Tulsa police officers assist flood response efforts in New Mexico

Heavy rains are triggering flash flooding in New Mexico, posing a dangerous new threat to areas recently devastated by wildfires. Members of the Tulsa Police Department are on the ground helping manage the response.

Q: Why is the Tulsa Police Department in New Mexico?

A: Members of the Tulsa Police Department, including Lt. Patrick Stephens and Adam Woodard, are part of Oklahoma’s Incident Management Team (IMT). They’ve been deployed to New Mexico to help coordinate emergency response efforts due to the increasing threat of flash floods.

Q: Where exactly are they working?

A: The team was first sent to Santa Fe to support the New Mexico State Emergency Operations Center. They’ve since been reassigned to Ruidoso, a town experiencing rapidly worsening flood conditions.

Q: What kind of work are they doing?

A: Their responsibilities include managing logistics, planning, and operations as part of the flood response. They’re also helping lead incident command and providing critical support to local staff who’ve been stretched thin since the wildfires.

“Most importantly, we're providing relief to the staffers who have been in here and just working their butts off,” said Lt. Patrick Stephens.

Q: How serious is the flooding?

A: Extremely serious. Lt. Stephens reported that during one recent storm, water levels rose five feet in under 20 minutes, trapping a dump truck and requiring a water rescue.

“Maybe 10 minutes' worth of rain, and we're expecting three days' worth of rain,” he said. “So the impact is going to be more.”

Q: How is Oklahoma’s experience helping?

A: Both Stephens and Woodard say their experience managing disasters in Oklahoma—from tornadoes to ice storms—has prepared them for the challenges they’re now facing in New Mexico.

“It gives us a pretty broad experience that we can pull from,” said IMT Coordinator Adam Woodard.

Q: How long will they be there?

A: The Tulsa team plans to stay in Ruidoso through the weekend as storms continue. They could remain in New Mexico for the next week or longer, depending on the situation.

Q: Are other Oklahoma agencies involved?

A: Yes. Several agencies from Oklahoma are assisting in New Mexico, including:

1. Oklahoma Highway Patrol
2. Oklahoma City Fire Department
3. Oklahoma Emergency Management
4. Oklahoma Homeland Security