Debris Flow in Lincoln County, New Mexico

Heavy rain from thunderstorms over the South Fork burn scar produced water and debris in Cedar Creek flowing over the bridge at Brady Canyon Road and Ponderosa Drive before moving across Mechem Drive at Brady Canyon Road, shutting down Mechem Drive. Water and debris in Cedar Creek continued downstream moving over the road at Cree Meadows and Country Club Drive and Paradise Canyon Drive at Starlite Road and Hull Road, closing these roads. Video from social media showed floodwaters and debris flows swiftly going around a house along the banks of the Rio Ruidoso at the first bridge on Main Road in the Upper Canyon neighborhood. The Rio Ruidoso was observed flowing over the bridge at Country Club Drive and Eagle Drive resulting in the closure of these two roadways. Finally, the floodwater and debris flow in the Rio Ruidoso overwhelmed culverts under the western part of the Ruidoso Downs racetrack eventually moving across the racetrack itself.

Higher moisture lingered across southern New Mexico on September 18th. This higher moisture along with a backdoor front along the east slopes of the Sacramento Mountains resulted in shower and thunderstorm development across the mountain range and burn scars surrounding Ruidoso during the midday hours. Thunderstorms over the South Fork burn scar intensified during the early afternoon hours resulting in flash flooding and debris flows on and downstream of the burn scar. Impacts were observed as far east as the Ruidoso Downs racetrack. Storms across the Sacramento Mountains tapered off during the mid-to-late afternoon hours with floodwaters and debris flows gradually receding during this time as well.