Several homes were swept away and multiple people reportedly trapped as flash floods hit parts of New Mexico on Tuesday afternoon. The affected areas include Lincoln County, Ruidoso, and Hollywood, where a flash flood emergency remains in effect.
Videos circulating on social media show the Rio Ruidoso River rising rapidly. According to a NOAA river graph, the Rio Ruidoso rose 20 feet in just 30 minutes around 4 p.m. Tuesday. The river is located roughly 150 miles southeast of Albuquerque.
The National Weather Service wrote in an alert, “Homes starting to be moved by water.”
This marks the third major flash flood event in the US in less than a week. Over the Fourth of July weekend, central Texas saw catastrophic flooding that claimed over 100 lives. Then, on Monday, flash floods struck parts of North Carolina.
Following these back-to-back disasters, some social media users have begun speculating about cloud seeding as a possible cause. The unproven theory suggests that artificial weather modification may be triggering extreme rainfall.
{{/usCountry}}Following these back-to-back disasters, some social media users have begun speculating about cloud seeding as a possible cause. The unproven theory suggests that artificial weather modification may be triggering extreme rainfall.
{{/usCountry}}One person wrote on X, “Domestic terrorism with cloud seeding? Just an idea. Texas. North Carolina. New Mexico......all within a week.”
Another added, “New Mexico is one of the states doing cloud seeding. This isn’t a coincidence. It’s all being done on purposes.”
A third person wrote, “Just like Texas, New Mexico has cloud seeding and weather modification as well. Oh wait… y’all think this is just one of those coincidence things and I’m a conspiracy theorist… got it!”
Another user wrote, “Wow, this is crazy...Texas, North Carolina and now New Mexico all in a week's time? Something is not right! If this has anything to do with cloud seeding, then there needs to be an immediate halt on the weather modification!"
New Mexico's 2024 Pilot Project
In February 2024, the New Mexico House of Representatives passed a bill establishing a pilot cloud seeding project in southeast New Mexico. Cloud seeding is a method of weather modification intended to enhance precipitation by introducing substances such as silver iodide into clouds.