Ruidoso, New Mexico – Na wah o! Wetin we go talk about floods wey just scatter Ruidoso like say dem dey play football with water. Na so last Tuesday heavy rain just land for the place, and before dem sabi wetin dey happen, the river don turn to raging river wey carry people and properties go swim.
Three people, including two small pikin wey dem no expect, don die for the wahala. Eddie Gutierrez, wey own one brewery for Ruidoso, watch as water don carry him neighbor house waka go. E talk say dem prepare well well because flood experts dey monitor the situation before e start, but how dem fit prepare for wahala wey come like surprise party?
For Ruidoso, rain wey fall reach 3.5 inches (8.8 cm) send water dey rush from the mountains like say water don turn to fire. The river level hit record of more than 20 ft, and many properties just dey float away like boat wey miss its captain. E be say na so life be – one minute you dey chill, next minute water dey carry you away. No wonder Ruidoso town dey back to business by next day.
If dem think say dem problems end for Ruidoso, dem dey wrong. This flood pimple fit be as a result of the wildfires wey scatter New Mexico last summer. Na dem “burn scars” wey dey stop soil to absorb water go make dem dey face this kind wahala for years. National Weather Service don already warn say the soil don dey water-repellent like say na pavement.
We don see how flood sabi surprise people for Texas wey happen a few days earlier. While Ruidoso don dey come to terms with the damage, Texas dey carry their wahala for head, don lose more than 119 people. E be as if rain dey play hide and seek with people wey no dey expect am. Weather no dey gree give early warning. Governor Greg Abbott of Texas dey vex say many people still dey miss, while Ruidoso dey try work things out.
As at last Friday, thousands of gallons (over 100 billion) just jam for Texas, na so di Guadalupe River come swell like say e wan burst as anyone wey dey around dey sleep. Mayor Joe Herring of Kerrville, Texas, talk say dem no even get warning before wahala start. This kind alert wahala fit dey dangerous o!
Experts dey talk say if community fit manage their experience well, dem go fit handle future floods better. But with “burn scars” still dey, flood dey line up to come hit Ruidoso well well. E good say dem dey try manage things for place, but the risk no fit just disappear like that. As dem dey make plans, we dey hold our breath to see how dem go take recover after this latest water drama.
