RUIDOSO, N.M. — The loss of three lives to flash flooding in the mountain village of Ruidoso is ''unfathomable and unfair,'' New Mexico's governor said Thursday, as surveys revealed more extensive damage to homes than initially thought.
Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham spoke from Ruidoso alongside local emergency management officials who said at least 200 homes were damaged in Tuesday's flooding — at least four times the initial estimate — including one home that was swept away entirely.
An intense bout of monsoon rains set the disaster in motion Tuesday afternoon. Water rushed from the surrounding mountainside, overwhelming the Rio Ruidoso and taking with it a man and two children who had been camping at a riverside RV park. Their bodies were found downstream. One person is still unaccounted for.
Lujan Grisham expressed condolences on behalf of the whole state and wished a speedy recovery for the parents of the 4-year-old girl and a 7-year-old boy who were killed. She said it will be an emotional journey.
''There are no words that can take away that devastation,'' she said. ''We are truly heartsick.''
The children's parents were being treated for injuries at a hospital in Texas, according to officials at Fort Bliss, where the father is stationed.
Congresswoman Melanie Stansbury, whose district includes Ruidoso and surrounding Lincoln County, told reporters that more rain is coming and that residents remain at risk. She urged people to follow emergency orders, saying ''we cannot lose another life.''
A community rebuilds — again