Alamogordo, Hatch Region Recovering From Flooding

ALAMOGORDO, N.M. (AP) – Forest officials are discouraging travel on service roads in the Smokey Bear Ranger District due heavy rains.

Southern New Mexico has been inundated in recent days with heavy rains and flooding. The ranger district is asking campers to avoid accessing the Bonito Lake and Eagle Creek areas until weather improves.

Meanwhile, volunteers with the New Mexico Baptist Disaster Relief team were deployed to the southern New Mexico village of Hatch as support for first responders and other recovery teams.

Hatch was hit with a wall of water earlier this week after heavy rains breached a diversion ditch. Residents have been busy cleaning mud and debris from their homes, and business owners in downtown Hatch are doing the same.

(Copyright 2006 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.)

AP-NY-08-18-06 1928EDT