Major cities under heat alerts include New Orleans, Memphis, Little Rock, St. Louis, Kansas City, Chicago and Minneapolis.

Richard “Dick” Eastland began taking action after more than 2 inches of rain had fallen in the area along the Guadalupe River, a family spokesperson said.

Here’s a look at the warnings that preceded the deadly flooding: 2:15 p.m. The NWS in Albuquerque sent a Wireless Emergency Alert to cellphones in the Ruidoso area announcing a flash flood warning.

“The NWS leveraged advanced tools like the Amber Alert software to send critical flood warnings directly to wireless devices, ensuring widespread awareness,” Jackson wrote in an email.

Federal leaders spar on NWS flood warning response, pose safety review after Texas disaster ...

The summer rainy season in New Mexico usually brings daily alerts about the potential for flooding around the arid state.