Heavy rain and flash flood warnings in New Mexico prompted officials to order some mandatory evacuations, with shelters set up for displaced residents.
The National Weather Service office announced a flash flood emergency on Friday night through early Saturday.
The impacted areas included the city of Las Vegas, New Mexico and communities near Albuquerque.
Up to 2 inches (5 centimeters) of rain had fallen by late Friday with additional rainfall up to 1.5 inches (3.8 centimeters) expected overnight, the weather service said.
There was flash flooding with multiple road closures on the north and west sides of Las Vegas, the weather service said.
The Las Vegas municipal government announced mandatory evacuations of parts of the city in social media posts, warning residents to prepare for overnight stays.
The city said it established shelters for residents on the west and east sides of the city.
The city government asked residents to limit non-essential water use, while also clarifying that online rumors suggesting the city’s water dams had broken were false and that the dams “are currently intact.”
New Mexico also suffered devastating wildfires this week that killed at least two people and forced thousands to flee from the flames.
The South Fork and Salt fires in south-central New Mexico destroyed or damaged an estimated 1,400 structures.
FEMA Administrator Deanne Criswell and New Mexico Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham planned to tour the disaster area Saturday.
🚨#BREAKING: Life threatening flash flood emergency has been declared causing multiple homes and roads to be flooded evacuations have been ordered
⁰📌#LasVegas | #NewMexico⁰
The National Weather Service in New Mexico has declared and issued a life-threatening flash flood… pic.twitter.com/nq6LHO0w14— R A W S A L E R T S (@rawsalerts) June 22, 2024
Look like those fool will claim CLIMATE CHANGE CAUSE THIS! But these fool people forgot there has been flood like this the last 100 years!
The ground is much like Arizona, New Mexico is Calici
it’s hard soil the rail water run’s in any direction so flooding is vary common in these two states.
Maybe the water will deport the invaders