Adrian Hedden
Carlsbad Current-Argus
achedden@currentargus.com

City of Roswell spokesman Todd Wildermuth said officials were working to clean up debris and assessing damage to city buildings in the wake of a massive flood that turned fatal after record-breaking rainfall drenched the city over the weekend.

The storm dropped about six inches of rain on Roswell within hours on Saturday, leading to destructive flooding Sunday, while city officials and others worked to clean up debris and assess the damages.

Two people were reported dead within the city and Chaves County, Roswell police confirmed Tuesday. Officials did not give any details to identify the deceased or the circumstances of their deaths.

“There’s a lot of clean up we’re doing. There’s so much debris on the thoroughfare,” Wildermuth said. “We’re telling people to try and stay off the streets while we make them safe again.”

Wildermuth said the event qualified as a “500-year flood,” meaning a flood of such magnitude would only occur once every 500 years.

“This event certainly was rare, and something we don’t want to go through again,” he said.

Wildermuth said the work in the wake of the flood consisted largely of removing debris from roadways and inspecting damage to city buildings. The Roswell Independent School District canceled classes for Wednesday, and several other facilities remained closed through the week.

Several impacted city facilities remained closed until further notice including the Recreation and Aquatic Center, Adult Center, Spring River Zoo, Roswell Public Library and Museum, the Convention Center and the Nancy Lopez Golf Course, according to a Facebook post from the City of Roswell.

The Cemetery and Municipal Court reopened on Wednesday.

The New Mexico National Guard said it conducted 125 welfare checks at local homes, taking 38 people to local hospitals for various treatments. The Guard said it rescued more than 300 people trapped by the floodwaters.

On Tuesday the Guard reported 75 guardsmen were on the ground in Roswell.

The Guard used 24 tactical vehicles capable of driving in four feet of water to evacuate people who were trapped by the flood, read a news release. The displaced were sent to a shelter set up by the Red Cross at the Eastern New Mexico University Fairgrounds at 2500 SE Main Street in Roswell and were allowed to bring livestock if properly contained.

The Roswell International Air Center was temporarily closed, with flights canceled Sunday into Monday morning. The airport reopened Monday afternoon and flights resumed. Roads in and out of Roswell were closed Sunday night but reopened the next day with north and southbound traffic advised to seek alternative routes.

Traffic heading north from Artesia to Roswell was diverted to State Road 2, turning west on Ojibwa and north on U.S. Highway 285, according to a Facebook post by the Chaves County Sheriff’s Office.

Anyone heading south from the city was directed to travel south from Roswell to Artesia, to turn east on Okjibwa, then south on State Road 2.

Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham issued two state executive orders Monday declaring a disaster and appropriating $1 million in state funds to help with flood recovery.

Lujan Grisham’s first order sent $750,000 to the Department of Homeland Security and Emergency Management, while the second provided $250,000 to the New Mexico National Guard.

The Chaves County Commission declared a local state of emergency, indicating local resources were “insufficient to address the emergency,” the governor’s executive order stated.

The governor met with the Federal Emergency Management Administration (FEMA), which had yet to issue its own declaration. A federal declaration could bring more relief funding to the area but it was unclear when such a declaration would be issued. FEMA staff were reportedly in Roswell evaluating the damages.

Lujan Grisham and state officials visited the city this week to survey the damage and meet with local leaders to coordinate the recovery.

“My declaration of a state of emergency for Chaves County will help support local recovery efforts in the aftermath of historic and severe flooding in and around Roswell,” Lujan Grisham said in a statement. “I’m grateful for the swift actions taken by local authorities and our state departments to help communities in need.”

Adrian Hedden can be reached at 734-972-6855, achedden@currentargus.com or @AdrianHedden on the social media platform X.