Just a brief update on cleanup and rebuilding efforts in Ruidoso, after last weekend’s flood that hit the river areas of Upper Canyon, Hwy 70 campgrounds / RV parks, and the Ruidoso Downs Racetrack. Property owners who can provide proof of residence, have been allowed back in to their homes that were flooded, even though water and sewer services are out in some areas.

Eagle Drive Bridge – one of several bridges destroyed in flood

See recent news stories on the cleanup efforts at: KOAT – Albuquerque

Officials from FEMA have been working in the Village to assess damage, and determine whether federal aid from FEMA will be available to help with repairs. Residents living in the Upper Canyon and Black Forest remain under a “boil water” advisory. Work to clear debris from the river and bridges is ongoing.

Ruidoso Downs Racetrack resumed operation this past weekend, after flood waters forced a brief closure.

Some campgrounds located north west of Ruidoso, mainly those near Bonito Lake, remain closed while clean up continues. Anyone planning to camp near Bonito Lake, may want to call the Smokey Bear Ranger District Office in Ruidoso at 505-257-4095. Most of the area private campgrounds, as well as those Forest Service areas outside of the Bonito Lake area are open.

For non-threatening emergencies and additional information, residents are encouraged to call the Flood Hotline at (575) 258-3482.

The Damage Assessment Center (Ruidoso Convention Center) is available to assist residents with reporting damage as a direct result of the flooding and is open from 8am-5pm. American Red Cross, City and County Assessors, Region VI Housing Authority, and Department of Agriculture are all present at the Center. The Center can be reached at (575) 937-3719.

Previous news, photos and video coverage on this story were posted on the Ruidoso Blog , included:

KOAT – Albuquerque News – flood information & video

YOU CAN HELP – Local Churches, Banks, and agencies such as the Red Cross are working to provide aid to those in need. Please visit this link for more details.

If you have questions or would like more specific information on Ruidoso, you may contact me here, or by email at mary@ruidoso-homes.com.

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By now you have probably heard about the flooding in the Ruidoso area. Several New Mexico news channels have been giving this rare event excellent coverage, and I wanted to provide links to some of those sites which have given the best news coverage, photos, and videos.

Additional links to the Ruidoso flood coverage:

Ruidoso News

KRQE News – Albuquerque

KOAT News – Albuquerque

YouTube Videos – Ruidoso Flood

Ruidoso Web Cam – live web cam from Mid town shopping district in Ruidoso

YOU CAN HELP – Local agencies such as the Red Cross, area churches and banks are working to provide aid to those in need. See more details at this link.

This is a devastating situation for those who live or own property right on the Ruidoso River or Bonito River. Early estimates are that about 350 homes were severely damaged. Numerous residents, visitors, and campers, were stranded when bridges and roads were completely washed away. Rescue efforts have relocated most of those folks to safety, while the rebuilding and cleanup has begun in the hard hit areas along the river.

In Ruidoso, bridges at the following locations are either destroyed or closed due to damage:

Country Club, Eagle, Close, North Loop, River Road/River Crossing, first and second bridge in Upper Canyon, North Grindstone, Valencia, McDaniels, Fox and Main, Sleepy Hollow.

Getting around town will be a bit challenging until the bridges are repaired. Ruidoso Downs Racetrack also experienced flooding, but has stated it will plan on being open for the first weekend in August.

Governor Richardson has already declared a state of emergency, so I am sure the Village will receive some help with clean up and repair costs. The New Mexico Dept. of Homeland Security, along with FEMA, and other agencies are also assisting the Village of Ruidoso.

I thought it would only be fair however, to let those of you who might own property here know that the majority of the county was not affected. I drove through the Alto area, Alpine Village, White Mountain Estates and a few other areas on Sunday. Other than receiving heavy rainfall and debris washed on to some low lying areas, there was little if any damage in these areas.

The main devastation were homes and RVs located in the flood plain of the Ruidoso River. I have lived here 17 years and could never have imagined the 100 ft wide, boiling, raging water that was roaring down our normally peaceful little stream.

According to the weather forecast, more rain is possible in the coming days, as our normal summer monsoon season continues, so we are all keeping our fingers crossed that we won’t have additional damage to the affected areas. I’ll keep you posted as more information becomes available, for for now, don’t worry if you own a home in the area. If it is not on the river, chances are very good that it has not been damaged.

If you have questions or would like more specific information on Ruidoso, you may contact me here, or email me at mary@ruidoso-homes.com.

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