Ruidoso residents navigate recovery and prepare for more flooding
Two years after fires and floods devastated Ruidoso, residents and officials continue to face challenges as heavy rains impact the area and recovery costs mount.
RUIDOSO, N.M. —
Two years after fires and floods devastated Ruidoso, residents and officials are still grappling with recovery efforts as heavy rains hit New Mexico this week.
Natalie Smith, who runs a small private school in Ruidoso Downs, said her 25 students have endured various extreme weather events over the past two years.
“You[‘ve] got to take care of the kids,” Smith said. “They do have PTSD from the flooding, and I have to protect their health and their safety and their mental health.”
After waking up to heavy downpour early Wednesday morning, Smith decided to cancel school for the day.
“I have students that travel all over this area, and I cannot endanger the students,” she said.
Village officials are working to help the community recover from the disasters.
“We’re trying to get everybody back to some semblance of normalcy,” said Heath Dobrovolney, village deputy manager.
Officials said the 2024 floods continue to weigh heavily on the village’s finances, with recovery costs totaling upwards of $300 million.
“Recovery of this scale when you have back-to-back federal disasters is very costly,” Dobrovolney said. “You can always have your hand out and say, ‘yeah, we need more.’ And we do need more. 100%. We do need more. But we also recognize that there are needs all across the state.”
Rain is forecasted in the area over the next few days, and leaders are urging residents to pay attention to alerts from the village and the National Weather Service.
