Overview

• Heavy rain from slow-moving thunderstorms on Thursday drove flash flooding that crested the Rio Ruidoso at about 12.5 feet, prompting at least five rescues with no serious injuries reported.
• The National Weather Service issued a life-threatening flash flood warning for southeastern Lincoln County through Thursday afternoon, covering the Blue 2, South Fork and McBride burn scars.
• Radar and gauges indicated roughly 0.5–0.75 inches of rain over the South Fork burn scar with locally higher totals near 1.2 inches, triggering debris flows and closing several backroads.
• Emergency officials advised residents in the Cedar Creek and Alpine Village areas to evacuate or move to higher ground as flooding became imminent.
• NWS warned of impacts to the Rio Bonito, Eagle Creek, Cedar Creek, the Rio Ruidoso and downstream along the Rio Hondo, and noted Thursday’s event was not elevated to a Flash Flood Emergency despite a season of repeated alerts and July’s deadly flooding.