who had to wait for help on top of their wet cars. Some cars were swept into the river path by the water.
The city’s police and fire departments worked with state police, the National Guard, and other local agencies to continue search and rescue efforts on Sunday morning.
The city was given a Flash Flood Emergency, which is the most serious flash flood warning, by the National Weather Service late Saturday night.
In some parts of the state, it rained between 4 and 9 inches, which is what caused the NWS to issue a “Particularly Dangerous Situation” alert.
This is what they do when there is a flash flood emergency in an area with a lot of people.
The rain overnight did a lot of damage to businesses and houses, according to the city. Many people said that floodwaters got into their buildings.
This is what the NWS said about the flood danger in east central, northeast, and southeast New Mexico until early Monday morning.
Eastern New Mexico is still under a flash flood watch until Sunday night.
More rain is expected through Sunday, which will fall on ground that was already wet from Saturday’s heavy rains. This will make flash floods more likely.
Roswell got a daily record amount of 5.78 inches of rain, which was more than the previous record of 5.65 inches set on November 1, 1901.
Many rescues were going on in the Roswell area, where water was getting into houses and blocking off roads, according to emergency services.
A message from the Chaves County Sheriff’s Office on Facebook warned of “an extremely dangerous and life-threatening situation.”
Later, the sheriff’s office released videos showing people being rescued through floods and roads being washed away by the rising water.
In the Cahoon area, the Spring River rose quickly, leaving several cars stuck under bridges along the river.
