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    • Flooding in Roswell NM turns deadly as record rains hit UFO town
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    Flooding in Roswell NM turns deadly as record rains hit UFO town

    Vaseline Posted on

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    A powerful storm dropped a record amount of rain and caused dangerous flooding with one confirmed death in Roswell, New Mexico, on Saturday evening, weather and local authorities said.

    The Spring River Canal overflowed, causing what the National Weather Service in Albuquerque described as “extreme flooding” in downtown Roswell and in the southeastern New Mexico city of about 48,000 residents famous for the alleged 1947 UFO crash.

    Roswell was drenched with 7 inches of rain, setting a record for the day on Saturday, Oct. 19, the National Weather Service in Albuquerque reported. The previous record was 5.65 inches, set on November 1, 1901.

    More flash flooding is possible with more rain and storms in the forecast for Sunday in the Roswell region of eastern New Mexico, the National Weather Service said.

    Roswell, NM flood rescues

    The New Mexico National Guard said its troops and other agencies rescued nearly 300 people during the overnight hours, including at least one high-speed water rope rescue and 38 people taken to hospitals.

    Search and rescue efforts continued Sunday morning as water levels remained high in the downtown area, the city of Roswell said in a statement. Floodwaters entered many homes and other buildings.

    Many vehicles got stuck in the flash flood waters and some vehicles were swept into the river channel. Other motorists waited to be rescued while submerged, Roswell authorities said.

    All roads leading to and from Roswell were closed overnight due to heavy flooding, New Mexico State Police said.

    The rescue efforts involve the Roswell Police and Fire Departments, the Chaves County Sheriff’s Office, the county’s volunteer fire departments, the New Mexico State Police and the state National Guard.

    The National Guard uses light/medium tactical vehicles known as LMTVs, which can travel in up to four feet of water to ferry residents to safety. There were 57 guardsmen in Roswell on Sunday morning, the National Guard said in a statement.

    “We sympathize with the New Mexicans affected by this latest flooding in our state,” Maj. Gen. Miguel Aguilar, adjutant general of the National Guard, said in a statement. “Due to the previous flooding in Ruidoso, we have the experience and were ready for this. We worked all night and continue to work with rapid water rescue teams and other partner organizations to get our fellow citizens to safety.”

    Vaseline
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