Severe flooding in Bernardo displaced residents, claimed one life, and raised concerns about communication and recovery efforts.
SOCORRO COUNTY, N.M. —
Flooding in Bernardo over the weekend displaced residents, closed Highway 60 and tragically claimed one life, leaving the community grappling with loss and unanswered questions.
“My grandparents have lived here for 50 some years, and they’ve never seen anything like this,” Aubrey Alguire, one Bernardo resident, said. “It’s awful.”
Socorro County officials confirmed that 15 residents were affected by the flooding.
“I’ve never seen anything like this amount of water — it came so fast,” Alguire said. “It sucks that someone has to pass to try to find safety.”
Alguire said she received a “set” alert text around 5 p.m. on Sunday, followed by an evacuation notice less than an hour later. She expressed frustration with the county’s communication during the crisis.
“We have a lot of concerns,” she said. “We’ve been out here pretty much since Sunday night, and not one county member has addressed us.”
Fred Berger, Socorro County’s emergency manager, explained the challenges the county faced during the flooding.
“Unfortunately, this was a very rapid rise of the river levels in that area,” Berger said.
County officials said they are working on recovery efforts but are struggling with limited financial resources.
“We’re looking at FEMA funding [and] state funding,” Berger said. “Socorro doesn’t have the funds to maintain all of these areas that have been affected.”
Residents are eager to return home, but the emotional toll remains heavy.
“I know it’s just a building, but my kids helped build their house,” Alguire said. “It’s hard.”
County officials also advised residents to wait until the expected rain this weekend passes before attempting to return to their homes.
