ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. (AP) — Authorities say one person is dead in Albuquerque after a thunderstorm dropped rain and hail, flooding arroyos and sweeping away six people in New Mexico's most populous city. Quarter-size hail, flooding, and power outages were also reported in El Paso.
The Albuquerque Fire Department says a woman whose identity was not released apparently was the only person killed by the flash flooding Monday from a storm that ended Albuquerque's 54-day dry streak.
The other people swept away were rescued. Firefighters used a ladder to rescue three people from an arroyo near Interstate 40.
Fire Lt. Tom Ruiz Ruiz says the people who were swept away were apparently already in arroyos when the storm hit and that they didn't have time to get out before being swept away.
The Fire Department stationed trucks and personnel at multiple locations to respond to emergency calls.