Village in southern New Mexico ravaged by wildfires last month now facing another flash flood watch — KUNM News, Associated Press, KOB News
A mountain village in southern New Mexico that was ravaged by wildfires last month is under a new flash flood watch, authorities said Sunday.
The National Weather Service said heavy rain was forecast for Ruidoso on Sunday with the flash flood warning in effect until 6 a.m. Monday. A Flood Watch is in effect for the area until 10 p.m. Monday.
As a precaution, four roads in the Ruidoso area were either closed or have restricted access on Sunday due to runoff from heavy rain following burn scars left by the recent wildfires.
About 100 National Guardsmen were in Ruidoso on Sunday. They were handing out sandbags, helping with road repair and implementing flooding mitigation.
New Mexico National Guard officials said at least 12 people were rescued from flooded roads Saturday and some residents had to evacuate from their water-damaged homes.
KOB News reports at least 200 homes have been destroyed by flooding on top of the nearly 1600 homes damaged by the fires.
Of the 19 fast-flood emergencies since June 19 on the South Fork Fire and Salt Fire burn scar areas, Ruidoso has been included in 13 of them, with monsoon rains dumping over the burn scars causing waves of debris and mud to rush through the village, damaging utilities, natural gas and propane lines, and damaging bridges and infrastructure.
The constant flooding has presented two major challenges. First, the water finds new paths, damaging homes that were spared by the fires and usually out of the way of typical flooding. And the back-to-back torrents have net given crews enough time to set up proper mitigation efforts to reduce the floodwater’s impact.
Flash flood advisories also were in effect on Friday and Saturday, and the National Weather Service forecasts an 80% chance of showers and thunderstorms for the area today.
Ruidoso Downs Racetrack was forced to cut its schedule of Saturday races because of flash flooding concerns.
Wildfires killed two people and burned more than 25,000 acres in the Ruidoso community in June.
More than $6 million in federal assistance has been allotted to the region after President Joe Biden declared the region a major disaster area on June 20.
"You can't help but feel for these folks. Ruidoso can't seem to catch a break," the National Guard wrote Sunday on its Facebook page.
Sundance Film Festival narrows down host cities — from Louisville to Santa Fe — for future years — Katilyn Huamani, Associated Press
The Sundance Institute on Friday announced six finalists in its search for a new host location for the influential film festival.
After 40 years in Park City, Utah, the festival is eyeing locations across the country for festivals starting in 2027 when its existing contract will be up for renewal. The snowy mountain town, along with Salt Lake City, will still be home to the 2025 and 2026 festivals, and the Utah cities are one of the six options for future festivals.
The other five finalists are Atlanta; Cincinnati; Boulder, Colorado; Louisville, Kentucky, and Santa Fe, New Mexico. These cities are moving along in the selection process after a competitive request for proposal phase that started in May and saw submissions from across the country.
The potential host cities were selected for their ability to support the film festival's growth and they will continue to be evaluated on each city's infrastructure, accessibility, event venues and logistical capabilities, as well as their alignment with Sundance's values.
"As we very carefully consider this important decision for our Festival, we believe these six finalists allow us the best opportunity to not only secure a sustainable future for our Festival, but also to build upon its legacy while continuing to support the next generation of storytellers and highlight bold new works of art," said Ebs Burnough, Sundance Institute board chair, and Amanda Kelso, Sundance Institute acting CEO, in a joint statement.
"We are grateful to all the communities who have expressed interest and been a part of the process, and we have valued the opportunity to learn about the uniqueness of each location," the statement continued. "We look forward to the site visits in each of the finalist cities."
Sundance has long been a launching pad for independent filmmakers and has supported the early careers of Christopher Nolan, Quentin Tarantino and more. Festival winners often become some of the year's most acclaimed films. Last year's festival produced Celine Song's "Past Lives," nominated for best picture and best screenplay. Other Sundance titles to reach the Oscars include 2022 best picture winner "CODA," "Summer Of Soul (...Or, When The Revolution Could Not Be Televised)" and "Minari."
The Sundance Institute noted that each of the finalist cities have strong arts communities with varied cultural backgrounds and potential for growth. The Robert Redford-founded festival has grown significantly since its inception.
Redford, who stepped back from the Sundance spotlight years ago, expressed concern in 2016 that the festival as it existed might have outgrown Park City and was thinking about ways to evolve. He and his daughter, Amy Redford, who is on the board, have been involved in the process according to an April announcement about the location search.
Mayors and governors from each of the selected cities have issued statements expressing their enthusiasm for the festival to move to their town (or remain there). Mayors Nann Worel of Park City, Erin Mendenhall of Salt Lake City and Jenny Wilson of Salt Lake County issued a statement that emphasizes the dual city hosting model, likely in response to concerns that Park City was no longer suitable for the ever-expanding festival.
"We are committed to working in partnership on a new vision of 'Two Cities, One Experience' with a shared goal of reinvigorating the Festival with an even greater tradition for storytelling over the next 40 years," the mayor said in their statement.
Members of the Sundance Institute selection committee will visit each of the finalist cities in the coming weeks and a final decision is expected in early 2025.