OAN’s Abril Elfi
9:30 AM – Saturday, June 22, 2024
Heavy rains in New Mexico have prompted evacuations just days after wildfires.
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On Friday, the National Weather Service (NWS) office announced a flash flood emergency, including the city of Las Vegas, New Mexico, and communities near Albuquerque.
They continued stating that up to 2 inches of rain had fallen by late Friday, with additional rainfall of up to 1.5 inches expected overnight.
The weather service reported that there was flash flooding on the north and west sides of Las Vegas, resulting in numerous road closures.
The Las Vegas municipal government stated that certain areas of the city would need to be evacuated, and it advised citizens to get ready for an overnight stay. The city said that they would have set up shelters for citizens living on its east and west sides.
The city government also made it clear that internet rumors claiming the city’s water dams had broken were untrue and that the dams “are currently intact.”
The floods came as there were also wildfires in New Mexico this week that forced thousands of people to evacuate and killed at least two people.
An estimated 1,400 structures were destroyed or severely damaged by the South Fork and Salt Fires.
Governor Michelle Lujan Grisham (D-N.M.) and FEMA Administrator Deanne Criswell were scheduled to tour the disaster area on Saturday.
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