ROSWELL, N.M. (KRQE) – Flooded with nearly six inches of rain in just five hours, Roswell is now picking up the pieces after a massive weekend storm. While high water is gone, city leaders say there’s still a danger. More than a day after the storm rolled through, cars can still be seen in downtown Roswell that […]
ROSWELL, N.M. (KRQE) – Flooded with nearly six inches of rain in just five hours, Roswell is now picking up the pieces after a massive weekend storm. While high water is gone, city leaders say there’s still a danger. More than a day after the storm rolled through, cars can still be seen in downtown Roswell that were swept away in the flash flood.
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People KRQE News 13 spoke to said they hadn’t seen a storm like this before. There was shock and disbelief in Roswell as people looked over the damage caused by a major flash flood Saturday night into Sunday morning. While many are trying to clean up or salvage what’s left, Adan Leyva is among those who said it’s hard to believe what happened. “This is sad we have a bunch of businesses. Our entrance to our historic art and everything, it just got ruined. So it is pretty pretty sad, it is pretty sad seeing this,” said Leyva.
The storm brought as much as seven inches of rain to some areas around Roswell which made it the wettest day in the city’s recorded history. The New Mexico National Guard said flood waters carried cars away which led to two deaths and more than 500 rescues. On Monday, the New Mexico National Guard said it is using the break in the weather to determine what is damaged. “The water has receded a lot, actually in the last two days it’s receded quite a bit. There is towards the east of town where we’re going to start to assess is the possibility of the Pecos River kind of going over a bit so we’re assessing that damage,” said LTC. Paul Laritzen, New Mexico National Guard.
Although the water’s gone down, the city has asked people to stay off the roads as much as possible because of lingering safety concerns. “The flooding to the extent and force that we had affects bridges that are part of our street system and can affect their structural integrity and safety and so we want people to stay off those bridges,” said Spokesperson Todd Wildermuth, City of Roswell.
Despite the damage from a historic storm, people in Roswell are staying optimistic and focused on recovering. “What’s to come? We’re going to get back on our feet, you know what I mean. This community is very very tight and we’re going to come up on top,” said Leyva. People who have trash and other debris in their yards and businesses are being asked to place it on the curb for special collection by the city. The Roswell bus system said for now they’re suspending fares until further notice.
Governor Michelle Lujan Grisham officially declared a state of emergency for the Chavez County area. The state of emergency unlocked $1 million in state funding to help relief efforts in and around Roswell.