‘The threat of rain is imminent’: Ruidoso officials fear more flooding Saturday

RUIDOSO, New Mexico (KVIA) – Ruidoso officials announced in a Thursday morning news conference that they fear more rain on Saturday may bring flooding to the area again.

"The threat of rain is imminent," Ruidoso Mayor Lynn Crawford said. "We’re expecting Saturday, you know, something similar to Tuesday. And that can change, we hope.”

In the news conference, officials also said the number of homes damaged by the flooding is much higher than previously thought.

Earlier in the week, officials had estimated between 30 to 50 homes were damaged. On Thursday, they said the actual number is between 200 and 400.

“After yesterday, it became very apparent that there was a lot more damage than what we had assumed and what we thought in the beginning," Crawford said.

Officials said about 150 families have been displaced.

As ABC-7 reported Wednesday, the flooding has killed three people, including two children who were part of a Fort Bliss family. The parents, a Fort Bliss soldier and their spouse, were severely injured and remain in the hospital.

New Mexico Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham (D) also spoke during the news conference. She said the federal government has been in contact with the state.

Lujan Grisham said that she expects $3 million in advance federal funding to help Ruidoso, but she also expects as much as $15 million in federal aid will be given to the area in the long run.

“The number one job is to assess those losses right now," Lujan Grisham said. "To get every business, big and small, back on its feet to the highest possible return we can."

The governor said federal officials, including the Department of Homeland Security, are expected to come survey the damage.

Lujan Grisham said DHS Secretary Kristi Noem intends to visit Ruidoso soon.